R14 (New York City Subway car)

R14
Car 5871 (renumbered to 35871) at the 207th St Yard, awaiting cosmetic restoration.
In service	1949-1984
Manufacturer	American Car and Foundry Company
Built at	Berwick, Pennsylvania, USA
Constructed	1949
Number built	150
Number in service	(1 in work service)
Number preserved	1
Number scrapped	148
Fleet numbers	5803–5952
Capacity	44 (seated)
Operator(s)	New York City Subway
Specifications
Car body construction	LAHT Carbon Steel
Car length	51 ft (15.54 m)
Width	8 ft (2,438 mm)
Height	11 ft (3,353 mm)
Platform height	3.76 ft (1.15 m)
Doors	6
Maximum speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
Weight	73,100 lb (33,158 kg)
Traction system	Westinghouse XM-179 or General Electric 17KC76A1
Prime mover(s)	Westinghouse 1447C or General Electric 1240A3
Power output	100 hp (75 kW)
Braking system(s)	WABCO E2 "SMEE" Braking System, A.S.F. simplex unit cylinder clasp (tread) brake
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The R14 was a New York City Subway car built in 1949 by the American Car and Foundry Company. They were a "follow-up" or supplemental stock for the A Division's R12s and look exactly the same, except for a different floor pattern.

The R14s were numbered 5803-5952. They were the last cars built with outside door operating apparatus or controls.

While the R14s ran in solid consists on the Flushing line, the cars never did so on the mainlines; they were always intermixed in trains of newer cars and were never placed at the conductor's location.

Delivery of the cars began in August 1949.^[1] The first R14s entered service on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line) in September 1949.^[2] All 150 cars delivered by January 1950.^[3]

The R14s ran on the Flushing Line until the arrival of the R33WFs and R36WFs in late 1963-early 1964. The R14s were then transferred to operate on other A-division routes before being retired and replaced by the R62s in the mid 1980s. The last R14 ran on December 10, 1984. All but 2 cars have since been taken off property to be scrapped; several cars lasted as training vehicles or work cars for many years. For example, eleven R14s were converted into R71 rider cars after retirement, but were ultimately replaced with R161s (R33s converted into rider cars) and subsequently reefed in the mid-2000s.^[4]

The two cars that remain today are 5871 and 5944. Car 5944 has been converted to R71 de-icer car RD340. Meanwhile, 5871 (renumbered to 35871), formerly used for fire training, is held for the New York Transit Museum. The car retains its MTA blue/silver livery paint scheme^[5] and has been stored at the 207th Street Yard for many years. However, it is slated to receive only a cosmetic restoration; the car will not be restored to operational status.

See also

• R12 (New York City Subway car) - a similar and earlier model, also built by American Car & Foundry Company.

References

1. "IRT SMEE delivery dates", R36 Preservation, Inc. http://www.coronayard.com/r36preservation/irtsmeedelivery.htm
2. ERA New York Division Bulletin, September 2009, Page 4
3. ERA New York Division Bulletin, September 2009, Page 4
4. "www.nycsubway.org". www.nycsubway.org.
5. "Showing Image 95272". nycsubway.org.