It’s almost two years late, but the final PCC streetcar in the 16-car rehabilitation contract with Brookville Equipment Company is back in San Francisco, unloaded Wednesday, September 19 at Muni Metro East (Cesar Chavez and Illinois Streets).
No. 1011 was unloaded at 3:30 p.m. following its journey on a trailer from Pennsylvania, following the southern route through New Mexico and Arizona. It came off the trailer appropriately signed F MARKET/CAR HOUSE.
We’ve talked about a partial reason for the delay — installation of a different door mechanism — but with that done and No. 1011 here, that Brookville contract is wrapped up. Brookville is one of the companies expected to submit proposals this month for the next PCC contract — renovation of the original 16 F-line cars (Nos. 1050-1063, plus 1007, 1010, and 1015), which have now had almost 20 years of far more intensive service than anticipated, owning to the great popularity of the F-line.
No. 1011 will go through the usual “burn-in”: 1000 miles of testing to ensure it’s operating to specification. Based on past experience that could take up to a month, after which this beautiful “White Front” livery honoring our namesake, Muni’s erstwhile competitor Market Street Railway Company, will grace the F-line, fulfilling a dream born at that privately-owned company 75 years ago: being able to buy the very latest technology, streamlined PCC-type streetcars, to compete with Muni. Just like the renovation of No. 1011, the dream arrives late … but in this case, one look at this beautiful car says “better late than never!”
