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The Independent Fleet (1932-1939) [R1 thru R9]

A random selection of images of the R-1/R-9


(image 2316)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose


(image 77963)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 2157)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose


(image 100344)

Photo by: Brian Weinberg


(image 2319)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn


(image 27497)

Photo by: Peter Ehrlich


(image 117944)

Photo by: David Tropiansky


(image 2009)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose


(image 1839)

Photo by: Steve Zabel


(image 52554)

Photo by: Anthony Maimone

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R-1 Drawing

Length over
Anticlimbers

60' 2.5"
Width at
Door Sills

10' 0"
Total
Weight

84,000-84,500 lbs.
Height from
Railhead

12' 2"
Height, Railhead
to Floor

3' 9 1/8"
Seating
Capacity

56

Datasheets


(from NYCT "Revenue and Non-Revenue Car Drawings")

R-1 Datasheet

R-4 Datasheet

R-6 Datasheet (R-6-1)
, (R-6-2), (R-6-3)

R-7 Datasheet (1400-1474)
, (1475-1549),

R-7A Datasheet (1550-1599)
, (1600-1649), (1575)

R-9 Datasheet (1650-1701)
, (1702-1802)

The pre-war fleet of subway cars built for the city's Independent Subway under contracts R-1, R-4, R-6, R-7, and R-9 (collectively known by subway fans nowadays as the R-9s or "arnines") consisted of 1,703 nearly identical cars, numbered 100-1802, delivered between 1930 and 1940. When the first order of 300 cars, under contract R-1, was announced, the Electric Railway Journal reported in November 1928:

The New York City Board of Transportation announced today that it will soon advertise for bids for the construction of 300 steel cars for service on the Eighth Avenue-Central Park West-Washington Heights line of the new subway system. ... For nearly a year, the members of the board and its engineers have been consulting and conducting research on the design of a steel car. As a result it is expected that the cars of the city's new subway system will afford greater capacity and facility, will be faster in operation and have less crowding for the amount of traffic anticipated than other cars now in use in the city.

The new cars, as designed, will be 60 ft. 6 in. long, 10 ft. wide and 12 ft. high. The length will be 9 ft. and 2 in. longer than the Interborough Rapid Transit Company cars and about 7 ft. shorter than the single steel cars now used by the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit company. They will permit easy movement of passengers through the end doors between cars, while the train is in motion. The width and height of the new cars will be the same as the width and height of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit company cars. The new cars will have four double doors on each side, each doorway being 3 ft. 10 in. wide. ...

The arrangement of the seats is somewhat similar to the arrangement now in existence in the B.M.T. cars, but in the city's new subway cars there is to be 2 in. more knee room between crossseats than in the B.M.T. cars. Each car will seat 60 passengers, and when filled with a standing load, each car will have a capacity of 282 passengers. The station platforms are 660 ft. in length, enough to accommodate a train of eleven cars, nearly 30 per cent more than the longest B.M.T. train and 55 per cent more than the present Interborough trains of ten cars each.

The cars will be provided with white-enameled hand straps in front of the seats and vertical stanchions near the doors. The seats will be of heavy, natural-colored rattan. Illuminated route or destination signs will be installed on the sides and at both ends of cars. These signs will carry a designated route number indicating the particular line the train is operating over similar to route numbers now in use on some of the bus lines. Each car will be equipped with five ceiling fans. The equipment of each car such as doors, fans, lights, etc., will be connected to permit operation from one or more positions between cars on the train.

The Eighth Avenue line of the Independent wasn't to open until 1932, and the line to Queens not until 1933. Without a subway line to run them on, the first delivery of R-1 cars was tested on the BMT's Sea Beach line in 1931. In October, 1931, a second order of identical cars was placed. Electric Railway Journal reported:

The cost of 300 additional [R-4] cars fully equipped for service on the... new city subway system will be about 27 per cent less than that of the 300 cars [R-1] ordered eighteen months ago, according to the Board of Transportation.... The lowest bid of $6,326,400 for the construction of 300 was submitted by the American Car & Foundry Company, the builder of the first 300 cars. Board of Transportation engineers calculate that the contract awards on the basis of the lowest bids would provide 300 fully equipped cars for $8,546,400, or $28,488 per car, as compared with $11,376,397, or $37,921 per car, for the order of eighteen months ago.

