R32 (New York City Subway car)

The R32s were numbered 3350–3949, although some cars were re-numbered outside of this range or to different numbers in this range. They were the first cars to introduce all-mylar route and destination rollsigns instead of the former cotton cloth or linen type rollsigns found on prior rail cars. The R32 contract was divided into two subcontracts of 300 cars each: R32 (cars 3350–3649) and R32A (cars 3650–3949). The R32As were funded through the proceeds of a revenue bond, while the R32s were paid for out of the 1963–1964 New York City capital budget. The two subcontracts differed with the first 150 R32s (3350–3499) having visible bulkhead horns; these were the last cars to be built with this feature. This feature can also be found on the Redbirds, R27s, and R30s, along with various older trains. Another distinctive difference was the interior lighting featuring backlit ad-signs on R32A cars 3800–3949. The R32s were the first mass-produced stainless steel cars built for the New York City Subway. Two previous Budd orders (the BMT Zephyr and the R11s) were limited production and/or experimental orders. The horizontally ribbed, shiny, and unpainted stainless exteriors earned the cars the nickname Brightliners. The use of stainless steel reduced the weight of each car by over 4,000 pounds, when compared to previous models. ==History==

in the 1960s in the late 1980s In June 1963, the New York City Transit Authority contracted with Budd for 600 IND/BMT cars (300 pairs) to replace older equipment (cars that had exceeded the TA's 35-year limit of age), including the BMT D-type Triplex articulated cars and some of the BMT Standards. At the time, this was the largest railcar order ever placed in the United States for subway cars. Budd won the contract by offering the lowest bid of $114,700 per car. The next lowest bidder came in at $117,900 per car, which was for low-alloy steel cars. Budd introduced stainless steel equipment to the modern New York City Subway system, a plan that was met with limited success. Some cars retained or regained blue passenger doors towards the start of the General Overhaul (GOH) program, which replaced all the doors with stainless steel versions. On August 18, 1964, the NYCTA approved a modification to the 300 R32s already constructed. The modification was required to ensure proper clearance in tunnels. Since the cars were 4,000 pounds lighter than other subway cars when new, they did not sink as low on standard trucks and springs. The modification was to the body bolster. A ceremonial introduction trip for the new R32 "Brightliners" cars was held on September 9, 1964, operating from the New York Central Railroad's Mott Haven Yards in the Bronx to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan along the Park Avenue main line (presently operated by Metro-North Railroad). In 1974, cars 3700–3701 were sent to Garrett AiResearch's facilities in Los Angeles, California, to test out Flywheel energy storage system equipment. 3700 received energy conservation machinery with batteries and amber-type digital readout indicating the amount of energy used by the equipment, while 3701 remained unmodified. These cars were later tested at the UMTA, and the US Department of Transportation's Testing Facilities in Pueblo, Colorado, for evaluation, and were returned to the MTA in 1976 for in-service testing on all BMT/IND Lines to check the effectiveness of the technology. Overhaul and mishaps Cars 3616, 3629, 3651, and 3766 were scrapped due to collision damage sustained in various accidents in the 1970s and 1980s. Their mates were paired with other cars. The distinctive "EXP" (express) and "LOCAL" marker lights were removed. By June 1990, all overhauled cars were in service. After refurbishment, the R32 and R32A cars were renamed R32 Phase I, R32 Phase II, and R32 GE. The R32 Phase I cars (re-built by Morrison–Knudsen) had WABCO Air Brake packages, GE Master Controllers, and Thermo King HVAC units. The R32 Phase II cars (also re-built by Morrison–Knudsen) had NY Air Brake equipment, Westinghouse Master Controllers, and Stone Safety HVAC units. The ten prototype rebuild R32 GE cars differ from the Phase I and II cars as they were rebuilt to R38 specifications. They had experimental Sigma HVAC Units powered by A/C motors and solid state inverters, original traction motors rebuilt to 115 horsepower instead of the traditional 100 horsepower units, backlit ad signs, and different bulkhead designs. In December 2007, an arrangement was made with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to create artificial reefs with the R32s and other retired subway car models off of the coast of Cape Henlopen, Delaware, similar to how the A Division Redbirds were processed and reefed from 2001 to 2003. The R32 fleet began being withdrawn from service in June 2007, with the first cars being reefed in March 2008. The General Electric-rebuilds were the first to be removed from passenger service amongst the fleet; the last four General Electric-rebuilds on the active roster (cars 3880–3881 and 3934–3935) made their last trip on the on August 29, 2007. The Phase II-rebuilds were next to be removed from passenger service amongst the fleet after the General Electric-rebuilds starting in March 2008; the last two Phase II-rebuilds on the active roster (cars 3421 and 3558) made their last trip on the on October 13, 2008. The Phase I-rebuilds were next to be removed from passenger service amongst the fleet after the Phase II-rebuilds starting in November 2008; however, on December 18, 2009, the MTA decided to move forward with retiring the New York City Transit R44s instead of the remaining R32s. As a result, 252 Phase I-rebuilds (246 of which were available for active service) were retained when the MTA decided to place a hold on retiring any 60-foot cars. By December 2010, only 232 active cars remained, 222 of which were assigned to 207th Street Yard, operating on the A and C. These had periodically underwent intermittent SMS (Scheduled Maintenance Service, a life-extension program) cycles – at a cost of $25 million – to extend their useful lives. In March 2012, the MTA awarded a contract to Bombardier for the delivery and purchase of new subway cars (the R179) in order to retire the remaining R32s and R42s. The R32s were originally slated for retirement in 2017, but the R179s experienced delays in delivery. Subsequently, plans were changed to retain the R32s in order for them to provide a backup fleet and support service increased frequencies until in 2022, when they would finally be replaced by the R211s. By January 2020, it was again decided to retire the R32s with the R179s. With the R179 delivery completed, the R32s were gradually phased out until the last train made its final trip on the C on March 26, 2020. In June 2020, some R32s were reactivated and transferred to East New York Yard to provide backup revenue service due to the R179s being pulled from service. The R32s re-entered service on the J and Z on July 1, 2020 until being withdrawn again on October 8, 2020. Most cars retired by the R160s were stripped and sunk as artificial reefs. After the reefing program ended in April 2010, cars retired by the R160s were trucked to Sims Metal Management's Newark facility to be scrapped. The scrapping and processing of these cars occurred between April 2013 and October 2013. Between February 2022 and mid-2023, cars retired by the R179s were towed through the South Brooklyn Railway, New York New Jersey Rail, and the Brooklyn Army Terminal before being partially disassembled for shipment to Frontier Industrial Corp in Ohio to be scrapped. Since late 2023, cars retired by the R179s are being towed through the South Brooklyn Railway, New York New Jersey Rail, and the Brooklyn Army Terminal before being further towed to Sims Metal Management's Jersey City facility to be scrapped. A handful of R32 cars were saved for various purposes, as following: • Phase II pair 3350–3351 – set aside for preservation by the Railway Preservation Corp. This pair was the second pair on the R32s' premiere trip on September 9, 1964; they were restored to operational status in 2025. • Phase II pair 3352–3353 – set aside for preservation by the New York Transit Museum. This pair was the lead pair on the R32s' premiere trip on September 9, 1964. • Phase I pairs 3354–3355, 3646–3647, 3888–3889, 3894–3895, 3938–3939 – retained for excursion trips and film-making use. • Phase I pair 3360–3361 – set aside for preservation by the New York Transit Museum. This pair was part of not only the R32s' final trip on January 9, 2022, but also the R32s' premiere trip on September 9, 1964, giving it a life of over 57 years. The car received paint and decals to replicate its original appearance. • Phase I car 3388 – converted to a de-icer car for the Staten Island Railway. • Phase I car 3389 – converted to a maintenance of way car for the Staten Island Railway. • Phase I pair 3432–3433 – preserved by the Craggy Mountain Line in Asheville, North Carolina. • GE-rebuilt pair 3594–3595 – being used as NYPD training cars at Floyd Bennett Field. • Phase I car 3698 – purchased by a private owner in Florida. • Phase I car 3912 – sent to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) in West Trenton, NJ in 2024. Ten cars taken out of revenue service on December 12, 2010 were used for work service, handling such tasks as providing traction for B Division rail adhesion cars and refuse collection trains. They had a "1" placed in front of their numbers like some other work service cars. They were eventually scrapped and replaced by fifty R42 cars between 2020 and 2022. ==Longevity==

