Available Items

June 11, 2008 - The latest in our series of New York City transit cars, the Premier R40 subways cataloged in 2007 volume 1, are now shipping to MTH dealers. Check out these sets and we think youメll agree theyメre terrific models of these unique, Raymond-Loewy-designed cars. Details include authentic R40 trucks, pantograph safety gates at each end; illuminated headlights and marker lights, see-through roof grilles, underbody details, and lighted destination signs. In the illuminated interior youメll find seats, passengers, air conditioning vents in the ceiling, and even straps for your 1/48 straphangers.

Authentic F Line Station Announcements

The Premier R40 subway set features transit stop simulation available only from M.T.H. When configured to run on automatic, in either conventional or DCS operation, the R40 stops itself at locations you define and calls out accurate F Line station names that you select in advance. Stops available with the R40 include Jamaicaヨ179th Street in Queens; Union TurnpikeヨKew Gardens; Roosevelt Avenue; West Fourth StreetヨWashington Square in Manhattan; Delancey Street on the Lower East Side; Jay StreetヨBorough Hall in Brooklyn; Ditmas Avenue; Kings Highway; and Stillwell AvenueヨConey Island, the worldメs largest above-ground transit terminal. When you program the R40 for an out-and-back route, it even reverses itself and heads back to Queens after it reaches Coney Island ラ stopping along the way at each station to broadcast the name of the stop and the hustle and bustle of passengers coming and going.

Prototype History

In an attempt to bring a modern look to one of the worldメ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メs vending machines, Air Force Oneメ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メ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メ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メ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メ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.

Hop on board this latest MTH transit set at your dealerメs now. Itメll take you to Coney Island today or back to the summer of メ68 ラ wherever youメd like to go.

The R40's are available in four car powered sets and two-car add-on sets and feature details as seen in the photos below.