The R110B (contract order R131) was a prototype class of experimental New Technology Train (NTT) New York City Subway cars built by Bombardier of Canada for service on the B Division services. There were nine cars, arranged as three-car sets. They were designed to test features that would be implemented on future mass-production NTT orders. First announced in 1989, the R110Bs were delivered in 1992 and entered service on June 15, 1993, on the service. An explosion in 1996 forced three cars to be taken out of service, resulting in the remaining six cars to run on the service. The six cars not affected by the explosion continued to run until 2000, when they were permanently removed from service due to frequent breakdowns and low Mean Distance Between Failure (MDBF) numbers. Five of the nine cars were sent away to various facilities, with the remaining four still on MTA property. Description The R110B cars were ordered from Bombardier in December 1989. The R110B was designed to test various new technology features that would eventually be incorporated into the R143 and were not intended for long-term production use. There were nine R110B cars, numbered 3001–3009. The cars were linked into three-car sets by consecutive numbers. The cab cars are powered with four traction motors each, while the center car of the 3-car set is an un-powered, cab-less trailer. The cars are typical B-Division size, except that they are 67 feet long, a length shared by the BMT Standards and the SIRT ME-1, along with all of the SEPTA's Broad Street Subway cars and the current PATCO fleets. The R110B uses the standard subway train control stand, but with some added computerized features. The layout of the controls is desk-style, with switches, lamps, and a single lever to control traction and braking. A CRT with function keys on either side is used to monitor speed, train status, etc. The R110B's design is similar to that of the R68 cars now in use on the BMT and IND services, but the ends are more square and use Lexan glass in the windows. Car ends that do not have cabs have an expanse of glass. The seating configuration is the same as in the R68, but the materials are more advanced. A matte plastic is used that allows scratches, tags, and stubborn graffiti to be buffed out using a light abrasive. The seats have