What is your favorite New York City Subway Train?

All pictures and info from nycsubway.org

R32/R32A (1964)
http://tinypic.com/dmxhxf.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxi6v.jpg

R38 (1966-1967)
http://tinypic.com/dmxiec.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxifb.jpg

R40/R40M (1968-1969)
http://tinypic.com/dmxipu.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxird.jpg

R42 (1969-1970)
http://tinypic.com/dmxisw.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxiyr.jpg

R44 (1971-1973)
http://tinypic.com/dmxkiw.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxkk2.jpg

R46 (1974-1975)
http://tinypic.com/dmxkxv.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxl5f.jpg

R62/R62A (1983-1987)
http://tinypic.com/dmxlao.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxlbq.jpg

R68/R68A (1986-1989)
http://tinypic.com/dmxlds.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxlhi.jpg

R142/R142A (1999-2004)
http://tinypic.com/dmxljo.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxlkh.jpg

R143 (2001-2002)
http://tinypic.com/dmxlp0.jpg
http://tinypic.com/dmxlqc.jpg

Hmm, I choose R143 but R142 would also be a good choice!

^I agree.

R143

R 142

even though I dont see a big design variety there.I know that retro is a big thing in the US.
But I would like to see some other designs someday.
Maybe a different colour than that silver would even be enough? I dont know.

R142/R142A. I've always liked the narrow IRT trains. Narrower Train <=> Smaller Tunnel Cross-Section <=> Lower Cost Subway Construction. I like the London tube lines for the same reason.

R62 That is what I most think of when I think of a New York Subway train. I am no expert on the different types of trains.

R142

The R142 and R143 are basically the same thing. The main difference is that the R142 is for the IRT division while the R143 is for the IND/BMT division.

R 142

even though I dont see a big design variety there.I know that retro is a big thing in the US.
But I would like to see some other designs someday.
Maybe a different colour than that silver would even be enough? I dont know.
It has nothing to do with "retro" my friend. Our MTA is run by incompetent, CHEAP, assholes.

R46

The newer R142/3 trains suck. Given how expensive they were, you cannot believe the noise that they make when they are breaking! That alone makes the R46 a superior choice IMO.

They are not very nice...
IMO the less ugly is R68.
:dunno:

I've taken all those godforsaken INCOPETENT so called mass transit lines.....Where are the good old red trains? Anyway I vote for none cause I hate them all...And I have a say in it too.

My favorites in order:
1. R46, R44
2. R143
3. R68
4. R40
5. R62
6. R42
7. R142
8. R32, R38

"Where are the good old red trains?" lol, here they are:
http://images.nycsubway.org//i28000/img_28902.jpg
;)
The last of the redbirds were taken out of service in 2003 and are now used as artificial reefs. They were built in the early 60's and were among the first to get an overhaul in the 80's so they were pretty out of date.

Guys, can anyone post a map of the entire urban railway network of New York Tri-Stae Area (or the entire New York urban sprawl)? I'm really curious about it! :) Hopefully it includes Subway, Commuter Rails, etc.

I've never been to New York. And I must say, I don't like the American style subway trains. They are so...similar to containers. Not to say ugly. When I look at these trains, the R143 series have the best design in my opinion.

But when I think about the New York subway, trains like the R32/R38 come first in my mind. They are the most characteristic ones. Because the R38 looks similar to the older R32, the R32 gets my vote.

Guys, can anyone post a map of the entire urban railway network of New York Tri-Stae Area (or the entire New York urban sprawl)? I'm really curious about it! :) Hopefully it includes Subway, Commuter Rails, etc.
This is the most comprehensive map I know of, but it doesn't cover the whole metro area, only the city and a some of the suburbs.
http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/subway/SubwayMap.gif

The same website has a (out of date) scale map of roughly the same area.
http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/subway/ScaleSubwayMap.GIF

Wow this map is huge! Does someone know which is the longest line and what is the driving time?

R40 and R142 are the most "modern" looking to me (even though they aren't the most modern)... I dunno if its just my untrained eye (I've only been to NYC twice), but the trains all look pretty much the same. They are functional and not much else; steel boxes with plastic seats inside.

I remember the old red ones from my first visit in 2001, they were nice... Reminded me of the classic CO/CP design from the Underground (see London thread).

Wow this map is huge! Does someone know which is the longest line and what is the driving time?

According to www.nycsubway.org (http://www.nycsubway.org/faq/factsfigures.html) :
Longest ride on the system with no change of trains: Take the A train: 31 miles (50km) from 207th Street in Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens.

As for how long it takes, that is not as easy a question because there is express and local service. I looked at the schedule, perhaps an hour and a half? I don't know the specifics.

I voted for the R143, but there isn't much difference between that one and the R142, with the obvious exception of length/width.

