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Which subway car do you prefer?


Theoverachiever

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I'm sure I gave a similar answer last time this question was asked, but here goes. While I don't hate any car class in particular, I do have a list of my favorite and not so favorite cars of the current fleet. Starting with what I consider the best:

R142/160 - Yes, I clumped the two car classes together. Sue me. I like the smooth ride of the trains, the bright interiors and the overall design. Also, despite the juvenile design, I think the Kindergarten interiors actually help improve the overall design somewhat. While I wouldn't want it expanded to the entire fleet, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing some other commissioned art scheme deployed across the NTT fleet.

R143 - Similar thoughts to the 160s. I'm docking points for subpar PA systems. For some reason, I have to strain to hear any announcements on these cars. I'd consider it a bug in the system if it was a sporadic issue, but it seems to be prevalent across the entire fleet.

R179 - As I haven't ridden the cars yet, I can't say I have a real opinion on the cars themselves at the moment. My ranking here is due to the many delays and restarts on the order and will likely move up as more cars are entered into service and their ability to perform is better seen.

R42 - I caught them one time on the (J) and I thought they were alright. Nothing to write home about, but not a disaster like some of the other cars in service.

R62/62A - I catch these cars on the (6) all the time and I feel they are about the same as the 42s in my book. I do wish something would be done about the drab interiors, especially the dim lights (which would be a easy fix with brighter LED light tubes and a thorough cleaning and/or replacement of the ad cases). If I did this ranking a couple of summers ago, this would be at the bottom of the list because of the failing HVAC systems across the fleet. Thankfully, those issues seem to be resolved for the most part.

R46 - Another car class that I don't have strong feelings for either way. I don't mind the dated design that many others here seem to dislike. Then again, I tend to gravitate towards older design schemes, so I'm a bit biased in that regard. Besides that, they're another car class that's just there in my opinion.

R68/68A - These cars are on par with the 62s above. Despite the similarities between the two car classes, I rank them lower because they are so boring. They are the most "blah" fleet in service at the moment and historically, they've got nothing going for them. At least with the 62s, they have the distinction of being the first non-Redbird fleet since the 36WF cars. The 68s however are a dumbed down version of the 46s because the MTA didn't want to go through the headaches of using untested new technology after the problems the plagued the 44s and 46s in the early years of their terms in service.

R142A/188 - The fact that they are NTTs and share many of the same aspects as the 142s and 160s moves them up a bit on my list. However, the increasing number of problems with this car class, from the atrocious braking system (seriously, the 32s perform better in this regard) to the busted nature of the cars themselves do not endear these cars to me. These cars are the same age as their Bombardier cousins and yet they look almost twice as old as the 142s.

R32 - They aren't bad cars per se, especially given their age and longevity, but I wouldn't lose any sleep if they were to go far away.

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NTTs - by far the most comfortable trains to ride. Easy on the eyes.

R62/62A/68/68A - meh. Hate the bucket seats.

R44/46 - not only are there bucket seats, that interior is ghastly.

Anything older - uncomfortable, loud, dirty, unreliable, noisy rustbuckets. Good riddance.

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My ranking...

1. R160B Siemens due to the awesome sounds they make (I HATE alstom propulsion sound), plus they've been upgraded with the new digital displays and are always bright. Also always clean interior (maybe because they run on the Q?). (Q) train riders are lucky to have this model. 

2. R179 - may be my favorite soon. I have to ride one, though.

3. R143/R142A - MITRAC propulsion sounds almost as good as Siemens. The bucking sucks.

4. R142/R160A/R160B alstom - awful propulsion sound.

5. R46 - Pretty neutral on them. I don't dig the 1970s "back to earth" interior, though. It's gross especially with the beige walls. The seats could use a good cleaning, too. But they are definitely a product of their time and I like that vibe.

6. R32 - I don't love these old clankers, but the sheer fact they've made it this long is respect-worthy. Also like that at least you can walk between the cars in case of emergency (unlike 75-footers).

7. R62/R62A/R68/R68A - Dark, noisy, could use a power washing inside out. They also smell weird, and not just in summer. It's like old take out. The R68As seems to be in the best condition, though.

8. R42 - Just no. Rusty, old, falling apart, vandalized beyond words, always breaking down. Nope. These cars need to GTFO fast!

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On 1/17/2018 at 9:32 PM, bobtehpanda said:

R44/46 - not only are there bucket seats, that interior is ghastly.

I agree. It's a reminder of an era where "earth tones" were very popular - the citrus colored seats, beige walls and faux wood dividers. Quite frankly, I'm not a fan of this early 70s design language.

It can also be seen in some of the Program for Action era subway stations (i.e. Parsons/Archer, 21st-Queensbridge) and I can only say it's an eyesore and gives off a creepy vibe.  At the same time, I kind of wonder what the SAS would look like if all the stations were built like that.

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  • 1 year later...

I’m gonna have to vote R38. Aka The R32’s older brother...I like the R32’s for the same reasons as stated above. Personally, R38’s had better grab bars and I liked the longer windows, and their unique flipdot design... now If I’m not mistaken; the R38’s  were the only NYCT cars with long windows. They also matched well with R32’s. 

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On 1/15/2018 at 2:04 AM, N6 Limited said:

R-160

 

On 1/15/2018 at 1:37 PM, Lance said:

2) In an effort to prevent people from just using this thread to bump their post count, explain why you like a particular car class. Any subsequent posts that do not follow this rule will be removed.

NTT trains because they're cleaner, brighter, quieter, smoother, 60ft so the end-doors are unlocked, have the FIND system which indicate stops and whether the train is going local or express AND CLEAR audible announcements. :D

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