Further orders for nearly identical cars were placed under contracts R-6 (three subcontracts), R-7 (four subcontracts) and R-9 (two subcontracts). Most of the cars were retired by 1970, with a few soldiering on until March 31, 1977, when the remaining cars of contract R-9 were operating on the BMT Eastern Division (today's J line).

Several cars of the "Arnine" fleet have been preserved on NYCT property, or at other railroad museums. Cars 100, 484, and 1575 were the core of the New York Transit Museum's initial exhibit when the museum opened in 1976. These cars remained on static exhibit there until 2003, when these three cars operated a charity fan trip. Since 2003, several other "Arnine" cars have been restored to operable condition, and the museum train now consists of: 100, 381, 401, 484, 1000, 1300, 1575, 1802. Cars 103, 923, and 925 are also retained on the NYCT property for parts or future restoration. Operable "Arnines" are also included on the rosters of the Seashore Trolley Museum (800, 1440) and the Shore Line Trolley Museum (1689). See below for more details of preserved cars.

More Information

Car Notes

  Preserved
(Or Saved for Preservation)
  Converted to Work Service
(Might Still Exist)
  Wrecked/Damaged in Accident
(Possibly Repaired)
... Several cars converted to work motor service, numbers M520-M529.
... Several cars converted to work motor service, numbers M503-M506, M551-M556, M900-M920.
... 100 cars of the R9 fleet underwent work in the mid-1970s pertaining to the air compressors. This was done to test the viability of extending the life of the fleet. There would be five groups of 20 cars each, with the following modifcations made:
A-00 - A-19 will get new air piping and new D-3 air compressors;
B-20 - B-39 will have air lines cleaned and new D-3 compressors;
C-40 - C-59 will get new air lines and overhauled D3F air compressors;
D-60 - D-79 will have air lines cleaned and overhauled compressors;
E-80 - B-99 retain serviceable compressors and a record of low airconsumption.
The modified cars could then only run with like-modified mates. The renumbered cars are listed below:
A-00 ex-1800; A-01 ex-1799; A-02 ex-1798; A-03 ex-1797; A-04 ex-1796;
A-05 ex-1755; A-06 ex-1754; A-07 ex-1753; A-08 ex-1752; A-09 ex-1751;
A-10 ex-1737; A-11 ex-1789; A-12 ex-1779; A-13 ex-1772; A-14 ex-1787;
A-15 ex-1659; A-16 ex-1654; A-17 ex-1655; A-18 ex-1651; A-19 ex-1658;
B-20 ex-1709; B-21 ex-1702; B-22 ex-1703; B-23 ex-1705; B-24 ex-1717;
B-25 ex-1720; B-26 ex-1734; B-27 ex-1727; B-28 ex-1730; B-29 ex-1725;
B-30 ex-1735; B-31 ex-????; B-32 ex-1742; B-33 ex-1740; B-34 ex-1750;
B-35 ex-1743; B-36 ex-1757; B-37 ex-1733; B-38 ex-1748; B-39 ex-1741;
C-40 ex-1673; C-41 ex-1674; C-42 ex-1664; C-43 ex-1667; C-44 ex-1679;
C-45 ex-1684; C-46 ex-1680; C-47 ex-1675; C-48 ex-1685; C-49 ex-1683;
C-50 ex-1657; C-51 ex-1650; C-52 ex-1672; C-53 ex-1652; C-54 ex-1656;
C-55 ex-1661; C-56 ex-1662; C-57 ex-1663; C-58 ex-1665; C-59 ex-1670;
D-60 ex-1711; D-61 ex-1708; D-62 ex-1706; D-63 ex-1704; D-64 ex-1707;
D-65 ex-1712; D-66 ex-1721; D-67 ex-1713; D-68 ex-1718; D-69 ex-1722;
D-70 ex-1719; D-71 ex-1714; D-72 ex-1716; D-73 ex-1715; D-74 ex-1732;
D-75 ex-1726; D-76 ex-1723; D-77 ex-1729; D-78 ex-????; D-79 ex-????;
E-80 ex-1686; E-81 ex-1687; E-82 ex-1691; E-83 ex-1724; E-84 ex-1728;
E-85 ex-1738; E-86 ex-1739; E-87 ex-1746; E-88 ex-1747; E-89 ex-1749;
E-90 ex-1758; E-91 ex-1761; E-92 ex-1762; E-93 ex-1767; E-94 ex-1776;
E-95 ex-1778; E-96 ex-1781; E-97 ex-1792; E-98 ex-1795; E-99 ex-1801.


