Muni PCC No. 1008 is back on the streets of San Francisco, equipped to carry passengers for the first time in a third of a century. The vintage 1948 streetcar, one of the largest PCC models ever built, has started its testing phase after arriving from Brookville Equipment Company of Pennsylvania, which completely rebuilt it.
This streetcar was the very first one to run in the Muni Metro subway, using a specially fitted pantograph to test the overhead in the new subway in 1977, before even the test Boeing LRVs arrived. It was fully converted from a passenger car to a work car a few years later and served in that capacity until wear and tear took it out of service more than 10 years ago. To see what it looked like when it left San Francisco more than two years ago, click here.
It ran its first day of testing on the K, L, and M lines, which will be the norm until 1,000 trouble-free miles have been accumulated on the car. Once it has been accepted by Muni, it will go into service on the F-line…and, if the acceptance is complete quickly enough, on the special America’s Cup service on the E-Embarcadero line on August 25 and 26.
Here’s a brief video clip of No. 1008 headed from Metro East, where it was delivered, to the Cameron Beach Yard, its once and future home, on the J-Church right-of-way at 20th Street. Thanks to our board member Jeremy Whiteman for this.
As we’ve previously reported, this group of four-restored double-end streetcars is more than a year late in being completed. It’s critical that this first car in the group be thoroughly tested before acceptance, rather than being rushed into service just for what amounts to an America’s Cup test. We’re pleased that SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin told us the other day that he agrees.
