GojiMet86 Posted March 18, 2012 Share #1 Posted March 18, 2012 On this date, three years ago, the last of the R38s ran in revenue service on the , and thus were retired. The R38 units were built by the St. Louis Car Company between 1966 and 1967, and first entered service in 1967. A total of 200 units were built. Built to B-Division dimensions (60 feet long and 10 feet wide), the R38 units were the first of the New York City Subway trains to have air-conditioners. They reached a maximum speed of 55 mph. They were similar to the R32 units. The most visible difference was that the R38 units were half-fluted, that is, the exterior of the train was halfway covered, as opposed to the R32, which was had a full-flute design. The R38 units had rollsigns on the top front of the car. The rollsigns were replaced by an electronic displayor when the R38s were rebuilt, between 1987 and 1988. Today, the last R38 units remaining are 4028 and 4029. Here are some photos from nycsubway.org of the R38: (Credit to Ed Watson, Arthur Lonto, Frank Phufler, David Pirmann, Doug Grotjahn, Joe Testagrose, Steve Zabel, George Conrad, and Christopher Henderson) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alejr88 Posted March 18, 2012 Share #2 Posted March 18, 2012 I miss the R38's. Gives me memories when I rode those cars on the back then. Not to mention the front and rear RFW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mysterious2train Posted March 18, 2012 Share #3 Posted March 18, 2012 Three years already? It feels like just last month the R160s started showing up. For me, at least :eek::cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallyhorse Posted March 18, 2012 Share #4 Posted March 18, 2012 These were also the last units to be in service with the old-style number fonts that had been in use from at the start of the IND in 1932 if not sooner (if you look at the outer part of the cars, you know what I mean). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilbluefoxie Posted March 18, 2012 Share #5 Posted March 18, 2012 I only rode em once in 2006 or so, most of the time I was in the since then it was R44s, 32s, and later R46s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted March 18, 2012 Share #6 Posted March 18, 2012 I can't even remember the last time I rode an R38, but yeah it was a sad day indeed. Way better performers than their R32 counterparts and now the line is suffering because of their retirement. But sadly their bodies were shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted March 18, 2012 Share #7 Posted March 18, 2012 Good bye and good riddance... On with the new cars!! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted March 18, 2012 Share #8 Posted March 18, 2012 ...Yeah, and then when you're in your 60s you'll be complaining how old and beat up the R160s are and you'll want new stuff. Enjoy them while they last people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted March 18, 2012 Share #9 Posted March 18, 2012 ...Yeah, and then when you're in your 60s you'll be complaining how old and beat up the R160s are and you'll want new stuff. Enjoy them while they last people. Damn straight I will sunny boy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threxx Posted March 18, 2012 Share #10 Posted March 18, 2012 Good bye and good riddance... On with the new cars!! :cool: Don't say that. It was sad. Enjoy the quality cars while they last... I like the pics with the R38's coupled with R40's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lance25 Posted March 19, 2012 Share #11 Posted March 19, 2012 Nice selection of pics GojiMet86. Damn does the time fly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threxx Posted March 19, 2012 Share #12 Posted March 19, 2012 Damn straight I will sunny boy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan05979 Posted March 19, 2012 Share #13 Posted March 19, 2012 Did they have alot of problems? I don't even remember if I ever rode a 38 but maybe they should have kept a few sets around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threxx Posted March 19, 2012 Share #14 Posted March 19, 2012 Did they have alot of problems? I don't even remember if I ever rode a 38 but maybe they should have kept a few sets around? No, as a conductor, you wouldn't like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan05979 Posted March 19, 2012 Share #15 Posted March 19, 2012 No, as a conductor, you wouldn't like them. Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threxx Posted March 19, 2012 Share #16 Posted March 19, 2012 Why not? The conductor's room is like a coffin... I can't see how people can stand that for HOURS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan05979 Posted March 19, 2012 Share #17 Posted March 19, 2012 The conductor's room is like a coffin... I can't see how people can stand that for HOURS... Its not different on all the older equipment, the 32's and 42's are still around. You just got to deal with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob60 Posted March 19, 2012 Share #18 Posted March 19, 2012 I know the last 10 cars (4141-4150) were delivered with a/c units. I recall riding in these cars back in the 70's going to school. Why then were the first 200 R40's delivered without a/c. Was there a problem with the a/c units on the R38's? Were some R40's delivered before 4141-4150 were delivered? As an aside, I preferred the 38's to the 32's. I rode the Queens Blvs line to school in the mid 70's. That line did not have 32's (nor did it have 42's) back then. I always thought of 32's and 42's as BMT cars as a result. Queens Blvd line back then had 38's, 40's (slants and nonslants) 44's and then started to receive the 46's during my 2nd year of high school. There was also the older equipment (R16's for the EE and GG) and some R9 or earlier cars. I am not as familiar with pre R32 models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R36 Preservation Posted March 19, 2012 Share #19 Posted March 19, 2012 4140-49 were the AC units, delivered July 1967. The first 200 (slanted) R40s had no AC since it was not initially considered. The last 100 slanted cars and 100 modified cars came late enough for the contract to be modified for air conditioning. The first R40 pair (4350-51, later 4250-51) was delivered November 67. These were also the last units to be in service with the old-style number fonts that had been in use from at the start of the IND in 1932 if not sooner (if you look at the outer part of the cars, you know what I mean). The R40s and R42s also retained the older (gothic?) font when delivered. R44s introduced the current font. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallyhorse Posted March 19, 2012 Share #20 Posted March 19, 2012 4140-49 were the AC units, delivered July 1967. The first 200 (slanted) R40s had no AC since it was not initially considered. The last 100 slanted cars and 100 modified cars came late enough for the contract to be modified for air conditioning. The first R40 pair (4350-51, later 4250-51) was delivered November 67. The R40s and R42s also retained the older (gothic?) font when delivered. R44s introduced the current font. Yes, when originally delivered, but were changed over to the later font on rebuilds, as were the R32s. The R38s were the last cars actually still using the old font when they were retired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted March 19, 2012 Share #21 Posted March 19, 2012 4140-49 were the AC units, delivered July 1967. The first 200 (slanted) R40s had no AC since it was not initially considered. The last 100 slanted cars and 100 modified cars came late enough for the contract to be modified for air conditioning. The first R40 pair (4350-51, later 4250-51) was delivered November 67. Those were R40As, which I think were a separate order from the R40s. The R40As (both Slants and Straight ends) had air conditioning. The stanchion pole positioning played a part in this as the R40s with no AC had the poles in a straight line while the R40As had their poles in a diagonal pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GojiMet86 Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share #22 Posted March 20, 2012 When I was smaller, I didn't take ride the or lines frequently. However, I remember that many times I rode the R38 and noticed it similarities to the R32. I honestly thought, in a vague sense, that the R38 was half a step below. I thought that the R32 was the newer train. I also liked that half-flute pattern. It's a shame I didn't take any photos of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTimer Posted March 20, 2012 Share #23 Posted March 20, 2012 C/Rs are also allowed to sit with the customers in between stations when the train isn't full, as long as they are not occupying a seat while a customer is standing nearby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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