(image 68878)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn


(image 68877)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn


(image 68879)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn

 
100-144 Included carbon manganese side sill stiffeners.
100 Operational. New York Transit Museum collection. Used in R-1/R-9 museum train. Used on first R-type fan trip in many years on 6/8/2003.


(image 1860)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 36231)

Photo by: Richard Panse


(image 28804)

Photo by: Richard Panse

 
103 Not operational. Owned by Railway Preservation Corp., stored at Coney Island Yard. Had experimental Axiflow fans installed in 1947.


(image 1779)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose


(image 1777)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose


(image 24458)

Photo by: David Pirmann

 
165 This car was cut in half, lengthened to 75', and renumbered XC675. It was run throughout the system (and SIRT) in order to find areas of tight clearance, in anticipation of ordering the R44 fleet in 1971.


(image 1858)

Photo by: Steve Hoskins


(image 39342)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose

   
170-176 Cars converted in summer 1968 to alcohol sprayer cars, numbers AL470-AL476.


(image 1794)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn


(image 1795)

Collection of: David Pirmann

   
175 Not operational. Seashore Trolley Museum collection. Stripped, truckless, and used only for storage. Two of its side doors were donated to the restoration of R-4 491.


(image 1796)

Photo by: David Pirmann

     
192 This car was cut in half, lengthened to 75', and renumbered XC575. It was run throughout the system (and SIRT) in order to find areas of tight clearance, in anticipation of ordering the R44 fleet in 1971.


(image 1848)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn


(image 1855)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose

   
212, 378 Scrapped after collision; also involved R4 472; 2/17/1936.
253 Renumbered 453. Reason unknown.
273 Scrapped 6/27/1960.


(image 94807)

Photo by: Joel Shanus

     
372 Renumbered 465. Reason unknown.
381 Operational. Owned by Railway Preservation Corp., stored at Coney Island Yard. Used in R-1/R-9 museum train. Restored to operating condition in 2004 and used in the Transit Museum's museum train parade weekend of 10/23-24/2004.


(image 1809)

Photo by: Ed McKernan


(image 34002)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 34134)

Photo by: David Pirmann

 
399 Converted to work motor M-502, summer 1968.


(image 1833)

Photo by: Steve Zabel

     
401 (aka 491) Operational. New York Transit Museum collection. Used in R-1/R-9 museum train. Formerly used as a training car at Jamaica Yard and numbered 491. Was moved to Coney Island in 1998 for restoration. Two missing side doors were provided by R-1 175.


(image 1920)

Photo by: Sidney Keyles


(image 28601)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 34132)

Photo by: David Pirmann

 
404, 690 Involved in collision near Church Avenue, 6/27/1967. 404 seriously damaged.
467 First first-generation IND subway car to be retrofitted with headlights, in 1962.
472 Scrapped after collision; also involved R1 212 and 378; 2/17/1936.
484 Operational. New York Transit Museum collection. Outfitted with "bullseye" lighting and experimental PA system in 1946. Used on the first R-type fan trip in many years on 6/8/2003.


(image 1966)

Photo by: Steve Hoskins


(image 25945)

Photo by: Frank Hicks


(image 25491)

Photo by: Brian Weinberg

 
744 Outfitted with "bullseye" lighting and experimental PA system in 1946.
800 Operational. Seashore Trolley Museum collection.


(image 1958)

Collection of: David Pirmann


(image 1962)

Photo by: Todd Glickman


(image 28344)

Photo by: Michael Pompili

 
825 Not operational. Trolley Museum of New York collection.


(image 1964)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 1965)

Photo by: David Pirmann

   
923, 925 Not operational. Converted to revenue collection cars R247, R248. Owned by Railway Preservation Corp., stored at Coney Island Yard.


