[PHOTO] What The M-7 Was Originally Supposed To Look Like

What's Old Is New ?

I wish that was the final design. I loved the front of the old M1/3 units - was very stylish. This would have also mitigated the gap issue the new car design led to.

Now that is one good looking Metropolitan car. They couldn't do it though because of copyright infringement I think, and I don't like the fact that the LED wasn't going to be on the inside. Man Newkirk, just like LB your collection is vast, brings back memories, and puts a smile on my face!

BM:

Yes-that was the original mid/late 1990s artist concept of the M7 car. This photo was used in rail
and transit publications (Railway Age and Metro come to mind) and was in color - with the yellow
front end stripe the only significant difference into what was shown. In time Bombardier changed
the M7 car design to resemble the AMT (Montreal) MR77 MU car to a large extent.

There are cases when the artist concept is quite different then the finished product - one of the
best recent examples I can think of is when Metro-North's M8 cars were being designed one of
the artist concepts was virtually the same as the M7 with a bright red stripe across the lower
front end of the car...As we now know the M8 has its own unique design inside and out...

MACTRAXX

Personally I thought that the MTA did a nice job with sticking with the design that they have. It gives the exterior a true look at what a third rail commuter mu should look like. I love the M7s the way they are-large windows, comfy seats, etc.

I first saw the above photo of the M-7 proposed design in the August 1999 issue of Railpace Magazine. The accompanying article explained that the new married pairs would have a full-width cab at each end, and I began to hope that the finished product would prove the initial story wrong as is often the case. No such luck......

Look carefully at front: a NYCT R44/R46. Basically a R44/R46 shell with the blackened window treatment from the M-6s (then the newest cars from 1994). Even so, a basic design from 1968 (M-1) would still be in production in 1994 as the M-6 Cosmopolitan.

I remember this concept still being around when I hired on in early 2001. Although the actual M7 design was already known at that point. As much as I like the original Metropolitan design, it apparently wasn't good enough for the new century.

Was it really a copyright issue on the design or did someone just demand a completely new design?

Because the original M1 design was built by different manufactures well into the early 90s.

The choice was made for totally new design and not to rehash an old late 1960's design. the public likes to see something totally different, not something that their told is new but they can't see it.

That's interesting Dutch. I guess that's why the latest NYC Subway trains don't have that late 60's rounded look either, (that lasted thru the late 1980's actually) but look more like the M-7's in a way.

JamesRR wrote:Was it really a copyright issue on the design or did someone just demand a completely new design?

Because the original M1 design was built by different manufactures well into the early 90s.

Wasn't a copyright issue. MTA & BUDD jointly owned the Metropolitan Design.

and at that time Budd had sold all its engineering plans and copy right to Bombardier.

Fast forward to the 2000s and the M7s and now that leads to he following.
By the time of the M7 production wasn’t the original metropolitan carbody design outdated and no longer met crash requirements?
With that Plus the public wanting a newer look, you get the M7 as we have it, Which actually does look better than in the early art work posted above.
And if it’s true that the M7s were on the back burner possibly as early as 1994-1996 that explains the classic metropolitan design. Just the next Model up from the M6.
The same as the M9s are to the M8s in broad strokes.

the M-8 despite having the M-7 basics have the CDOT mohawk hairdo look , CDOT gave specific instructions to not only have color difference but a different look.
the contract went to Cesar Vergara of Richfield a modern rail look designer , see http://vergarastudio.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;