R143 (New York City Subway car)
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The R143 is a standard gauge subway car design used on the B Division of the New York City Subway in the United States. The cars are primarily used on the L service. The New York City Transit Authority owns 212 R143 cars, numbered 8101 to 8312, and built for an average cost of about $1.5 million per car.[1]
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[edit] History
Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. was awarded a $190 million contract for 100 new B Division cars in late December 1998, with an option for as many as 112 more.[2] The new design was based on the A Division's R142A, which Kawasaki also built,[3] and incorporated many features from the R110B prototype. Delivery began in late 2001, and a 30-day test with one train of eight cars began on December 4, 2001.[4] According to Kawasaki, the test was "extremely successful".[3]
R143s began running on the BMT Canarsie Line (L) on February 12, 2002,[1][5] and all 212 cars were delivered to the subway by March 2003.[6] In addition to the L,[7] where the R143s displaced the older R40 and most of the R42 cars [1], they also displaced the R42s[8] on the M weekend shuttle service on the BMT Myrtle Avenue Line. The R143s on that line were replaced by R160As in February 2008. One-Person Train Operation was tested on the L during mid-2005.[9][10].
The 212 cars delivered were expected to provide enough service for years, but the fast growth of Williamsburg, Brooklyn overloaded the L by mid-2006.[11]
On June 21, 2006, an eight-car R143 train overshot the bumper at the end of the tracks in the Canarsie Railyard after the operator suffered a seizure. Lead car #8277 suffered frame damage and is being stripped of parts for possible repair, but may be permanently out of service.
[edit] Specifications
R143s are used in eight-car ABBAABBA trains. They have the following specifications:[1]
- Capacity: 42 seated and 198 standing for A cars; 44 seated and 202 standing for B cars
- Car body: stainless steel with fiberglass front and rear bonnets.
- Length: 60 ft 2.5 in (18.35 m)
- Width: 9 ft 9.28 in (2.98 m)
- Height: 12 ft 0.3 in (3.67 m)
- Weight: 83,700 lbs (37,965.6 kg) for A cars; 81,900 lbs (37,149 kg) for B cars
- Maximum speed: 55 mph (90 km/h)
- Brakes: Dynamic braking propulsion system; WABCO friction braking system
- Acceleration: 2.5 mph/s (1.1 m/s^2)
- Doorway dimensions: 6 ft 3 in (1.9 m) high; 4 ft 2 in (1.3 m) wide
- Traction motor: Bombardier 1508C; 150 HP (112 kW)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c New York City Transit Authority, Revenue and Non-Revenue Car Drawings
- ^ New York Times, Subway Job to Kawasaki, December 30, 1998, page B6
- ^ a b Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc., New York City Transit R143 Subway Cars, accessed April 14, 2007
- ^ R143
- ^ Randy Kennedy, New York Times, 1,700 Subway Cars to Be Built Under Largest Such Contract in New York History, July 31, 2002, page B3
- ^ Railway Age, Kawasaki completes NYCT R143 order, March 1, 2003
- ^ Patrick McGeehan, New York Times, Port Authority to Replace PATH Fleet for $499 Million, April 1, 2005, page B5
- ^ Matthew L. Wald, New York Times, Crash on the Subway: The System, June 6, 1995, page B5
- ^ Sewell Chan, New York Times, On L Train, Drivers Perform Solo, Without Conductors, June 20, 2005, page B3
- ^ Jennifer B. Lee and Shadi Rahimi, New York Times, Conductors Are Returning To the Subway's L Line, September 24, 2005, page B3
- ^ New York Daily News, Oh, L, not enuf trains!, July 7, 2006
[edit] External links
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