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Budd R11 subway cars


jeffmorris

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The R11 at the Transit Museum was rebuilt into R34 with the ceiling and hand straps from other 60-foot subway cars. There was a photo of original R11 interior on page 51 of "NYC Subway Cars" book. It's hard for me to see what's on the ceiling. There appear to be fans on the ceiling but I think that the subway car had some kind of "air conditioning" that killed germs.

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I think that R11 subway cars were the first to be given new contract number (R34) when they were rebuilt in 1960s. The R11 subway cars were rebuilt into R34 in the Coney Island Yard shops. The other subway cars that were rebuilt in 1980s were not given new contract numbers and most subway cars were rebuilt by companies outside of NYCTA property.

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I think that R11 subway cars were the first to be given new contract number (R34) when they were rebuilt in 1960s. The R11 subway cars were rebuilt into R34 in the Coney Island Yard shops. The other subway cars that were rebuilt in 1980s were not given new contract numbers and most subway cars were rebuilt by companies outside of NYCTA property.

 

Yep, that's right. I think the only cars to be rebuilt in-house were the R11s, the WF Redbirds, and the CI R42s, is that right?

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Here you go (glad this photo is online and not just in that book!)

24subwaylarge2.jpg

 

Basically resembles the R-15, of which this is basically the BMT counterpart. (except the ceiling is smooth/shiny, curved, and there are no vents, which the R-15 had). Never seen a closer photo of the end, though. Looks like it still has the low ceiling with the longitudinal light fixture. I guess there must have been an original A/C unit or something. That germicidal thing was always mentioned; but I never knew exactly what it was. It was supposed to be in the lighting, not in the fans, from what I read.

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Eric, Thanks for the photo of the R11's original interior. I can see the fans in the ceilings. I wish that there are color photos of the R11's original interior. At first, I thought that the R11 cars came from the factory with circular opening windows in end doors but they came with square non-opening windows in end doors and NYCTA changed the windows a few years later.

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Here you go (glad this photo is online and not just in that book!)

24subwaylarge2.jpg

 

Basically resembles the R-15, of which this is basically the BMT counterpart. (except the ceiling is smooth/shiny, curved, and there are no vents, which the R-15 had). Never seen a closer photo of the end, though. Looks like it still has the low ceiling with the longitudinal light fixture. I guess there must have been an original A/C unit or something. That germicidal thing was always mentioned; but I never knew exactly what it was. It was supposed to be in the lighting, not in the fans, from what I read.

that interior is amazing!!!

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Here you go (glad this photo is online and not just in that book!)

 

I guess there must have been an original A/C unit or something. That germicidal thing was always mentioned; but I never knew exactly what it was. It was supposed to be in the lighting, not in the fans, from what I read.

 

That book (well the data sheet in that book) says that there were "precipitron" air filters, "sterilizzing" (sterilizing) lamps, underseat heaters, control of fresh and recirculated air, and underseat diffusers (whatever those are). Health conscious for the 1950s. Stuff that was never seen again!

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Eric, Thanks for the photo of the R11's original interior. I can see the fans in the ceilings. I wish that there are color photos of the R11's original interior. At first, I thought that the R11 cars came from the factory with circular opening windows in end doors but they came with square non-opening windows in end doors and NYCTA changed the windows a few years later.
I too wonder what color the walls were painted there.

In the one preserved in the museum, you can see the outline of the square window. Figuring that this came out between the R10 and R15, it was apparently at that point that they decided to have opening windows, and then retrofitted them in early on. (The retrofit wouldn't have been in the R34 rebuild, when they had long gone back to the single nonopening pane). I remember back when I used to go to the transit museum right near the car, they had a model of it, with the original door, and I thought it was a mistake. I had seen the outline of it in the car, but for some reason didn't realize that it was an original square window.

 

That book (well the data sheet in that book) says that there were "precipitron" air filters, "sterilizzing" (sterilizing) lamps, underseat heaters, control of fresh and recirculated air, and underseat diffusers (whatever those are). Health conscious for the 1950s. Stuff that was never seen again!

"precipitron" was the name I was trying to remember. So that was an air filter? I had thought that was the name of the "germicidal"/"sterilizing" lamps, and that one single device was being described in all that. Was this sterilizing fearure something in the main fixtures you can see, (perhaps UV lamp next to or under the regular flourescent tubes) or was this some separate fixture somewhere else?

Underseat diffusers sounds like it would be simply more vents or something like that. It's hard to see what's under there. I imagine the low ceiling was the central plant for the air system then, like the later air conditioning units.

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Yep, that's right. I think the only cars to be rebuilt in-house were the R11s, the WF Redbirds, and the CI R42s, is that right?

 

 

A portion(if not most)of the R44 cars were rebuilt in-house at both CI and 207th St overhaul shops.

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