R27 (New York City Subway car)

R27
An R27 train on the former QJ service leaving Sheepshead Bay
In service1960–1990
ManufacturerSt. Louis Car Company
Replaced
Constructed1960–1961
Entered service1960
Refurbishedearly 1989 (27 cars)
Scrapped1989–1990, 2013
Number built230
Number preserved0
Number scrapped230
SuccessorR68A
FormationMarried Pairs
Fleet numbers8020–8249
Capacity56 (seated)
OperatorsNew York City Subway
Specifications
Car body constructionLAHT Carbon steel
Car length60 ft (18.29 m)
Width10 ft (3.05 m)
Height12.08 ft (3.68 m)
Platform height3.76 ft (1.15 m)
Doors8 sets of 45 inch wide side doors per car
Maximum speed55 mph (89 km/h)
Weight80,600 lb (36,560 kg)
Traction systemWestinghouse XCA248 and General Electric MCM 17KG192A
Power output100 hp (75 kW) per traction motor
Electric system(s)600 V DC Third rail
Current collector(s)Top running Contact shoe
Braking system(s)WABCO ME42B SMEE
Coupling systemWestinghouse H2C
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The R27 was a New York City Subway car model built by the St. Louis Car Company from 1960 to 1961 for the IND/BMT B Division. A total of 230 cars were built, arranged in married pairs. Two versions were manufactured: Westinghouse (WH)-powered cars and General Electric (GE)-powered cars.

The first R27s entered service on November 15, 1960. In early 1989, twenty-seven R27s were rebuilt and painted in the fox red paint scheme that also appeared on the R30s, with the intention to operate these cars for several more years. The unrebuilt R27s were replaced by the R68As, with the last unrebuilt train running on May 12, 1989. Almost all overhauled R27s were retired the same year due to reliability problems and the lack of air conditioning on the cars. The R27 cars were retired in the early 1990s; none of the R27 fleet were preserved, since they were identical to the later R30/R30A fleet.