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Lo-V (New York City Subway car)
Encyclopedia
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
car built from 1916–25 for the IRT
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company was the private operator of the original underground New York City Subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT was purchased by the City in June 1940...
. It was the third "Lo-V" type car order for the IRT, as it arrived after the Flivver Lo-V
Flivver Lo-V (New York City Subway Car)
The Flivver Lo-V, a New York City Subway car type, was built in 1915 for the IRT and its successors, which included the NYC Board of Transportation and the New York City Transit Authority...
s and the first Steinway Lo-V
Steinway (New York City Subway car)
The Steinway Lo-V, a New York City Subway car, was built in 1915–25. These cars were built specifically for use on the IRT Corona Line...
s.
Description
Lo-Vs were arranged in mixed trains consisting of trailer cars and motor cars. While trailer cars were equipped with brakes, but no air compressors or motors, motor cars were equipped with all three. "Lo-V" is short for "Low Voltage" which refers to the cars' form of propulsion control. Earlier Composite and "Hi-V" (High Voltage) equipment that ran on the IRT had utilized a 600 volt DC circuit that ran directly through the motorman's master controller to control the car's propulsion. The 600 volts was also trainlined through the whole train by the use of high voltage jumper cables which had to be run between cars. However, Lo-V equipment used battery voltage (32 volts) in the motor control circuit to move high voltage (600 volt) contacts underneath the car, which would control the car's propulsion. Likewise, it would no longer be necessary to use 600 volt jumpers between the cars. This tremendously improved safety of the equipment for both train crews and shop personnel alike.Standard Lo-V cars also simplified braking for train crews. On IRT equipment, an electric brake could be utilized to synchronize a braking effort and apply each car's brakes simultaneously and uniformly throughout the train. This was different than operating strictly using air (pneumatically), which was less responsive, but would still stop the train albeit more slowly. Lo-V cars simplified the braking process. On earlier IRT equipment, the braking notches were different for a motorman depending on whether or not he was operating electrically or pneumatically. On Lo-V cars, the notches were identical regardless of whether or not the electric brake was active. The braking system on a Lo-V car is known as AMUE.
Preserved Cars
- Car 4902 (trailer car) has been preserved by the New York Transit MuseumNew York Transit MuseumThe New York Transit Museum is a museum which displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, commuter rail, and bridge and tunnel systems; it is located in a decommissioned Court Street subway station in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of New York City...
and restored. - Car 5290 (motor car) has been preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and restored.
- Car 5292 (motor car) has been preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and restored.
- Car 5443 (motor car) has been preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and restored.
- Car 5466 (motor car) has been preserved by the Shore Line Trolley MuseumShore Line Trolley MuseumThe Shore Line Trolley Museum, located in East Haven, Connecticut, is the oldest operating trolley museum in the United States. It was founded to preserve the heritage of the trolley car. The museum includes exhibits on trolley history in the visitors' center and offers rides on restored trolleys...
in East Haven, ConnecticutEast Haven, ConnecticutEast Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,189. The town is just 3 minutes from downtown New Haven...
and restored. - Car 5483 (motor car) has been preserved by Railway Preservation Corp. and restored.
- Car 5600 (motor car) has been preserved at the Trolley Museum of New York in Kingston, New YorkKingston, New YorkKingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
. It is awaiting restoration.
Lo-V specifications
- Car Builder: Pressed Steel CompanyPressed Steel CompanyThe Pressed Steel Company Limited was a British car body manufacturing company founded at Cowley near Oxford in 1926 as a joint venture between William Morris, the Budd Corporation and an American bank. Today at what was the company's Cowley plant, the BMW new MINI is assembled, this site is...
, American Car and Foundry, Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s... - Car Body: Steel
- Unit Numbers: 4515-4554 (trailers), 4577-4699 (motors), 4719 (motor), 4772-4810 (motors), 4811-4965 (trailers), 4966-5302 (motors), 5303-5402 (trailers), 5403-5627 (motors)
- Fleet: 1020 cars (725 motors, 295 trailers)
- Car Length: 51 feet, 6 inches
- Car Width: 8 feet, 10 inches
- Car Height: 11 feet, 10.5 inches
- Total Weight: 77000 lb (34,926.6 kg) for motor car, 56000 lb (25,401.2 kg) for trailer car
- Track Gauge: 4 feet, 8.5 inches
- Propulsion System: Westinghouse or General Electric
- Motors: Westinghouse 300, 577, General Electric 212, 260
- Motor Power: 200 hp (Wh 300,577, GE 212), 195 hp (GE 260)
- Brakes: WABCOWestinghouse Air Brake CompanyThe railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
Schedule AMUE with UE-5 universal valve, ME-23 brake stand, and simplex clasp brake rigging - Air Compressor: WABCOWestinghouse Air Brake CompanyThe railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
D-2-F - Coupler Type: WABCOWestinghouse Air Brake CompanyThe railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
J - Total Seating: 44
- Total Standing: 152
See also
- Flivver Lo-VFlivver Lo-V (New York City Subway Car)The Flivver Lo-V, a New York City Subway car type, was built in 1915 for the IRT and its successors, which included the NYC Board of Transportation and the New York City Transit Authority...
, a low voltage propulsion control IRT subway car built in 1915. - Steinway Lo-VSteinway (New York City Subway car)The Steinway Lo-V, a New York City Subway car, was built in 1915–25. These cars were built specifically for use on the IRT Corona Line...
, a low voltage propulsion control IRT subway car built from 1915-1925. - World's Fair Lo-VWorld's Fair (New York City Subway car)The World's Fair Lo-V, a New York City Subway car, was built in 1938. These 50 cars were ordered for IRT Flushing Line service to the 1939 World's Fair. They were modified variants of the standard IRT Steinway/Low-V body, with the "ogee" roof and were single-ended single units.Only one car, 5655,...
, a low voltage propulsion control IRT subway car built in 1938.