MS Multi-section car (New York City Subway car)
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Multi-section car | |
---|---|
Contact shoe | |
Braking system(s) | WABCO Schedule AMSF or AMCE |
Coupling system | WABCO H2A |
Headlight type | incandescent light bulbs |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The MS Multi-section was a series of New York City Subway cars. They were built in prototype form in 1934 with production models built in 1936. Built by the Budd, Pullman, and St. Louis car companies, they were called "Multis" for short. They were so named because each car was an articulated car made of five sections; though the MS Multi-section fleet's lengths differed, their average length was 170 ft (52 m).
The MS Multi-section fleet consisted of 27 cars. The two prototype cars were the Zephyr, manufactured by the Budd Company, and the Green Hornet, manufactured by the Pullman Company; the latter were scrapped during World War II. The 25 production cars were made by the Pullman and St. Louis companies and remained in service until 1961. None of the MS Multi-section cars survive today.
Background
The MS was an articulated car made up of five sections. Their average length was 170 ft (52 m), making them the longest articulated units ever used in the history of the BMT.
The first two cars delivered were pilot cars. One was manufactured by the
The Green Hornet and the 25 production cars had two double-leaf doors on each section (10 doors per unit), while the Zephyr had four single-leaf doors on each section (20 doors per unit). These cars were in production at the same time as the
History
Prototypes
The Green Hornet and the Zephyr, originally numbered 7000A/8000B/9000C/8001B1/7001A1 and 7002A/8002B/9001C/8003B1/7003A1 respectively, were delivered in 1934, few months apart. The two units were initially tested on the Fulton Street elevated for comparison, and when the tests were concluded, they were relegated to Franklin Ave Shuttle service, almost never appearing in through service to Brighton Beach or Coney Island except occasionally for put-ins (out-of-service trains re-inserted in revenue service) or layups (out-of-service trains stored on unused yard or express tracks). In 1937, the Green Hornet was renumbered to 7003, and the Zephyr was renumbered to 7029.
The Green Hornet had undergone some slight modifications, and the BMT management hoped to eventually run it in consists with the
Production cars
The 25 production cars were built by the
In 1956, the painted on exterior numbers were supplanted by number plates on many units.
In December 1956, the cars were transferred to Myrtle–Chambers service for purposes of cutting their mileage, as was commonly done at the time with all oddball types of equipment. One train, in addition, ran in the Broadway "short line" service. In February 1958, a few units underwent a one-week stint in Franklin Avenue service (shuttle and on the last day, a Sunday, local to Brighton Beach). They were finally retired from service on September 5, 1961, replaced by the R27s and R30s. All were scrapped later that year.[3]
Additional information
The MS was notable for its rapid acceleration rate (4 mph/s or 6.4 km/(h⋅s) for the Green Hornet and the 25 production cars, and 5 mph/s or 8.0 km/(h⋅s) for the Zephyr) and its "balancing speed" — the maximum speed attainable on level track, running empty — was relatively high (53 mph or 85 km/h for the Green Hornet, 55 mph or 89 km/h for the Zephyr, and 58 mph or 93 km/h for the 25 production units).
The Zephyr holds the title of being the first stainless steel subway car in the city, preceding the
The Green Hornet subway car was among the first subway cars to incorporate a warning tone that sounds before the doors begin to close as the train prepares to leave the station. Door chimes would not become standard for all subway cars until the R44 order in 1971.
References
- ^ a b "www.nycsubway.org: The BMT Fleet (Elevated, Subway, Experimental)". www.nycsubway.org.
- ^ "www.nycsubway.org: The BMT Fleet (Elevated, Subway, Experimental)". www.nycsubway.org.
- ^ "www.nycsubway.org: Chapter 3, The BMT". www.nycsubway.org.
Further reading
- Sansone, Gene. Evolution of New York City subways: An illustrated history of New York City's transit cars, 1867-1997. New York Transit Museum Press, New York, 1997 ISBN 978-0-9637492-8-4