The Arnines (R1-9s) were the 1,703 similar

New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...

cars built between 1930 and 1940 for the

Independent Subway System The Independent Subway System (IND or ISS), formerly known as the Independent City-Owned Subway System (ICOSS) or the Independent City-Owned Rapid Transit Railroad (ICORTR), was a rapid transit rail system in New York City that is now part of th ...

. All were built by the

American Car and Foundry Company ACF Industries, originally the American Car and Foundry Company (abbreviated as ACF), is an American manufacturer of railroad rolling stock. One of its subsidiaries was once (1925–54) a manufacturer of motor coaches and trolley coaches und ...

, the

Pressed Steel Car Company The Pressed Steel Car Company was a builder of railroad cars and equipment based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that was founded in 1899, and had facilities in Pittsburgh and Chicago. It operated until 1956. Early history The Pressed Steel Car C ...

, and

Pullman Standard The Pullman Company, founded by George Pullman, was a manufacturer of railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Through rapid late-19th century d ...

. The name comes from the literal spelling out of the final contract under which these 1,703 cars were ordered – contract "R9". The complete listing of contract numbers for cars referred to as “Arnines” include: R1, R4, R6, R7/A, and R9. Also in the Arnine family was the R8A, which was a revenue collection car, or

Money train A money train is one or more railcars used to collect cash fare revenue from stations on a subway system and return it to a central location for processing. This train was typically used to carry money bags guarded by transit police to deter ...

. The Arnines entered service between 1931 and 1940 and remained in service until they were replaced between 1968 and 1977 with R40, R42, R44, and

R46 R46 or R-46 may refer to: Roads * R46 expressway (Czech Republic), now the D46 motorway * R46 (South Africa) Other uses * R-46 (missile), a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile * R46 (New York City Subway car) The R46 is a New York ...

cars. The last of the cars in this broad grouping were removed from passenger service in 1977. Many pieces of memorabilia, including rollsigns and car number plates, exist today in museums and private collections.

Preservation

Today, twenty of these cars remain, preserved by various museums, businesses, organizations, and private individuals. The cars that remain on

New York City Transit Authority The New York City Transit Authority (also known as NYCTA, the TA, or simply Transit, and branded as MTA New York City Transit) is a public-benefit corporation in the U.S. state of New York that operates public transportation in New York City. P ...

property (and their owners) are: *R1 100 (

New York Transit Museum The New York Transit Museum (also called the NYC Transit Museum) is a museum that displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, and commuter rail systems in the greater New York City metropolitan region. The main museum is loc ...

) – Operable *R1 103 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Operable *R1 381 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Operable *R4 401 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Operable *R4 484 (

) – Operable *R6 923 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Inoperable *R6 925 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Inoperable *R6 1000 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Operable *R6 1300 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Operable *R7A 1575 – rebuilt to an R10 prototype in 1947 (

) – Operable *R9 1802 (Railway Preservation Corp.) – Operable The other cars are located at the following locations: *R1 175 is stored at the

Seashore Trolley Museum Seashore Trolley Museum, located in Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, is the world's first and largest museum of mass transit vehicles. While the main focus of the collection is trolley cars (trams), it also includes rapid transit trains, ...

as a source of spare parts. It does not have

trucks A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...

, and two of its side doors were donated to R4 401. *R4 800 is at the

and is in operable condition. *R4 825 is at the

Trolley Museum of New York The Trolley Museum of New York, a non-profit organization, is located at 89 East Strand Street, Kingston, New York. The museum is open to the public on a seasonal schedule, but volunteer activities relating to the preservation of historic tran ...

. It is currently undergoing a cosmetic restoration and is operable. *R6 978 was used as a dining room at Golden's Deli in the

Staten Island Mall Staten Island Mall is a shopping mall in New Springville, Staten Island, New York City, opened in 1973. It is the only indoor shopping mall in the borough. It is the largest retail center on the island and is the site of the island's third-largest ...

until the deli closed in January 2012. The car was later sold to a private owner in Warwick, NY. This car is truckless with part of the car sliced away. *R6 983 was on private property in

Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

for over 35 years, after being purchased from the scrapyard in 1975 for use as a sidefront in a disco. It was purchased by the Craggy Mountain Line based in

Asheville, NC Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

in early 2013 and has been restored to operating service for their museum. The car uses trucks from scrapped R32s. *R6 1144 is used as a cafeteria at the

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre Buckinghamshire Railway Centre is a railway museum operated by the Quainton Railway Society Ltd. at Quainton Road railway station, about west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England. The site is divided into two halves which are joined by two ...

, England. This car has no trucks. *R7 1440 is at the

and is in operable condition. *R9 1689 is at the

Shore Line Trolley Museum The Shore Line Trolley Museum is a trolley museum located in East Haven, Connecticut. Incorporated in 1945, it is the oldest continuously operating trolley museum in the United States. The museum includes exhibits on trolley history in the visit ...

and is in operable condition. *R9 1801 is at the

New York State Museum The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol. ...

, used as a static exhibit in the museum's Metropolis Hall.

References

External links

nycsubway.org: The Independent Fleet (1932-1939)nycsubway.org: Chapter 4, The Independent System
{{NYCS rolling stock New York City Subway rolling stock Independent Subway System