New York City Board of Transportation 1612C
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www.nycsubway.org |
Built in:1907 by Jewett Car Company
Out-of-service/Retired:1978 (1978)
Type of car:rapid transit car (BMT "Q" car) (Type Q)
Current Owner:New York Transit Museum(New York, New York)
Car History by Jeff Hakner & Frank Hicks
New York City Board of Transportation 1612C
The best-preserved example of a BMT "Q" type rapid transit car is 1612C, preserved in the only rail museum in the country actually situated in a disused subway station, NYTM. This car was built as a single-unit, open-platform wooden elevated car for service on the BRT, and for the first three decades of its life it operated as such. In the late 1930's, to modernize the fleet serving the Corona/Flushing line for the 1939 World's Fair, BMT decided to rebuild 90 of its old elevated cars into 30 semi-permanently mated three-car sets known as "Q" (for "Queens") cars. This involved enclosing the cars' platforms, installing quarter-point side doors, and reworking the control systems so that each set functioned in a motor/trailer/motor fashion. In 1950, the "Q" fleet was transferred to the Third Avenue Elevated and lighter-weight trucks from IRT composite cars were fitted to 1612C and the other end (motor) cars. The final change to the appearance of these cars came in 1957, when they were transferred to the Myrtle Avenue Elevated and their railroad roofs were lowered in height so that they could make it through the subway to the Coney Island shop complex. Retired from passenger service in the late 1960's along with the other "Q" types, 1612C was first designated for work service as alcohol sprayer 30504. Then in the late 1970's, when preserved "Q" set 1622ABC was rebuilt to open platform configuration, 1612C/30504 (sans the other two cars in its set) was repainted to its c1940 livery (though still retaining its c1950 trucks and c1957 roof profile) and placed in the NYTM where it has remained on display for over a quarter century.
Ownership History:Brooklyn Rapid Transit #1417 1907-1923 / Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit #1417 1923-1939 / Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit #1612C 1939-1940 / New York City Board of Transportation #1612C 1940-1953 / New York City Transit Authority #1612C 1953-1969 / New York Transit Museum(New York, New York) 1978-present
Facts and Figures
| Status:displayed inoperable | Gauge:4'8.5" |
| Construction:steel/wood | Roof type:RR | Ended:DE |
| Length:48'11" | Width:8'8" | Weight:70600# |
| #Seats:50 | #Wheels/Conf.:8 (1A-A1) | Total HP:240 |
| Trucks:McGuire Hedley Special | Brakes:AML (M19A) | Compressor:D2-F |
| Motors:GE 259 (2) | Voltage (if not 600DC): |
Notes
Later New York City Transit Authority work car 20504 (1969-?) / Later New York City Transit Authority work car 30504 (?-1978)
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