R15 (New York City Subway car)

R15
R15 car 6239 on display at the New York Transit Museum.
In service	1950-1984
Manufacturer	American Car and Foundry
Constructed	1950
Number built	100
Number preserved	1
Number scrapped	99
Fleet numbers	5953-5999, 6200-6252
Capacity	44 (seated)
Operator(s)	New York City Transit Authority
Service(s) assigned	none
Specifications
Car body construction	LAHT Carbon steel
Car length	51 ft 0 ^1⁄2 in (15.56 m)
Width	8 ft 10 ^3⁄16 in (2,697 mm)
Height	11 ft 10 in (3,607 mm)
Floor height	3 ft 9 in (1.14 m)
Doors	6
Maximum speed	55 mph (89 km/h)
Weight	74,778 lb (33,919 kg)
Power output	100 hp (75 kW) per traction motor
Transmission	Westinghouse XM-179 or General Electric 17KC76A1
Auxiliaries	100 hp (75 kW) (4 per car)
Power supply	Westinghouse 1447C or General Electric 1240A3
Electric system(s)	600 V DC Third rail
Current collection method	Top running Contact shoe
Braking system(s)	WABCO Schedule SMEE with A-1 Application package, J1 relay valve, ME-42A brake stand, and A.S.F simplex unit cylinder clasp brake rigging
Coupling system	WABCO H2C
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The R15 was a New York City Subway car built in 1950 by the American Car and Foundry Company.

The R15s were numbered 5953-5999 & 6000-6252. The cars were the first to feature round "turtle-back" roofs and conductors' door operating apparatus controls located inside the motorman's cabs, instead of on the outsides as they were on the R12s and R14s. Additionally, the R15s featured porthole door windows, similar to those found on the R11s.^[1]

While the R15s 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.

Delivery of the cars began in January 1950, shortly after the last R14s were delivered.^[2] The first R15s entered service on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line) on February 4, 1950.^[3] All 100 cars delivered by January 1950.^[4]

The R15s ran on the Flushing Line until the arrival of the R33WFs and R36WFs in late 1963-early 1964. The R15s were then transferred to operate on other A-division routes before being retired and replaced by the R62s in the mid 1980s. The last R15 ran on December 10, 1984. Except for one car, all cars have since been taken off property to be scrapped; several cars lasted as training vehicles or work cars for many years. For example, cars 5965, 5984-5985, 5989, and 6214 were converted into R71 rider cars after retirement, but were replaced with R161s (R33s converted into rider cars) and subsequently reefed in the mid-2000s.^[5]

The only R15 car that remains today is 6239. The car has been preserved by the New York Transit Museum since 1976, and was restored. It has been operated on fantrips since 2004.

References

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