(image 14897)

Photo by: Neil Sullivan


(image 24464)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 24466)

Photo by: David Pirmann

 
973, 980 Involved in collision near Church Avenue, 6/27/1967, both seriously damaged.
978 The carbody of R6 978 lived at Golden's Deli, in the Staten Island Mall, 2845 Richmond Avenue, from 1985 to January 2012, when the deli closed. On 1/11/2012 the car was removed from the site. The owner said a new Golden's Deli would open at a new site...


(image 95801)

Photo by: Khalis Ward


(image 95802)

Photo by: Khalis Ward


(image 112748)

Photo by: Joe Korman

 
983 The carbody of R6-3 983 was recently rediscovered on private property in Jacksonville, FL. It is being used as a storage shed.


(image 80682)

Photo by: Daniel Herbin/www.metrojacksonville.com


(image 80683)

Photo by: Daniel Herbin/www.metrojacksonville.com


(image 80684)

Photo by: Daniel Herbin/www.metrojacksonville.com


(image 80685)

Photo by: Daniel Herbin/www.metrojacksonville.com

986 Collided with "A" train outside Hoyt St., 7/17/1970.
1000 Operational. Stored at Coney Island Yard for many years; owned by Railway Preservation Corp. Restored to operational status and operated first Nostalgia Train trip on 8/2/2009.


(image 1972)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose


(image 24459)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 103534)

Photo by: Brian Weinberg

 
1079 Scrapped, no other info available, 7/1958.
1144 Survives at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, England, United Kingdom. 1144 info page at BRC.


(image 2001)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose


(image 2004)

Photo by: Terry Walden


(image 2002)

Photo by: Terry Walden


(image 2003)

Photo by: Terry Walden

1192 Scrapped, no other info available, 8/1958.
1208 Car 1208 had been restored as part of the museum fleet but was scrapped in the 1980s. It would have been the only restored Pullman-Standard car in the museum fleet.


(image 2016)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn

     
1236 Accident at Church Ave. on 2/12/1973 with R40 4420; the R40 was demolished.
1300 Operational. Owned by Railway Preservation Corp.; stored at Coney Island Yard. Moved to 207th Street Yard in 2004 for restoration; ran first trip 8/21/2005 on a Transit Museum Nostalgia Train ride to the Rockaways.


(image 24454)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 30443)

Photo by: Brian Weinberg


(image 41093)

Photo by: Brian Weinberg

 
1440 Operational. Seashore Trolley Museum collection.


(image 2089)

Collection of: Former trolleycars dot com site


(image 28345)

Photo by: Michael Pompili

   
1575 Operational. New York Transit Museum collection. Car 1575 was involved in a wreck in 1946, and was then overhauled into the R-10 prototype car. The prototype work involved body and interior only, not mechanics. 1575 re-entered service 6/30/1947, but was only able to run with other R-1/R-9 types, never with R-10 cars that it resembled on the exterior. Operated the first R-type fan trip in many years on 6/8/2003.
R7A Drawing
(Click to view R7A 1575 Datasheet in PDF format)



(image 2259)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 25486)

Photo by: David Pirmann


(image 25752)

Photo by: Christopher Sattler

 
1689 Operational. Shore Line Trolley Museum collection.


(image 28347)

Photo by: Michael Pompili


(image 28348)

Photo by: Michael Pompili


(image 34743)

Photo by: David Pirmann

 
1761 Runaway in East New York Yard, 12/3/1972.


(image 2317)

Photo by: Joe Testagrose

     
1801 Not operational. New York State Museum collection, Albany, New York. Moved to the museum from Coney Island 1979 or 1980.


(image 2334)

Photo by: Doug Grotjahn


(image 2332)

Photo by: Steve Zabel


(image 24789)

Collection of: New York State Museum (Used by Permission)

 
1802 Operational. Owned by Railway Preservation Corp. Stored at Coney Island Yard for many years. Restored to operating condition and operated with the other R1/R9 museum cars in holiday service beginning 11/27/2004.


(image 28349)

Photo by: Michael Pompili


(image 30352)

Photo by: Trevor Logan


(image 30353)

Photo by: Trevor Logan

 
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