The R6 was a New York City Subway car model built from 1935 to 1936 for the city-operated Independent Subway System by three manufacturers under separate orders, the American Car and Foundry Company, Pullman Standard, and Pressed Steel Car Company. A total of 600 cars were built, numbered 900–1399, and arranged as single units. There were three versions of the R6: R6-1, R6-2, and R6-3. The R6s were a continuation of the R4 fleet and look almost the same, except that the R6 had a two-pane front window compared to the R4's one-pane window. The R6s were used primarily for increased service in Queens and Brooklyn. They served exclusively on all IND lines for most of their service lives, but were also used on the BMT Division during their final years. The R44s and R46s replaced the R6 cars, and they made their final runs in 1977. After retirement, most of the fleet was scrapped, but several R6-3s and one R6-1 have been preserved.
Description
The R6s were numbered 900–1399. The contract had three separate orders from different manufacturers due to the large order. The R6 separate orders were R6-3, R6-2, and R6-1. Regardless, all three orders were identical to each other. The R6s were ordered to equip extensions of the IND in Brooklyn and Queens. They were used for service on the IND exclusively until 1968 or 1969, when many were displaced from the IND by the new R40s and R42s and transferred to the East New York Yard. Many R6s were replaced by the R44s. The transferred cars ran on the Eastern Division until 1977, when they were finally replaced by the R46s.
Preservation
Upon their retirement, most R6 cars were scrapped. However, seven examples have survived into preservation:
R6-3 cars 923 and 925 were converted to revenue collection cars and formerly renumbered R247 and R248, respectively. Once they were no longer needed as work cars, they were purchased and preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. They remained stored in Coney Island Yard for many years until they were moved again to 207th Street Yard. Restoration will be needed if these cars are to run again.
R6-3 car 978 was repurposed into a deli at the Staten Island Mall until the Deli was closed inJanuary 2012. The owners of the Deli have placed it in storage, but have ultimately decided to sell the car. The car was successfully sold and is being restored by a private owner.
R6-3 car 983 was originally on private property in Jacksonville, Florida, where it was used as a tool shed until 2014. It was purchased by the Craggy Mountain Line based in North Carolina in early 2013 and has been restored to operating service for their museum. The car uses trucks from scrapped R32s.
R6-3 car 1000 is preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and restored.
R6-3 car 1144 is preserved at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in England, although it does not have trucks. It was converted into a cafeteria for the museum.
R6-1 car 1300 is preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and restored.
R6-2 car 1208 was previously preserved by the New York Transit Museum. However, it was scrapped during the 1980s, along with several other museum cars.
