How can you tell the difference between the M2, M4 and M6?

[R32 3348]

I've been renaming photos I took in January at the 125th St. station on the MNRR, and I can't tell the difference between the three cars. Aside from car number and configuration, are there any cosmetic differences between the cars that I can use to differentiate them? Also, are they interoperable as well?

[Fan Railer]

I've been renaming photos I took in January at the 125th St. station on the MNRR, and I can't tell the difference between the three cars. Aside from car number and configuration, are there any cosmetic differences between the cars that I can use to differentiate them? Also, are they interoperable as well?

 

they are all interoperable, which makes it even more of a pain...

 

the best way to tell the difference would be to pick out the M6's, whose windows have a black outline as opposed to the M4's and M2's having a silver outline, making them stand out more.

 

some reference images:

 

M2's:

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?86829

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?92335

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?36773

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?36822

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?88285

 

M4's:

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?80228

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?92684

 

M2/4:

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?87529

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?88005

 

M6's:

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?57411

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?84817

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?87505

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?87538

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?81684

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?103301

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?86815

 

M2/M6:

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?86879

[St Louis Car 09]

Other differences are....

 

M6 are car #s 9000 and better and have bell chimes for the doors a la R44

M4`s are triplet sets

M2`s are mid 8000s

 

Also what you can do is look for interior builder plates which are found on cab doors....

 

General Electric=M2 car

Tokyu car Corporation=M4

Morrison-Knudsen=M6

 

I hope this helps:tup:

[HomeBall]

For me the numbering is the easiest way to tell them apart. You can also tell by the exterior speakers just above the side doors on the M6's. M4 and M6 have lightweight pantographs.

[Rutgers Tube]

M2's are numbered earlier than 8900 and come in pairs. M4's are in the 8900's, the M6's are in the 9000's and both run as a triplet set, with a few exceptions as pairs. All are interoperable, and I've spoken to a few engineers who claim they prefer the M2's over the other the 4's and 6's. The bathrooms are different, where the M2's have folding doors, located in the west-facing car; the M4's and M6's have larger bathrooms with sliding doors and a push-pull type of lock next to the toilet - probably due to ADA standards, again in the west-facing car and absent from the other two in the triplet. Both door styles have a sliding latch lock. The washing area is opposite the toilet in the M2 bathrooms and the 4's and 6's have that set-up next to the toilet. M4's and M6's also have a larger open seating area in the bathroom end of that car, where a vestibule-facing three-seat bench lacks the traditional opposing two-seat bench with the back against the vestibule. This open area is also larger than a normal five-seated booth, and a folding bench chair is mounted perpendicular to the other seats (facing the aisle). Again, this may be due to ADA laws. Some M2's have a red and white striped scheme on the operating ends: those were the cars that CDOT threw a few beans in for. I'm not sure if those are jointly owned by the MTA and CDOT or CDOT or CDOT footed the entire bill for those cars. The State of Connecticut flag can also be found on the outside of the car at the operating ends. The bathroom interiors have wallpaper with that same flag in a repeated pattern scheme. The vestibules in the M2's have crate-style ventilation on the ceilings, which the 4's and 6's do not. I believe they have a slit-type of ceiling for ventilation. The M6's have door chimes; the others do not. If I remember correctly, the aisles and floors are also slightly different. I'll get back to you about that the next time that I look. The M4's and M6's also have the conductor's PA and door controls in the middle car of the set, located on wall at the ends of the car. M4's and M6's do NOT have bar cars.

 

Also, I've noticed that the car interiors on the M2's look either much worse or much better than those of the 4's and 6's due to the ongoing M2's overhauling program.

[St Louis Car 09]

M2's are numbered earlier than 8900 and come in pairs. M4's are in the 8900's, the M6's are in the 9000's and both run as a triplet set, with a few exceptions as pairs. All are interoperable, and I've spoken to a few engineers who claim they prefer the M2's over the other the 4's and 6's. The bathrooms are different, where the M2's have folding doors, located in the west-facing car; the M4's and M6's have larger bathrooms with sliding doors and a push-pull type of lock next to the toilet - probably due to ADA standards, again in the west-facing car and absent from the other two in the triplet. Both door styles have a sliding latch lock. The washing area is opposite the toilet in the M2 bathrooms and the 4's and 6's have that set-up next to the toilet. M4's and M6's also have a larger open seating area in the bathroom end of that car, where a vestibule-facing three-seat bench lacks the traditional opposing two-seat bench with the back against the vestibule. This open area is also larger than a normal five-seated booth, and a folding bench chair is mounted perpendicular to the other seats (facing the aisle). Again, this may be due to ADA laws. Some M2's have a red and white striped scheme on the operating ends: those were the cars that CDOT threw a few beans in for. I'm not sure if those are jointly owned by the MTA and CDOT or CDOT or CDOT footed the entire bill for those cars. The State of Connecticut flag can also be found on the outside of the car at the operating ends. The bathroom interiors have wallpaper with that same flag in a repeated pattern scheme. The vestibules in the M2's have crate-style ventilation on the ceilings, which the 4's and 6's do not. I believe they have a slit-type of ceiling for ventilation. The M6's have door chimes; the others do not. If I remember correctly, the aisles and floors are also slightly different. I'll get back to you about that the next time that I look. The M4's and M6's also have the conductor's PA and door controls in the middle car of the set, located on wall at the ends of the car. M4's and M6's do NOT have bar cars.

 

Also, I've noticed that the car interiors on the M2's look either much worse or much better than those of the 4's and 6's due to the ongoing M2's overhauling program.

Both the and CDOT both run the line,but CDOT pays majority of the bill.Hence the Connecticut state seal on some of the cars.