On a picture-perfect November Saturday morning, we were at Aquatic Park shooting some photos for a forthcoming feature in the next issue of our member magazine, Inside Track, about an exciting updated vision for extending streetcar service to western Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Aquatic Park, Municipal Pier, and Fort Mason. (Not a Member? Join now and get the scoop on this.)
Anyway, riding back on the F-line, we hopped off at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market for some shopping. Saw an E-line car coming up from Caltrain with a seated load — great to see ridership building there — and then some great sights on the F that we thought it would be fun to share here.
First, the newest PCC to return to service, Car 1062, honoring Pittsburgh Railways, getting instructions from the inspector at the Jones and Beach terminal, with a Milan tram on the F-line behind it, then double-end PCC 1007 on the E-line.
As soon as we get to the Ferry Building stop, what do we see but another PCC newly returned from its renovation by Brookville Equipment Company, Car 1059, now in its correct orange livery honoring Boston Elevated Railway. (Nice coincidence: Embarcadero Center in the background is owned by Boston Properties, our newest Business Benefactor Member!) The dirt on the roof reflects last week’s storm. Rain deposits carbon from the slide on the trolley pole onto the roofs of cars; it takes the crews a few days to get all the cars clean again.
We hear a gong and turn around and what should appear coming up the E-line tracks but the “brandest-newest” PCC to return from Brookville, Car 1063, honoring Baltimore Transit with that city’s original PCC livery of Alexandria Blue, orange, and gray. It has just started its 1,000-mile “burn-in” to check all its systems before entering passenger service.
Three newly refurbished PCCs to brighten an already spectacular day!
Is that a “hat trick” or a “trifecta”? Good catches, all of them.