R21 (New York City Subway car)
| R21 | |
|---|---|
Graffiti-covered 7132 on the 5 | |
| In service | 1956–1987 |
| Manufacturer | St. Louis Car Company |
| Built at | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Replaced |
|
| Constructed | 1956–1957 |
| Number built | 250 |
| Number in service | (2 in work service) |
| Number preserved | 2 |
| Number scrapped | 246 245 scrapped 1 in storage |
| Successor | R62A |
| Formation | Single unit cars |
| Fleet numbers | 7050–7174 (General Electric) 7175–7299 (Westinghouse) |
| Capacity | 44 (seated) |
| Operators | New York City Transit Authority |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | LAHT Carbon steel |
| Car length | 51 ft 0.5 in (15.56 m) |
| Width | 8 ft 9 in (2,667 mm) |
| Height | 11 ft 10 in (3,607 mm) |
| Doors | 6 sets of 50 inch wide side doors per car |
| Maximum speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
| Weight | General Electric cars: 77,607 lb (35,202 kg) Westinghouse cars: 78,604 lb (35,654 kg) |
| Traction system | Westinghouse 1447C or General Electric 1240A4 |
| Power output | 100 hp (75 kW) per traction motor |
| Electric system(s) | 600 V DC Third rail |
| Current collector(s) | Top running Contact shoe |
| Braking system(s) | WABCO ME42A |
| Safety system(s) | Tripcock |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The R21 was a New York City Subway car built by St. Louis Car Company from 1956 to 1957 for the IRT A Division. A total of 250 cars were built, arranged as single units. Two versions were manufactured: Westinghouse (WH)-powered cars and General Electric (GE)-powered cars.
The first R21s entered service on November 7, 1956. The R21s were replaced by the R62As in the 1980s, and the final train of R21s ran on December 30, 1987. Four R21 cars were preserved, while the rest were scrapped.