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The overcast seems like it’s been with us forever, but here’s a sight to brighten the scene: two of the brightest streetcars in the F-line fleet passing on The Embarcadero the other day. Milan tram No. 1811 wears the yellow and white livery this “Ventotto” class originally wore (“Ventotto”=28,for the year, 1928, when the first ones went into service). PCC No. 1076 evokes the tropics in its aqua and flamingo orange paint job, jarring for Washington DC until you read the story behind it.
No. 1076 is now the only one of the 1070 class that hasn’t yet been sent to Brookville Equipment Company for rewiring. This class all had unreliable door motors after previous work had been done by Brookville on them, but Muni’s shops substituted never-used but vintage door motors from a stash they acquired from Pittsburgh when that city abandoned its last PCCs. The doors on 1076 have operated very well ever since, while Muni continues to have problems getting the new, “modern” door systems its engineer and Brookville selected for the remaining cars in this class to work reliably. (Market Street Railway has urged Muni to NOT change 1076’s door motors when it goes, as it must, to Brookville for badly needing rewiring, and to strongly consider going back to the traditional door motor system for PCCs.)
I was wondering why the cars that had been to Brookeville weren’t back to revenue service.
Because we’re a member-supported organization, we generally pass news like this along to our members first, which in this case was a couple of months ago in our newsletter, Inside Track. We urge all fans of the F-line to join in supporting us; the newsletter part of our “thanks” for that.
It would be a pity to see reliable, wiring problems aside, streetcars as 1076 and 1077 Birmingham, sidelined when they return, when they are so badly needed on the street.
My favorite car representing my favorite system, Washington DC. On a recent 4-day visit to San Francisco, it seems that car (and 1053) rarely slept, perhaps taking only “cat naps” at the carbarn. Those two are true “runners.” Hopefully, one of the other PCCs to come will be painted in the original classic Washington scheme.
If the traditional vintage door motors work, as the entry states, and MUNI has a “stash” of them from Pittsburgh, I suggest MUNI use them!! Don’t let Brookville install something new.
I agree If the original motors work and have a proven success record. Convert all to original motors. Brookville wanted to sell a product that has proven faulty. Just because the cars are rebuilt. Some things should stay traditional and simply overhauled and kept reliable. Totally new is not always best.
Bryan