Transit Looks Into Feasibility of Upgrading Older Fleet

[Culver Line]

I realize I am going against most everyone here but the R68s are fine just as they are (excluding general maintenance requirements).

 

The non-digital roll signs have worked quite well for 80+ years. When I look at the R68 roll signs as it passes me coming into the station, with one look I know which train it is and where is going to and coming from. I don't have to look at car after car pulling in to the station and hope that I can catch them just right so that I can see all of that information on the continuously scrolling digital signs.

 

And with a hard inside roll sign, I can look at it when on the train, even when the conductor is making an announcement, instead of the dumb R160 sign that drops the train info and displays "listen to the announcement".

 

And those R46 refitted digital signs are awful. Aside from being blank a lot of times (hard roll signs don't go blank), the gray-on-yellow lettering does not stand out - rule Number 1 for any sign.

 

I agree with someone (I'm sorry I don't recall who) who said that the R32 front roll signs should have been left as they were. But even their digital front rolls are better than the R160's terrible front roll. The MTA's conceit of putting a fancy circle around them made them smaller - or at least appear smaller - and cramped and almost impossible to read until the train is practically upon you.

 

Regarding the seats, changing them would be an ergonomic disaster. Aside from the cheerful color of the current seats, the semi-sculpted shape makes them the most comfortable seats (relatively) the MTA has provided since before the R40s. (And by the way, they have fourteen more seats per equivalent car space than the R160s have).

 

And as long as I am putting myself in the minority (perhaps of one), I'll add that the idea of putting the R160 type of automated announcements on the R68s is awful. The sugary mechanical-style announcements are the most annoying part of the R160s. I probably would not have minded them had they used New Yorkers to record them instead of the out-of-towners that they used. I would take the less than articulate recorded announcements of real conductors over the "professional" announcers they used who can't pronounce the station names properly: Sheeps Head Bay as three separate, equally emphasized words; De Kolb Avenue; Keeengs Highway; Burro Hall et al

 

I know that the PA system on the R68s was a weak link but the MTA has already fixed it in many of the cars so that the announcements are audible.

 

I don't know if door "upgrades' would be in their plan but that would be another terrible thing. The R68s doors don't pinch your fingers (many people put their hand on the door in anticipation of it's opening) when opening the way the R160s do - which actually close tighter before opening.

 

So I hope they leave the R68s with their current design. As someone said, proper maintenance, not design changes, keep the cars rolling.

[TwoTimer]

Not everybody on here are NTT foamers, Culver. In fact many like the traditional smee equipment. As a t/o a good 68 or 32 is the best thing to operate down here save steel dust. They should have never modified the 68a braking system. I wish I was in this title when the slants were around still. However, ta are obsessed with mechanical announcements and those so often straphanger polls that put ntt at the top consistently

[Roadcruiser1]

I hate to say it, but I am certain the NYC Subway system might look sterile at some point, before bouncing out of it again, and it isn't far away from becoming temporarily sterile.

[Eric B]

Aside from being blank a lot of times (hard roll signs don't go blank)

Actually, they do! When they get stuck or tear, and sometimes the whole roll, and in 68A's, even the whole sign box is missing.

 

The other points are good, but overall, digital is still more flexible.

[QM1to6Ave]

Actually, they do! When they get stuck or tear, and sometimes the whole roll, and in 68A's, even the whole sign box is missing.

 

The other points are good, but overall, digital is still more flexible.

 

And don't forget when the roll signs end up upside down, lol. that's always fun to try to read.

[2 Train Master]

And don't forget when the roll signs end up upside down, lol. that's always fun to try to read.

It's still readable non-the less its better than being blank or looking at "Listen to train crew announcements".

[Guest lance25]

Some of you guys act as though the trains' electronics never work. While there may be some technical glitches with the software, they do work most of the time - at least on the trains I'm on.

 

As for the potential upgrades, after giving the idea some serious thought, I'm for this if it does come to past. The R62s and R68s have nearly another 20 years left on them and by the end of the decade, if everything stays according to plan, will be the only pre-NTT fleets at the end of the decade. In my opinion, it would be a disservice to the riders who are stuck with these trains while everyone else has the vastly newer trains. Also, it saves on maintenance costs since everything will be almost the same, rather than the having to purchase new parts for the R62s & R68s, especially if said parts become rare and more expensive as the years go on.

[SoSpectacular]

We're in a digital age folks... You can't escape change...

 

You can only accept it.

[via White Plains Road]

Some of you guys act as though the trains' electronics never work. While there may be some technical glitches with the software, they do work most of the time - at least on the trains I'm on.

 

As for the potential upgrades, after giving the idea some serious thought, I'm for this if it does come to past. The R62s and R68s have nearly another 20 years left on them and by the end of the decade, if everything stays according to plan, will be the only pre-NTT fleets at the end of the decade. In my opinion, it would be a disservice to the riders who are stuck with these trains while everyone else has the vastly newer trains. Also, it saves on maintenance costs since everything will be almost the same, rather than the having to purchase new parts for the R62s & R68s, especially if said parts become rare and more expensive as the years go on.

 

Well said....IAWTP 100%!

[chrisliz09]

Not everybody on here are NTT foamers, Culver. In fact many like the traditional smee equipment. As a t/o a good 68 or 32 is the best thing to operate down here save steel dust. They should have never modified the 68a braking system. I wish I was in this title when the slants were around still. However, ta are obsessed with mechanical announcements and those so often straphanger polls that put ntt at the top consistently

well i for one would like the new cars and updating the old ones its clear too hear at all times and everyone can make out what going on, no one liked the old system at all they are hard to hear and you cant even understand what they are sayin. we cant stay still in a world that is always moving, we are in a changing world this is whats happening we have too change or we will be left behind