R62 mid train cabs

When the R62s were made into 5 car sets etc. why were the cabs retained in the middle cabs? Why not remove them to create more seating?

It would have been very cost prohibitive to remove the cabs (and then put them back if needed).

The 5 car sets while in numerical order are not "fixed" that way. If for some reason they had to do a realignment of the car consist they can use a middle car as the lead car. Removal of the cabs would prevent that.

Consider as an example - the 42nd St Shuttle. The cars used are "rotated" with cars from the 6 line (at one time they used cars from the 3). There are 3 trains Track 1 - 3 cars, track 3 - 4 cars, track 4 - 3 cars. This would make a full train of 10. If the cabs were removed from 5 car sets then how could they provide cars for this service?

But the cars in the center cars have half cabs, and the cars in the outer cars have full cabs. Also, for that they could just take out 1 or 2 middle cars per set. They'll have to do something like that in the future when they get rid of the R62s.

Third width cabs (not half cabs) in the R62/62A were converted to full width cabs - that is how the existing full width cabs were created for those cars. As such the full width cabs can be converted back to third width.

All newer cars (R44 (now retired), R46, R142, R142A, R143, R160, R188 and the soon to come R179 and R211) all have full width cabs but only in the "A" (operating) cars. All the other cars (B and C units) have no cabs.

R68 cars were built with a full width cab at one end and a third width cab (with full controls) at the other. Each car can be the operating car as consists are changed especially if a car has to be taken out for maintenace.

We shouldn't forget that in the R-62's and R-68's that were converted into 4 or 5 car groups had the driver and conductor controls in all but the end cabs disabled or disassembled. Also, wihthin each group, the couplers were replaced w ith linkbars between any two cars within the group. Thus, cars in the middle of a group an't be easily taken out for reconfiguring, and the corner cabs in most R-68's can't be used for flexibility. (The exceptions are the 9 cars assigned to the Franklin Avenue Shuttle).

Yes, all R62s have had the couplers replaced with linkbars but on the R62As only cars 1966 to 2475 have been "linkbarred".
Various car sets of cars 1911 to 1965 (on the 6) still have their couplers.