
| Designation | Division | Unit Numbers | Manufacturer | Years |
| R33 | IRT | 9306-9345 | St. Louis Car | 1962-1963 |
| R36 | IRT | 9346-9523 | St. Louis Car | 1963-1964 |
| R36 | IRT | 9558-9769 | St. Louis Car | 1964 |
|
|
Length over Anticlimbers 51' 0.5" |
Width at Door Sills 8' 9" |
Total Weight 75,122 lbs. |
Height from Railhead 11' 10 3/8" |
Height, Railhead to Floor 3' 9" |
Seating Capacity 44 |
Why do the car lights blink on the World's
Fair/Flushing Line cars but not the others?
The original carbody lighting design called for the
lights to be run directly off the 600V supply (with a polarity
reverser relay when flourescents came along). A relay called the ELR
(Emergency Lighting Relay) was also across the line. When the 600V
failed (car crosses a contact rail gap), the relay goes off and the
normally-closed contacts of the relay apply 37V battery voltage to a
set of emergency, or "battery" lights. On the IRT redbirds, these are
incandescent bulbs located along the center of the car. There are some
inside the long flourescent glass fixture, and there is one each in
the center of each axiflow fan.
When the R26/28/29 fleet was overhauled by MK, the
battery lights were removed from the center of the fans and PA
speakers replaced them. On these cars, a solid-state converter
replaces the older motor-generator set for converting 600V to battery
voltage, and the same converter unit also contains a solid state
lighting inverter to take the battery voltage, chop it to AC, and step
it up to drive the flourescent bulbs. When 600 goes off on these cars,
the lights stay on fully for up to about 30 seconds. In prolonged
power-out, the inverter gradually shuts down banks of lights until
only two lights are on in the entire car.
The Flushing cars were rebuilt in 1985 by Coney Island,
before the more thorough car overhaul program was devised. They left a
lot of "old technology" behind, including the Motor-Generator and the
classic SMEE pneumatic units. That's why those are the only cars that
still go "puff" when the doors close, and why the lights still blink
out across third rail gaps.
Car Notes
|   |
Preserved (Or Saved for Preservation) |
|
  |
Converted to Work Service (Might Still Exist) |
|
  |
Wrecked/Damaged in Accident (Possibly Repaired) |
| 9306 |
Preserved at New York Transit Museum in original World's Fair livery. Restored to operable status and used on several fan trips beginning in 2003.
|
| 9307-9345 |
Most cars of the R33 World's Fair fleet will be converted to work service. Most cars were renumbered, with a "1" placed next to the car number plates. For example, car 9335 is now 19335.
|
| 9321 |
The only one of the R33 World's Fair fleet to be reefed, in the summer of 2001.
|
| 9327 |
After the final run of the Redbirds, this car was first displayed in the New York Transit Museum as a temporary installation while the IRT SMEE museum cars were being used on various fan trips; it was then used on a fan trip itself in May 2005 along with R22 work car 7371; then both were shipped in June 2005 to the Seashore Trolley Museum. 9327 was one of the "Subway Series" cars, decorated with New York Yankees and New York Mets' logos for the 2000 World Series.
|
| 9349, 9410 |
Taken out of service due to anticlimber damage; mates 9411 and 9348 temporarily mated and used in service; 9349, 9410 repaired and remated to original mates in 2/2000.
|
| 9400-9401 |
Still on the property as of 1/2004, future use unknown.
|
| 9440 |
Rhode Island car.
|
| 9542-9543 |
In 2004, these cars were on display in the New York Transit Museum. Present status unknown.
|
| 9564-9565 |
These cars, the easternmost pair of Redbirds on the final revenue run on 11/3/2003 (see above), were finally moved to the SBK yard in Brooklyn for asbestos abatement and scrapping in July 2007.
|
| 9582-9587 |
These cars, used on the final revenue run on 11/3/2003 (see above), are stored at Unionport Yard, and used as part of the rail adhesion train on the IRT with R-33# 8885. All operational.
|
| 9588-9589 |
These cars, used on the final revenue run on 11/3/2003 (see above), are stored at 207th St. Yard (as of 10/2007), status unknown.
|
| 9658 |
Neighborhood Youth Corps car.
|
| 9744 |
State of Missouri car.
|
| 9748 |
Commonwealth of Massachusetts car.
|
| 9759 |
Damaged 8/28/1973 in Steinway Tunnel near 1st Avenue crossover when concrete ceiling duct fell onto train. 1 person died as a result. Car repaired and returned to service.
|
| 9762 |
State of Vermont car.
|
| 9766 |
State of Kansas car.
|
R33 MDBF
| Date | Mean Distance Between Failure (Miles) |
| 05/1994 | 72381 | | 12 Months Ending 12/1994 | 72381 | | 06/1997 | 74945 | | 07/1997 | 87144 | | 12 Months Ending 07/1997 | 74749 | | 12 Months Ending 11/1999 | 91368 | | 12 Months Ending 12/2001 | 90671 | | 12 Months Ending 12/2002 | 79884 |
R36 MDBF
| Date | Mean Distance Between Failure (Miles) |
| 05/1994 | 41656 | | 12 Months Ending 12/1994 | 41656 | | 06/1997 | 7098 | | 07/1997 | 92253 | | 12 Months Ending 07/1997 | 92920 | | 12 Months Ending 11/1999 | 194150 | | 12 Months Ending 12/2001 | 87024 | | 12 Months Ending 12/2002 | 87323 |
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