R7A (New York City Subway car)

R7A (New York City Subway car)
250px R7A subway car 1575 leading a special holiday train at 23 Street on the IND Sixth Avenue Line
250px Interior of R7A car 1575
In service	1939 – 1977
Manufacturer	American Car and Foundry, Pullman Standard
Built at	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Constructed	1938
Entered service	1938-1939
Number built	100
Number preserved	1
Number scrapped	99
Fleet numbers	1550-1599 (Built by Pullman Standard) 1600-1649 (Built by American Car Foundry) (motorized single units)
Capacity	56 (seated)
Operator(s)	New York City Subway
Specifications
Car body construction	Riveted steel
Car length	over anticlimbers
Width	10 ft (3.05 m)
Height
Platform height	3.76 ft (1.15 m)
Doors	8
Maximum speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
Weight	84,556 lb (38,354 kg) (ACF), 84,750 lb (38,440 kg) (Pullman), #1575: 82,340 lb (37,350 kg)
Traction system	Westinghouse 570-D5 or General Electric 714-D1, 714-D2
Power output	190 hp (142 kW).
Electric system(s)	600 V DC Third rail
Current collection method	Contact shoe
Braking system(s)	WABCO Schedule AMUE with UE-5 universal valve, ME-23 brake stand, and simplex clasp brake rigging. WABCO D-3-F air compressor
Coupling system	WABCO H2A
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The R7A was a New York City Subway car order consisting of 100 cars that were built in 1938 by two separate orders from different manufacturers; the American Car & Foundry (#1600-1649), and Pullman Standard (#1550-1599).

The R7A's were also used for service on the IND exclusively until 1968-69, when they were displaced by the new R40 and R42 cars, and were transferred to the East New York Yard of the Eastern Division, and were used on the former BMT J, KK, LL, M, and QJ routes until 1977 when the R7A's were retired, and replaced by the R46's.

File:R7A 1575 Cab.JPG

Cab of R7A subway car 1575 on display at the New York Transit Museum.

Preservation

Car 1575 has been preserved by the New York Transit Museum and restored. During its service life, it was rebuilt from its original appearance by ACF in 1947 after an accident, and became the prototype for the R10. It was designed to test new interior and cosmetic features. While it cosmetically resembles an R10, mechanically and electrically it is still an R7A and can only operate with other prewar IND Arnines.

Further reading

• Sansone, Gene. Evolution of New York City subways: An illustrated history of New York City's transit cars, 1867-1997. New York Transit Museum Press, New York, 1997 ISBN 978-0-9637492-8-4