NYCTA Subway Cars with Porthole Windows

During the 1950's, 3 series of subway cars were delivered with porthole windows:
1. R-15 on the sides and ends.
2. R-16 on the ends.
3. R-17 on the ends.

Was there any operational reason for this design or was it purely for aesthetics? Anyone have information?

transit man wrote:During the 1950's, 3 series of subway cars were delivered with porthole windows:
1. R-15 on the sides and ends.
2. R-16 on the ends.
3. R-17 on the ends.

Was there any operational reason for this design or was it purely for aesthetics? Anyone have information?

You forgot the R-11 cars built in 1949 (rebuilt under contract R-34). They also had circular windows on the end and sides.

http://www.nycsubway.org/cars/r11.html

There is nothing that I can find that indicates they were anything other than a attempt for a new design. Thankfully it didn't get carried forward beyond the R-17's.

Those cars had portholes in the doors, but not for the motorman's cab.
Inidentally, why did one motor truck weigh more than the other? I assume that both trucks, mounting two motors each, were identical.

keyboardkat wrote:Those cars had portholes in the doors, but not for the motorman's cab.
Inidentally, why did one motor truck weigh more than the other? I assume that both trucks, mounting two motors each, were identical.

Porthole windows for the motorman were never used on elevated or subway cars in NYC. I have seen them in photos of old railroad cars (Pennsylvania, NY Central)

The motors were mounted only on the truck at the #1 end of the car. The practice of putting motors on both trucks came later.

Allan wrote:

keyboardkat wrote:Those cars had portholes in the doors, but not for the motorman's cab.
Inidentally, why did one motor truck weigh more than the other? I assume that both trucks, mounting two motors each, were identical.

Porthole windows for the motorman were never used on elevated or subway cars in NYC. I have seen them in photos of old railroad cars (Pennsylvania, NY Central).

In additional to the PRR/LIRR MP54s, the H&M standard cars had porthole engineer's windows.