The first of the four double-ended Muni PCC streetcars has left San Francisco for a complete rehabilitation in Pennsylvania, at Brookville Equipment Company. No. 1008, which operated in passenger service until 1982 and was then converted into a “repair car” to tow broken-down streetcars back to the barn and perform other services, left Metro East February 9. When it returns, it will be painted in the green and cream “Wings” livery in which it was originally delivered to San Francisco in 1948.
No. 1008 is the third of 16 PCCs covered under Muni’s contract with Brookville to leave the property. Ex-Newark single-end PCC No. 1071 went first on November 18, followed by 1952 Muni single-end PCC No. 1040 on December 4.
The four double-end cars are especially important, both for their large capacity, and because their ability to operate from either end makes them essential for initial operation of the long-planned E-Embarcadero line between Mission Bay and Fisherman’s Wharf, which lacks a turning facility for single-end cars at its south end.
All 16 of the streetcars in this order are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. We’ll continue posting updates on these streetcars as they rehabilitated and enter service.
Good luck 1008. Hope the bad weather, back east, doesn’t hamper the trip to Brookville, PA.
I rode 1008 growing up in the city. The Torpedo cars were my favorite to ride, on the K line, to City College, which I did, almost daily, during 1960 to 1962. They were big, comfortable, quiet and smooth riding. When they were made single ended, I enjoyed sitting in the rear operator’s seat.
I’m look forward to riding 1008 again when it returns.
I have photos from about 30 years ago, sent to me by a Hetch Hetchy power engineer, showing 1008 with a modern current collector, a roof hatch and a floodlight for inspecting overhead wires in the Muni Metro tunnel. Would it be correct to assume that these modifications will be removed as part of the overhaul?
I like that when all of this is done there will be multiple “wings” painted streetcars, but they won’t all be the same kind. The fact I’m 5x more likely to ride “wings”, and 8x more likely to ride an orange Milan, as one-off streetcars reminds me of collecting baseball cards and Magic: The Gathering. Some cards were a lot rarer than others, which made it more exciting.
Best of wishes to 1008! Hope 1006 will follow it to rehab soon…
While I personally wished 1008 to be painted in the modern industrial Landor scheme to honor its workhorse service as a repair car and its distinction as the only Muni PCC to be “modernized” with a pantograph and travel the Metro Market Subway, I’m well pleased that it will finally get a new lease on life with its rehab.
One quick question: How long did 1008 serve as a Muni repair car? Judging from its state of neglect it seems like Muni hadn’t run it for at least a few years.
Hey Bob,
Do you have any digital versions of these photos? This was one of my favorite cars and I would love to see it in action.
Will Market Street Railway receive any status reports re the cars being rebuilt?
That think looks kinda like a T3 with the double headlights it has. Neat.
For anyone who’s curious, I have a photo of the interior of 1006, as it looked in 2007.
Were the three torpedoes already in use sent to Morrison Knudsen like the Philly cars they opened the “F” line with? They don’t have the tags over the doors and they’re not quite as well rehabbed, who re-did them, and to what extent.
Also, do we know whether this contract will have the doors properly sealed? Operators dread having to operate the current double enders in the winter as the gaps around the doors are so wide that with doors on both sides the heaters can’t begin to warm the cabs and the operator is frozen to the bone by the time he or she is able to get out into something else.