The MUDC (Multiple-Unit Door Control) was a series of New York City Subway cars originally built by the

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, Wason, Jewett,

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, and Barney and Smith companies, and rebuilt by the

Interborough Rapid Transit Company The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT ...

in 1923–1924 from former Manhattan El gate cars.

History

In 1923, the IRT selected 465 gate cars for the MUDC conversion program, which were inherited by the company upon acquisition of other elevated railway lines in Manhattan. The conversion was done with the intention of reducing the number of people required to operate the doors on the fleet, in addition to improving the safety of the passengers. The reconstructed cars have vestibuled platforms, with sliding doors in place of the old platform gates and railings. The sliding doors were made of sheet steel construction with two panels, one with glass and the other closed. The doors slide on the outside of the car. This construction had an advantage, as a pocket does not have to be provided inside, which would otherwise disturb the interior equipment. These rebuilt cars had the operator's controls installed on both ends of the car, and the operator controlled the doors in the middle of the train. The motorman's operating cab was in the same position, but received some minor upgrades. Despite being a homemade conversion, the MUDCs presented a relatively fair appearance. The cars also proved to be extremely reliable for the crew and were the mainstay for the elevated lines. The first test train of MUDCs ran in 1923 on the

IRT Second Avenue Line The IRT Second Avenue Line, also known as the Second Avenue Elevated or Second Avenue El, was an elevated railway in Manhattan, New York City, United States, from 1878 to 1942. It was operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company until 194 ...

. They operated for many years until 1956, when all but the Bronx portion of the

IRT Third Avenue Line The IRT Third Avenue Line, commonly known as the Third Avenue Elevated, Third Avenue El, or Bronx El, was an elevated railway in Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City. Originally operated by the New York Elevated Railway, an independent railwa ...

was finally closed and demolished. None were preserved.

Other usage of the MUDC name

The term MUDC was sometimes extended to refer to a series of Hi-V and Lo-V cars (the Gibbs Hi-Vs, Hedley Hi-Vs, and Flivver Lo-Vs) that were modified in the early 1920s for multiple unit door control operation. Under normal circumstances, however, the term was usually reserved for the gate cars that were converted for the said operation.

References

External links

Chapter 1, The Elevated LinesA Brief History of Standard Manhattan Elevated CarsThe Manhattan Elevated Fleet
{{NYCS rolling stock Train-related introductions in 1923 New York City Subway rolling stock Interborough Rapid Transit Company 1923 in rail transport Scrapped locomotives