R46 (New York City Subway car)

R46
An R46 train on the A approaching Beach 60th Street
Interior of an R46 car
In service	1975–present
Manufacturer	Pullman Standard Rail Company
Built at	Chicago, Illinois
Replaced	All remaining R1–9s Some R10s All GE-powered R16s
Constructed	1975–1978
Refurbished	1990–1992
Number built	754
Number in service	680 (448 in revenue service during rush hours)
Number scrapped	2 (additional 64 in storage)
Successor	R211
Formation	4 car sets (5482–6207) Married Pairs (6208–6258) (even)
Fleet numbers	5482–6207, 6208–6258 (even) (originally 500–1227, 1228–1278 (even))
Capacity	70 (seated-A car) 76 (seated-B car)
Operators	New York City Subway
Depots	Coney Island Yard (396 cars) Pitkin Yard (356 cars)[1][2]
Service(s) assigned	[3][4] As of June 30, 2024
Specifications
Car body construction	Stainless steel with fiberglass end bonnets
Train length	4 car train: 300 feet (91.4 m) 8 car train: 600 feet (183 m)
Car length	74 ft 8.5 in (22.77 m) (over anticlimbers)
Width	10 ft (3,048 mm) (over threshold)
Height	12.08 ft (3,682 mm)
Platform height	3.76 ft (1.15 m)
Doors	8 sets of 50-inch (1,270 mm) wide side doors per car
Maximum speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
Weight	91,000 lb (41,277 kg) (A car) 86,670 lb (39,313 kg) (B car)
Traction system	General Electric SCM 17KG192AH1
Traction motors	GE 1257E1
Power output	115 hp (85.8 kW) per axle
Acceleration	2.5 mph/s (4.0 km/(h⋅s))
Deceleration	3.0 mph/s (4.8 km/(h⋅s)) (Full Service) 3.2 mph/s (5.1 km/(h⋅s)) (Emergency)
Electric system(s)	Third rail, 600 V DC
Current collector(s)	Contact shoe
Braking system(s)	New York Air Brake "SMEE" Braking System, Tread Brake unit model D7587719
Safety system(s)	Dead man's switch, tripcock
Headlight type	Halogen light bulb
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The R46 is a New York City Subway car model that was built by the Pullman Standard Company from 1975 to 1978 for the IND/BMT B Division. They replaced all remaining R1–9 fleet cars and General Electric-powered R16s, and some R10s. The R46 order initially consisted of 754 single cars, each 75 feet (23 m) long, and was the largest single order of passenger cars in United States railroad history at the point of the fleet's completion. The R46 was the second order of 75-foot cars to be ordered for the New York City Subway, after the R44s.

The first R46s ran in passenger service on July 14, 1975. The fleet was initially slated to be delivered between 1973 and 1975, but a strike at Pullman's factory delayed final deliveries until 1978. Several hundred cracks were found in the R46 trucks during their first few years of service, leading them to be referred to as "the most troubled cars ever purchased". Morrison–Knudsen rebuilt the R46s in 1990–1992. The R211 order is replacing the entire fleet of R46s, and as such are expected to remain in service until the mid-2020s.