Nyc Subway Car Lighting System

[rail10]

What type of fluorescent lighting system is used for nyc subway car lighting and what is the voltage,current and frequency for that?

[railfan365]

I have a question of my own, if I may piggyback on the first one in this thread.

Years ago, I noticed that the headliners on subway cars from the R-10's through the R-32's with the narrow side lighting had oval holes in the paneling. The newer cars and the ones that got new lighting in an overhaul process don't have such holes. What was the purpose of those holes?

[bystander]

let dirt in adn heat out-

[R36 Combine Coach]

For most cars, the system is a Luminator 600V parallel circuit (run directly off the third rail). In older pre-R42 cars when the cars when over a power gap, the circuits would open and the lights would dim off (with "battery lights" in the ceiling fans turning on). Later cars (including rebuilt SMEEs) would have a solid state converter with lighting inverter that keeps lighting on for a mimimum 30 seconds after power is lost.