| A Tribute to the R40 Slant. A car serving the New York City Subway system for 41 years (1968-2009). The R40 Slant was a unique car as it had the slanted end design, which made it a lot more aerodynamic. This allowed it to gather plenty of speed on express runs. It was the first fleet to be fully air conditioned. Built by St. Louis Car company in 1968, it is currently in the best condition out of all the St. Louis Cars in NYC subway. They debuted on the F service, then moved to Coney Island Yard, where they spent most of thier lives. The BNQ and W all ran R40's, but the B ran them for the longest. The will be missed on the Southern BMT lines, especially the Brighton Express, and now spend their last days on the A line. R46's from Jamaica are coming in to replace the R40's on the A train as I speak, so their time is limited. Update: As of June 12, 2009 all R40's are retired. They made their last run on the A to Lefferts Boulevard. They served a great 41 years of service. RIP R40, 1968 - 2009. |
