QUITE A LINEUP—Brookville Equipment Company, which has renovated almost all of Muni’s 32 active PCC streetcars, held a special open house to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The family-owned company started out making mining locomotives and equipment, but has grown its business to include both vintage streetcar renovation and new streetcar production. Pictured here at the open house are two “Liberty” modern low-floor streetcars (the one on the left bound for Milwaukee, the one on the right for Oklahoma City) and two Muni PCCs, incoming 1058 in green and almost-finished 1061 in red. One of the attendees, Market Street Railway member Jack Demnyan, atook this shot.
Story and photos by Jack Demnyan
Editor’s Note: MSR Member Jack Demnyan, from Pittsburgh, PA, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA.
Situated 100 miles northeast from Pittsburgh, PA, Brookville is a picturesque, small town making a big impact on the rail transit industry through its namesake resident—Brookville Equipment Corporation. This year marks its centennial anniversary, and so they hosted an invitation-only celebration on August 3rd, 2018.
Yours truly was part of a contingent representing the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum which is a half-hour’s drive south of Pittsburgh. The museum enjoys a warm rapport with Brookville Equipment; and in 2010 sent a 1929 vintage streetcar to them for an overhaul of its body and trucks.
A highlight of the event was touring Brookville’s impressive facilities and having a close look at their impeccable work. Tours were led by shop personnel. Their enthusiasm and pride in their craft was evident throughout as they showcased interesting tools and techniques used during the various stages of rebuilding or constructing an entirely new streetcar. Of note was their large “English wheel”, a rare tool used for bending metal which gives the PCC its familiar curves, as well as their paint booth—roomy enough to accommodate a locomotive, let alone a streetcar. Being a fan of Muni’s heritage fleet, I was particularly attentive to those cars currently there as part of the SFMTA contract.
TORPEDO IN PROGRESS—A view of Muni 1010 under repair. Muni has worked collaboratively with Market Street Railway to improve the accuracy of the colors used in the various tribute liveries. For example, the prototype for this livery, Muni’s 1939 “Magic Carpets” wore a shade called “Coca Cola Yellow” which is more orangey than the canary yellow seen here. We have provided Muni with the paint code for that color to be applied by Brookville. Similarly, we have provided Muni the correct code for the apple green for 1015, working with the Illinois Railway Museum (IRM), owner of prototype Illinois Terminal PCC 451. (The last torpedo, 1007, is slated to leave San Francisco for Brookville shortly, painted in its Red Arrow tribute livery. If the two genuine Red Arrow cars are restored, one or both will wear that livery, and 1007 will receive a new one. We’ll give you the chance to share your views on liveries if the Red Arrow restorations go forward.
By far, 1061 is the closest to completion out of the seven Muni cars presently there. In fact, it just emerged from the paint booth, resplendent in its Pacific Electric scheme. Body work on 1057 (Cincinnati) is nearly finished, while 1015 (Illinois Terminal) and 1010 (Muni 1940’s livery) are in earlier stages of the same treatment. 1058 (Chicago) is the newest arrival and is awaiting its turn in the shops, although Brookville wasted no time putting it on a pair of shop trucks. Former Septa “St. Louie” cars 18 and 21 are stored behind the shops on a pair of PCC trucks furnished by Muni while contract negotiations continue. Seeing them in person, it’s apparent that they will require some re-engineering to comply with Muni specifications.
Beyond the SFMTA rebuild program, Brookville is busy with other contracts. Work on El Paso’s order of six rebuilt and modernized PCCs is in full swing with the two cars already delivered and the third close to completion. Brookville also designed the Liberty Car, an award-winning, modern streetcar. Liberty Car orders for Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Tacoma, and Tempe were all in various stages of construction.
Muni’s commitment and Market Street Railway’s advocacy for attractive public transportation by operating historic transit vehicles is why “I’ve left my heart in San Francisco.” At the same time, I’m a proud Pennsylvanian knowing that, with every streetcar sent East, San Francisco entrusts a bit of its transit heart to Brookville Equipment Corporation, located in the heart of the Keystone State!
STRIPDOWN—When the cars enter the shop, they’re placed on jacks and then completely stripped inside. Double-end “torpedo” 1010, painted to honor Muni’s first streamliners, the 1939 “Magic Carpets”, has had its windows, lights, interior paneling, and wiring removed. Next step will be sandblasting, after which bad metal will be removed, including (for every car) the stepwells, which are susceptible to rust and wear.SKELETAL—This dramatic photo of double-end “torpedo” 1015 shows just how extensive renovations are on these cars. All the side panels are gone, the ribs have been repaired or replaced and structural integrity assured. New stepwells will be fabricated and roofs will be replaced or repaired as necessary. The roofs are a critical component of the cars and challenging to get exactly right because of the compound curves on the metal. The one-year warranty on the cars gives Muni the chance to check the quality of the work, including all systems as well as the body. One car, 1060, was sent back to Brookville for roof warranty repairs.BRIGHT SHINY OBJECT—After rusted metal is removed, new sheeting and other metal goes onto the cars. This was Cincinnati 1057—and will be again when its “bumblebee” paint and stripes are applied.ALMOST DONE—Muni PCC 1061, in a color-corrected Pacific Electric (Southern California) livery, has just emerged from the paint shop, back on shop trucks. Its rebuilt trucks will go underneath, finishing touches will be applied, and it will head home. All cars in this contract must receive 1000 miles of “burn-in” on Muni tracks before they’re accepted from Brookville for service. At that point, Muni riders get to enjoy that “new car smell” for a time.STILL TO COME?—More double-end streetcars are desperately needed for the E-line (and for operational flexibility on the F-line), so Muni purchased two ex-Red Arrow (Philadelphia Suburban) cars from the Shore Line Trolley Museum in Connecticut last year and moved them to Brookville. Modifications for Muni service require PCC-type trucks (which Muni has supplied) relocated under the car for proper clearance and to provide adequate operator space and a double rear door. The engineering challenges involved have led to a very high cost estimate, which Muni and Brookville were negotiating at press time to determine whether restoration of these very tired cars is economically feasible.NOT OURS—Besides Muni’s PCCs, Brookville is restoring seven of El Paso’s original PCCs for that Texas town. These cars, built in 1937, are starting their third life, since they originally operated for a dozen years in San Diego before heading to Texas.