@DonQui, I assume you're referring to the high pitched noise they make when they brake? I think that's the regenerative brakes, they generate electricity when braking and feed that back into the grid, reducing the power consumption of the train.

Out of that list..R46 (check those funky interiors :P)

but my favourite is the R33 redbirds...easily.

what..you know the millionaire had to come through with an unlimited and give 2 cents!

but before I get into my favs, the yards i'm mostly familar w/ on 207, 242nd, 241st, and the concourse yard all have rebirds just sitting around..though i've seen a redbird get moved out of the concourse yard not to long ago.

i'd say my fav in this order are.

R62
R46
R142a (cause it feels like I ride in the same one everyday)
the illest thing I think about these cars is not when you ride them, but when you see them leaving the factory..Kawasaki has a factory right around getty square in yonkers where they make some of the cars at..and sometimes it'll catch you off guard seeing them move the car down broadway w/ montser truck like wheels.
R68
r42
r40
r32
r38(gahbage)

on a side note, those new trains the met north and lirr have been running for awhile are pretty swift

what..you know the millionaire had to come through with an unlimited and give 2 cents!

but before I get into my favs, the yards i'm mostly familar w/ on 207, 242nd, 241st, and the concourse yard all have rebirds just sitting around..though i've seen a redbird get moved out of the concourse yard not to long ago.

If i remember correctly, some redbirds are used in-yard to transport cars.

According to www.nycsubway.org (http://www.nycsubway.org/faq/factsfigures.html) :
Longest ride on the system with no change of trains: Take the A train: 31 miles (50km) from 207th Street in Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens.

As for how long it takes, that is not as easy a question because there is express and local service. I looked at the schedule, perhaps an hour and a half? I don't know the specifics.


Wow, 50 km!
Thanks for information! :)

R 142

even though I dont see a big design variety there.I know that retro is a big thing in the US.
But I would like to see some other designs someday.
Maybe a different colour than that silver would even be enough? I dont know.

It has nothing to do with "retro" my friend. Our MTA is run by incompetent, CHEAP, assholes.



Is that what it is? It must be, because NYC has some of the ugliest and oldest subway trains I've ever seen and been on, especially for such an awesome, amazing city--and the major city of a very rich country. I love to visit NYC once a year, but I don't like using the subway very much because both the trains and stations are simply ugly (zero-esthetics, only functional), and often dirty or just dirty-looking. I do kind like the newer stock, though, with an electronic sign showing the time and approaching station, but all the others got to go. I wouldn't mind if some lines kept the older ones...in fact, I would like that, sort of like in Paris, for example, where some lines have old, others not-so old, and others newer sleak trains. But NYC needs some lines, especially the two most used ones, to feature some cool, new, sleak train. That goes for the stations, too.

And are those ancient, red, trains still running. I remember taking them sometimes uptown. You could tell when the conductor would apply the breaks, because it would squeek, shake and slow-down with difficulty. The first time I heard that I thought the train had lost its breaks.

Well, I think much of the problems about the run down state of much of the Subway can be summed up with the term 'Deferred Maintenance'. Basically the Subway went through several decades of extreme neglect, so that most of the money that is being invested into it now is being spent to stop it from falling apart. It is not that money isn't being invested or that the MTA is "cheap" (well, maybe a little, i can't truthfully comment on that part), it just has a lot of catchup to do. Improvements are being made, the pace is just slow due to funding constraints.

And are those ancient, red, trains still running. I remember taking them sometimes uptown. You could tell when the conductor would apply the breaks, because it would squeek, shake and slow-down with difficulty. The first time I heard that I thought the train had lost its breaks.

BLASPHEMY

The redbirds are the single greatest piece of rolling stock to grace NYC's subway lines.

According to www.nycsubway.org (http://www.nycsubway.org/faq/factsfigures.html) :
Longest ride on the system with no change of trains: Take the A train: 31 miles (50km) from 207th Street in Manhattan to Far Rockaway in Queens.

Is that "metro" or suburban train?
:?

Is that "metro" or suburban train?
:?

Metro.

R68 - the perpendicular seats was my favourites ;)

I live near the 207th street station and take the A train almost daily. I HAVE taken the whooooole line through three boroughs. I think it took 1 hr 40 min one way..And that was during the day and express.I can only imagine how it is late nights/local.....

I live near the 207th street station and take the A train almost daily. I HAVE taken the whooooole line through three boroughs. I think it took 1 hr 40 min one way..And that was during the day and express.I can only imagine how it is late nights/local.....
A-line service (timetable) in .pdf format (http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/service/pdf/tacur.pdf)
Late nights when local: 1h42min.
While A trains run express it takes appr. 1h30min. Along 8 Ave the train sometimes is very slow.

Almost all trains look the same...but i like this one most - R142/R142A (1999-2004)