Bosco

As it is, the R42s will probably be the first to go once the production R179s start to come in.

The M7 was awarded in 1999, which means it was designed before then ... In their defense, the M9 is supposed to be very similar to the M7. The M7 is a good platform with the exception of the armrests. Also, there isn't as much to improve with commuter cars as there is for subway/metro cars.

Even once the train starts its 30-day test run, it has to go 30 consecutive days without a problem before we see more of them. When we get there, it's not a question of whether the clock will be reset, but how many times ...

Anything that Cuomo can plaster his name onto, he will.

The digital maps are something I hope is put on the R211s. If it doesn't cover where each train or connecting train is, at least it can show reroutes because of construction or other service changes. I also like the idea of bringing back the express/local indicators. The older trains had them and the still has them, so I don't see why this would be a problem.

It's not one set for two sets, plus I'm sure there are sets in the shop as we speak. And some of the Cuomo sets are CI sets, some are Jamaica sets. FWIW, I spotted 9123-9127+9203-9207 on the E this morning.

That is one of the lowest priorities at the moment. And AFAIK, all USB ports throughout the system (and on buses) are USB-A. To add on to the other problems of car equipment, the older cars don't have as much capacity as the newer cars (especially the 75' cars). The R211 cars, in addition to the open gangway test train, will have significantly wider doors. Poor communication is also a big cause of delays. I've been on trains (even newer ones with clearer announcements) on the weekends, where trains will remain in the station for two minutes because the conductor is explaining to everyone about alternatives and such. Each of these problems in aggregate add up to the massive delays with our subway system.

Plus the digital screens, and the text displays will tell passengers what car they are in (hence the "Car 2 of 2" on the display).

It's a test for now, so the wraps will be there indefinitely (or until Emperor Cuomo goes for something else). Interesting that it was actually a wall. While it hasn't been used in decades, how long exactly did it take for the conductor to open each of the doors?

I doubt it. The only train built to similar specs as our trains is the PA5s, and those are roughly IRT-spec so they would be useless for the current situation. To piggyback off of what Lance said, even if the MTA didn't get "scrap happy" with the 60' SMEEs, their retirement started 10 years ago. It's highly unlikely that they would be usable in the future for the L train shutdown. If usable at all, those R38s/R40s/R40Ms (even the best ones when they were retired) wouldn't be in much better shape than the few R42s we still have (which are on life support).

This is especially true of the R46s, which only feel fast on some stretches because they sway horribly.

All lines have politics surrounding them. All residents want the newest and shiniest equipment, nothing more. Hence part of why the were 100% NTT for awhile, and also part of why the was one of the first to get the R160s. At some point, however, the MTA does not give a crap about politics. If certain operations are necessary for them, they'll go ahead with them. We saw this with the R188/R62A situation between the and . The MTA is not here to appease figurehead politicians nor idealistic foamers. Doing so just makes their job that much harder. Let's just wait and see about this whole swap. We're a ways from QBL being even remotely close to 100% CBTC, and the timing of the R179 and R211 can play a role as well.

This is stupid on the MTA's part, but for the R188s the only mechanical components that were completely replaced were the master controller and the door motors. Putting those cars through an actual refurbishment (especially given the shape with which they came in) would've been a lot better in terms of aesthetics as well as maintenance. Of course, the MTA rushed that contract too. Hopefully when the R142s get converted (which will happen sooner or later) they are more thorough about it. Part of the bucking might be the AdTranz/Bombardier propulsion, because it seems the R142As/R143s/R188s are the worst of the bunch. The R160s are still bad, though no where near as bad. The R142s, on the other hand, are some of the smoothest riders in the system. With any luck, once all this is over with the R179s, the R179s will age as well as the R142s.

Plus, part of the reason is that contractors for the MTA are so scarse (moreso for bus orders as there are more players) is QC. If Bombardier has built a third of the MTA's current fleet and almost all of the EMUs for MNR and LIRR, they had to have been doing something right. And, I hate to say this as a Kawasaki fan, but the R142s appear to be aging the best of the NTTs. Hence why they aren't even being considered for the R211: http://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/bombardier-shut-out-of-n-y-subway-contract-because-of-poor-performance-report

Being that those were the first production NTTs, the MTA had a lot to learn. Even when the cars entered service, they had many more teething problems than their B-division counterparts (this includes the R142s and R142As). Bad door motors, glitched AAS, etc. It makes sense that the MTA wanted to put the R160 through more rigorous testing so that they wouldn't have as many problems after being placed into service.

That was the 1980s, and QC standards have greatly changed since then. Engineering-wise, the R62/As and R68/As were also really conservative so as to get them in service ASAP, so there wasn't as much that could go wrong. Even if we're talking about NTTs, the R160s took about a year from delivery to EIS. I'm not defending Bombardier's lousy performance or the MTA's reactive approach to this situation. But if you people complaining about the long testing period want these cars to enter service too soon--only to have them taken out, which was what happened with the R46s--then you probably just want your 4K RARE pictures and don't care about the other problems the MTA is dealing with. This!

Of course, not to mention terrorism concerns especially in the northeast. But besides the regulations, the Japanese have much more interest in mass transportation than the US.

Also bless the rail culture in Japan, which is celebrated a lot more than it is here. From what folks told me when I was at Kawasaki, apparently in Hyogo there is a public roadway where people can watch workers build and move trains around. That's how he's getting these videos (meanwhile, their place in Yonkers is guarded by barbed-wire fences all the way around).

I also recall seeing a 945X or 946X on the Q yesterday. Don't remember the exact number. The MTA (or at least Emperor Cuomo) want 10 Cuomo trains by the end of the month, so it's not surprising that at least one will be a Coney Island set. While I agree that we should just wait for the R211s (although they won't start coming in en masse for another 4-5 years if all goes well), it is something that has been floated around and can't be ruled out. Some rumors go nowhere, others wind up materializing. Let's wait and see. If the R179 can catch up a little (not likely), it might sway things also.

If the Jamaica/Coney Island swap materializes (to make Jamaica 100% R160), then they will have to run R46s on the .

Only the test trains have to go through the 30 day test. I'm not sure how it's gonna work for this order given how far behind it is and the fact that there are three separate test trains, but for the R160s only 8653-8662 and 8713-8722 had to go through the 30 day test. The production cars don't have to go through this test, although there is still some burn in testing that has to be done for each set (it takes about two-three weeks on average).

Whenever CBTC goes online, which has been delayed a little (and they're SMSing some of the R188s in the meantime). It was supposed to be a month ago, but of course here we are.

What's the point of splitting the single cars up? Wasn't the goal to link as many as possible so they could be used elsewhere?

No, not even close. The sometimes will borrow a few sets from the , and the from the . As someone mentioned, 7646-7650 was on the for awhile. Even if the MTA wanted to make the 100% R62As, they couldn't because there aren't enough R62As to go around. As it is, a handful of R62A sets are loaners from 240 Street.

IIRC, the company that made them went bankrupt during the manufacturing of the R160s. Interestingly, 8793 and 9038 (the latter is really bizarre) also have those seats. Hopefully sometime before the RBB is reactivated. The jury is still out. As for the Cuomo scheme on the R160s, I like the interior, but the whole thing of new color schemes, while refreshing, is getting old. God forbid the Emperor should address actual issues. Also, did they change the lighting inside the train? Those cases look different.