The longest-lasting R32s were in service for almost 58 years, currently the longest such service life in New York City rapid transit operations. They were the last cars built for the New York City Transit Authority – prior to its merger with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968 – to remain in service. The R32s had survived well past their specified service life of 35 years. They are the oldest rolling stock since the retirement of the Redbird trains, Others criticized the R32s for their appearance and lack of comfort. In August 2011, The New York Times called the R32s "a dreary reminder to passengers of an earlier subterranean era", and claimed that "time has taken a toll" on the cars. The cars had worn-out air conditioning, propulsion, and braking systems, so they were often temporarily transferred to services with mostly outdoor or elevated portions, namely the A, J, and Z. == In popular culture ==

train with a rollsign for the fictional 0 service leftover from filming for Joker|alt=A corrugated silver metal subway train sits with its doors open in a station. Its rollsign reads "0 Local / To Old Gotham all times / Downtown & Tricorner". In the famous car chase scene in the film The French Connection, the chased train of R42s crashes into an R32. An R32 is featured in Men in Black II, featuring an alien entering a tunnel. Once there, it attacks and devours most of a subway train (which is a combination of R32 and R38 cars) until Agent J destroys it. He is then seen walking out of the station, 81st Street–Museum of Natural History. An R32 is featured in Inside Llewyn Davis, but the train is historically inaccurate. A train of R32s was featured in the 2015 film Bridge of Spies, although the film is set a decade prior to their manufacturing. Interior shots were filmed in the New York Transit Museum. Several trains of R32s were featured in the movie Spider-Man: Homecoming, on the train. An R32 is featured at Church Avenue, 18th Avenue, and Bedford Park Boulevard stations for the movie Joker. An R32 is featured in the second season of Russian Doll. An R32 is featured in the film Past Lives. == Notes ==