Robert Paniagua wrote:In this case they will probably not go by age. The R32's are in the best shape out of all the 60 foot cars. Watch for the R32's to be the last 60 foot cars to go.
Oh really? I though they go by age after all.
It's well known that they are going by condition, and the sets that are going first are in worse shape than those retiring later. The R32s have been running great, why retire them just because they are 40 years old? They don't have the troubles that the other cars have so why get rid of them? Besides, they will give you another decade with light maintnence easily. The R44s and R42s and even the R40s, doubtful.
Here in Boston, REGARDLESS of the MDFB or mechanical issues, the MBTA here gets rid of cars by age, for example the 01400s (#5 Cambridge-Dorchester 1963 Pullman-Standard Cars) were the first to go in 1994 when the 01800s (#3 Red Line 1993-94 Bombardier Cars) came to replace the 01400s rather than the 015/01600s (#1 Red Line 1969-70 Pullman-Standard Cars) even though the 015/01600s uphere have performed a bit worse than the 01400s.
I know you loved those cars but that is a bogus assessment. They were in terrible condition Rob. They got rid of them because they would have cost MORE to OVERHAUL them AGAIN than it cost to BUY new cars. The curren 1500 and 1600 are in much better condition now than the 1400s were when they were retired. You don't see the MBTA rushing to retire them now since they are FIVE YEARS OLDER than the 1400s were when they were retired, so there goes your argument.
But I guess downthere in NYCT-Land they go by wear and tear and not age. Besides, I like that approach that you folks have and not here in Boston.
There have been some cars retired early in New York, but only because they could not be renovated to fit new technology. Example: the 1940s and early 1950s IRT division cars, all of which were retired in their early to mid 30s.