R1 (New York City Subway car)

R1
R1 car 100 at 23rd Street on the Holiday Shopper's Special
In service1931–1976
ManufacturerAmerican Car and Foundry Company
Built atBerwick, Pennsylvania
Family nameR1–9s
Constructed1930–1931
Scrapped1968–1977
Number built300
Number preserved4
Number scrapped296
SuccessorR40
R42
R44
R46
FormationMotorized single units (Half-width operator's cab at each end; conductor controls on exterior)
Fleet numbers100–399
Capacity56 seats
OperatorsIndependent Subway System
NYC Board of Transportation
New York City Transit Authority
Specifications
Car body constructionRiveted steel
Car length60 ft 6 in (18.44 m)
Width10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
Height12 ft 1.9375 in (3.71 m)
Floor height3 ft 1.875 in (0.96 m)
Doors8 sets of 45 inch wide side doors per car
Maximum speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Weight84,081 lb (38,139 kg)
Traction systemWestinghouse ABF type UP143B switch group, with XM-29 master controller using Westinghouse 570 D-5 traction motors (190 hp each). Two motors per car (both on motor truck, trailer truck not motorized).
Power output190 hp (142 kW) per traction motor
Acceleration1.75 mph/s (2.82 km/(h⋅s))
Deceleration~ 3 mph/s
Electric system(s)600 V DC Third rail
Current collector(s)Contact shoe (Top running)
Braking system(s)WABCO Schedule AMUE with UE-5 universal valve, ME-23 brake stand, and simplex clasp brake rigging. (Air Compressor: WABCO D-3-F)
Coupling systemWABCO H2A
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)

The R1 was the first New York City Subway car type built for the Independent Subway System (IND). 300 cars were manufactured between 1930 and 1931 by the American Car and Foundry Company, numbered 100 through 399, all arranged as single units. Nicknamed City Cars, the R1s were the first of five subway car classes collectively referred to as the R1–9 fleet, with future passenger stock orders – including contracts R4, R6, R7/A, and R9 – being virtually identical, with minor mechanical and cosmetic variations.

The first R1s were delivered in 1931, in anticipation for the opening of the IND Eighth Avenue Line. For their time, the R1s introduced several improvements to subway car design that greatly sped up the flow of passengers in and out of trains. The R40s, R42s, R44s, and R46s gradually replaced the fleet of R1s, with the final run taking place in 1976. Several R1 cars were saved for preservation, while the rest were scrapped.