Gibbs Hi-V (New York City Subway car)
| Gibbs Hi-V | |
|---|---|
1904 Rendering of an IRT Gibbs Hi-V | |
| Manufacturer | American Car and Foundry |
| Replaced | 1958 |
| Constructed | 1904–1905 |
| Number built | 300 |
| Number preserved | 1 |
| Number scrapped | 299 |
| Successor | R17 R21 R22 |
| Formation | Singles |
| Fleet numbers | 3350–3649 |
| Operators | Interborough Rapid Transit Company NYC Board of Transportation New York City Transit Authority |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Riveted Steel |
| Car length | 51 feet 1.5 inches (15.58 m) |
| Width | 8 feet 10 inches (2,692 mm) |
| Height | 12 feet 0 inches (3,658 mm) |
| Doors | Before 1909–1912: 4 After: 6 |
| Maximum speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Weight | Motor car: ~89,450 lb (40,570 kg) Trailer car: ~ |
| Traction system | Motor car: GE69 ; WH86 , 2 motors per car (both on motor truck, trailer truck not motorized). Trailer car: None |
| Power output | 200 hp (149 kW) per traction motor |
| Electric system(s) | 600 V DC Third rail |
| Current collector(s) | Top running Contact shoe |
| Braking system(s) | Before 1910: WABCO Schedule AM(P) with 'P' type triple valve and M-2 brake stand After 1910: WABCO Schedule AMRE with 'R' type triple valve and ME-21 brake stand |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The Gibbs Hi-V was a New York City Subway car class built from 1904 to 1905 by American Car and Foundry for the IRT and its successors, the New York City Board of Transportation and the New York City Transit Authority. It was the first all-steel subway car ordered for New York City.
Because of the sliding doors which enclosed the motorman's vestibules from the rest of the car compartment, the cars were nicknamed Merry Widows. Early on, they were also known as Battleships, a reference to their second paint scheme where the siding was painted Battleship Grey. However, the nickname did not stick and was later given to the Deck Roof Hi-V cars, which were painted the same color. Today, references to the "Battleships" are generally assumed to be in reference to the Deck Roof cars, as opposed to the Gibbs cars.