R179 Procurement Delivery and Acceptance

[Paul1705]

Yes, there will be such a car. The 2009-2013 MTA Capital Plan has this info:

The purchase of 590 railcars described above will be executed under two separate contracts. 382 railcars will be bought under an option of the existing R160 contract, bringing the total number of R160 cars in the fleet to 1,662. The remaining 208 cars will be the first of the R179 series. These longer (75- foot) cars will replace the R44 fleet, which was purchased in the early 1970s.

I wasn't sure there would ever be more 75-footers.

[jtrain22]

Because replacing 75ft cars with. More 75s ft cars is more cost effective than repacing them with 60 ft cars.

[Paul1705]

True, but the N and probably the Q will be getting new sixty-foot cars. I suspect some 75-foot cars will be displaced from those lines to other routes.

Overall, the MTA ordered more R-160s than would have been necessary if only the BMT Eastern Division was to be re-equipped.

[jtrain22]

True, but the N and probably the Q will be getting new sixty-foot cars. I suspect some 75-foot cars will be displaced from those lines to other routes.

Overall, the MTA ordered more R-160s than would have been necessary if only the BMT Eastern Division was to be re-equipped.

Yes the R68/As from the N/Q and W lines will go to the B line.The current option order doesnt have enough cars for the Q.So the MTA will take the second option order and put them on the Q and W lines.But all of the those lines are serviced by CI yard.The R160s are replacing the R40S which are maintained at CI yard.So there wont be nothing lost.

[Paul1705]

I wonder what combination of new equipment and reassignments will be done to replace the R-32s and R-38s on the A and C and the R-32s on the E. I had thought that the R-160 orders, when complete, were supposed to replace all R-32s and 38s, but I could be wrong.

[Head-end View]

I'm confused here. For many years they bought 75 ft cars. Then they went back to 60 ft. cars to increase the number of doors on the train from 32 to 40 each side. (8 car train vs, 10 car) This was for faster loading/unloading. Now they're going to go back to 75 ft. cars again? I don't get it..................

[jtr1962]

I'm confused here. For many years they bought 75 ft cars. Then they went back to 60 ft. cars to increase the number of doors on the train from 32 to 40 each side. (8 car train vs, 10 car) This was for faster loading/unloading. Now they're going to go back to 75 ft. cars again? I don't get it..................

Maybe the new cars will have 5 doors to a side? No technical reason they can't. This would give them the best of both worlds-quick loading but the cheaper operating costs of longer cars. As an aside, I hope once the new cars come, we'll be running trains at 65 mph on the Queens Blvd line as was done for a short time in the late 1970s. 13 or 14 scheduled minutes to go about 5.5 miles from Continental Ave. to Queens Plaza with only one stop is totally ridiculous. 65 mph running with no timers anywhere could cut that just about in half. Even if the schedule remains the same elsewhere that's close to 20% cut off the scheduled running time of the E, or put another way you need 20% fewer trains for a given level of service.

[jomak_nyc]

From what I have heard from people in the B; 75 ft cars are going to be replaced with 60 ft cars for the reason stated above. More doors!! I'd have to see proof of them doing otherwise.

[jtrain22]

I wonder what combination of new equipment and reassignments will be done to replace the R-32s and R-38s on the A and C and the R-32s on the E. I had thought that the R-160 orders, when complete, were supposed to replace all R-32s and 38s, but I could be wrong.

The current R160 option order will replace the phase II R32s the ones from jmaica yard. But the phase I R32s the ones from pikin yard will last until 2015. And the R160s will also kill off the R40s CI R42s and all of the R38s. The only cars that will be left are MK R42s and the phase I R32s...

[Head-end View]

This is so friggin' depressing. Soon there will be no cars left with front railfan windows, except on the #7 Flushing Line. Those should be around another 10 years at least, maybe 20 if they rebuild them soon.

[Kamen Rider]

This is so friggin' depressing. Soon there will be no cars left with front railfan windows, except on the #7 Flushing Line. Those should be around another 10 years at least, maybe 20 if they rebuild them soon.

it wasn an accidental luxury, not a legal right.

[jtr1962]

The cars with full-width cabs would be fine for railfanning if the TOs didn't insist on putting newspaper or that blurry stuff over the window.

[Kamen Rider]

The cars with full-width cabs would be fine for railfanning if the TOs didn't insist on putting newspaper or that blurry stuff over the window.

newspaper is agasint the rules, the blurry stuff is part of the glass. (honestly, would you want someone staring at you through a window for hours)

[jtr1962]

(honestly, would you want someone staring at you through a window for hours)

It really wouldn't bother me to be honest. Maybe they could use that glass that electronically darkens when they need to do embarrassing stuff like pick their noses or take care of bodily functions, and leave it clear the rest of the time. And I doubt there would be railfan at the window every minute of every tour. Most of the riding public couldn't care less about watching out the front window. I'll also add that watching out the back end of the train is just as much fun as the front end, and there's no TO in the cab to bothered by the staring. Maybe clear glass with a shade that's pulled down if the TO wants might be good compromise. At least it would keep the rear window open at all times.

[Head-end View]

I guess it's time to tell this story again. The Washington D.C. Metro subway system is one of the most modern in the country. And its full width cabs can be seen thru on the left side. Instead of a solid wall, the upper half of the partition is made of tinted (not blurry) glass enabling passengers to see all the way thru. You can't really see the train operator sitting at the console. And the operator walks to the left side of the cab to open the doors where the platform is on that side. I'm not aware of them having any problems with people looking through. It works out good for everybody.

This is how smart a subway car can be designed. Luxury railfanning at its finest. (Chuckle!)