In an attempt to bring a modern look to one of the world’s oldest subway systems, the New York City Transit Authority hired Raymond Loewy to design a new order of cars in the late 1960s. One of the giants of twentieth century industrial design, Lowey was responsible for the look of Coke’s vending machines, Air Force One’s paint scheme, the Shell Oil logo, the Studebake Avanti, and countless projects for the Pennsylvania Railroad, including the GG1 and the 1938 Fleet of Modernism. The R40 subway, however, was one of his flops.

To give the new stainless steel cars an exciting look, Loewy’s firm designed a molded fiberglass end cap with a 15-degree slant. Apparently no one thought to test the design before it went into production, and the new cars entered service on the F line’s 6th Avenue Local on March 23, 1968. By early April, it became apparent that the slant ends presented a great danger to passengers walking from car to car, because they had to cross a large gap with nothing to hold onto. The Transit Authority’s initial solution was to lock the end doors of all the R40 cars, which traveled in married pairs with a slant end at each end of the pair. Within months, the cars were retrofitted with elaborate pantograph gates on the slant ends, which effectively destroyed Loewy’s rakish design but allowed passengers to wander from car to car in safety. The final 100 cars of the 400-car R40 order were then redesigned as R40M cars with a standard flat end. Built by St. Louis Car Company, the 60-foot R40s and R40Ms remain in service today on the BMT/IND lines, based at Coney Island in Brooklyn and Concourse Yard in the Bronx.

New for 2006, M.T.H. introduces full-scale models of these unique New York subway cars, featuring transit stop simulation available only from M.T.H. Designed specifically for our municipal transit cars, the unique Proto-Soundr 2.0 transit program features Station Stop Proto-Effects, allowing you to program the train to stop automatically at designated station stops, even in Conventional Mode. When configured to run on automatic, the subway stops itself at locations you define and calls out accurate station names that you select in advance; the subway essentially runs itself. And when you program the set for an out-and-back route, it even reverses itself and heads back downtown when it reaches the end of the line – stopping along the way at each station to broadcast the name of the stop and the hustle and bustle of passengers coming and going.

Here is a R40 2-Car Subway Add-On Set. It features Intricately Detailed ABS Bodies, Metal Wheels and Axles, Authentic Paint Scheme, Overhead Interior Lighting, Die-Cast 4-Wheel Trucks, Fast-Angle Wheel Sets, and Needle-Point Axles.

This item has been graded per TCA standards C-9: Factory New based on visual appearance. The overall appearance of this item may be improved with a gentle and thorough cleaning. The instruction manual is not included. The original box is included. Photos from a previous listing have been used to show this item outside of the box. Overall condition is Factory New.

Condition: Factory New (C-9)
Operational Status: Functional
Original Box: Yes (P-7)

Manufacturer: MTH
Model Number: 20-2717-3
Road Name: **** No Road Name

Scale/Era: O Modern
Model Type: Transit/Subways

The SKU for this item is 5962518.

Product Id: 11438861