New York City Transit Westinghouse Air Brake 2-CY3B air compressor under R-22 #7371

In this video you'll hear the Westinghouse Air Brake A-3 compressor unit package, which includes an 2-CY3B air compressor pump and WH A-3 motor, S-20 governor, under former New York City Transit Authority model/class R-22, built by St. Louis Car, in 1957/8. This car is part of the Seashore Trolley Museum collection in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The WABCo 2-CY3B compressor was originally known as the 3-Y-C model, but WABCo decided to reclassify the model for mass transit and locomotive equipment. The 3-Y-C remained in production for industrial use.

NYCTA replaced this type of compressor units with WABCO D-4 (S) models on revenue and some non-revenue cars, but some work motors,like this car, had the 2-CY's until they retired them. Today, this model compressor can be heard on the R-22 @ Seashore and the R-17 @ Branford. Once in a while when NYCT operates excursions with the "Train of Many Color's", you can also hear these compressors on the museum R-12, R-15, (sounds slightly different, due to motor arrangement) R-17 and the R-33s.

NYCTA was not the only system that had these types of compressors. Boston's MBTA, Philly's SEPTA, Cleveland's RTA, NY/NJ's PATH, Stockholm and Tokyo, had these units on rapid transit cars built from 1949 to1965. Like NYCTA, the cars were either retired with the original compressors or modified with newer WABCo D-4's or KNORR units. Today, the only system that one can here these units in daily operation is Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the former Tokyo subway cars they acquired years ago.

Thanks to Seashore for preserving this car and its mate, the R-33s. Visit the museum and check out this equipment.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Subway
• electric railway compressor
• Westinghouse 3-Y-C
• Trolley
• electric railway
• air compressor
• Seashore Trolley Museum
• Branford
• railway traction

[ginnyvaet11]

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[kmothersil]

@datkoolbrutha

The cars you mentioned that the conductors had stand in between two cars were the R10s. I can assume the compressors from the R10s sounded the same. The J and M were home to the R16, R27, and R30s. It's unfortunate that very little of them along with the R10s were saved.

[datkoolbrutha]

Unforgettable sound! I sure miss the old subway cars like the ones that ran on the J and M line. And the old C train where the conductor had to stand in between the two subway cars and hit the button to open and close the doors,ha,ha!