In service 1950-1984 Number built 100 Number scrapped 99 | Constructed 1950 Number preserved 1 | |
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Manufacturer American Car and Foundry Similar R21 (New York City Subway car), R17 (New York City Subway car), R22 (New York City Subway car) | ||
The R15 was a New York City Subway car built in 1950 by the American Car and Foundry Company.
The R15s were numbered 5953-5999 & 6200-6252. The cars were the first to feature round "turtle-back" roofs and have the conductors' door controls located inside the motorman's cabs, (as opposed to on the outsides as they were on the R12s and R14s). Additionally, the R15s featured porthole door windows, similar to those found on the R11s.
While the R15s ran in solid consists on the Flushing line, the cars never did so on the mainlines; they were always intermixed in trains of newer cars.
Delivery of the cars began in January 1950, shortly after the last R14s were delivered. The first R15s entered service on the 7 (IRT Flushing Line) on February 4, 1950. All cars were in service as of April 23, 1950.
The R15s ran on the Flushing Line until the arrival of the R33WFs and R36WFs in late 1963-early 1964. The R15s were then transferred to operate on other A-division routes before being retired and replaced by the R62s in the mid 1980s. The last R15 ran on December 10, 1984. Except for one car, all cars have since been taken off property to be scrapped; several cars lasted as training vehicles or work cars for many years. For example, cars 5965, 5984-5985, 5989, and 6214 were converted into R71 rider cars after retirement, but were replaced with R161s (R33s converted into rider cars) and subsequently reefed in the mid-2000s.
The only R15 car that remains today is 6239. The car has been preserved by the New York Transit Museum since 1976, and was restored. It has been operated on fantrips since 2004.