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Light Rail Boeing Bombardier Breda@ PCC Car Siemens Sumitomo UTDC |
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Unofficial Sites Oregan Electric Railway Museum |
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In the early 1970's there were very view streetcar systems remaining. The United States government was beginning to get interested in smaller rail systems. There had been on and off support for heavy rail systems, but the streetcar systems were mostly ignored. The following cities had streetcars:
All but New Orleans were operating PCC cars which were getting older and older. The Federal came to the rescue with the United States Standard Light Rail Vehicle1. As the car was being developed interest turned into disinterest. Only San Francisco and Boston ultimately bought the car. No start up system (i.e. San Diego Trolley) was interested.
Boston received the first batch of cars. It was a simple replacement of existing PCC cars, so in theory, it should not have been too complicated. In practice it was a very different. The cars were heavy, they derailed, they stalled doors got stuck. And they were never reliable. Boston ultimately did not even accept all of the cars that it ordered.
In San Francisco, things were even more complicated. The Boeing cars were necessary for MUNI to use the upper level of the Market St. Subway. It was not a simple replacement. As in Boston, the cars have never been reliable. It took MUNI years to convert its operation from PCC to LRV. (Only to have PCC come back anyway). MUNI even got 30 cars that Boston rejected
The last USSLRV to inter service was probably 1983. By 1998, only 15 year later, the cars were being replaced with new Breda cars. What about the other cities with streetcars?
El Paso: Service ended in 1972. Nine PCC cars (ex San Diego) are supposed to be in some warehouse. They may someday end up back in San Diego.
New Orleans, LA: The 1920s era streetcars remain in service.
Cleveland, OH: PCCs were replaced in the Mid 1980s with Breda built cars. Some of the PCC cars made it to Buffalo, NY. They may return as a historic operation.
Pittsburgh, PA: Some of they system was rebuilt and equipped with Siemens cars. Other parts were slowly cut back (but preserved). The last PCC cars ran in 1998. I hear that they were all picked up by museums.
Philadelphia, PA: Part of the system received new cars to replace the PCCs in 1982. Other parts of the system received nothing. In 1992, the last PCC car line were replaced with buses. The tracks and wires are still in place, but none of the cars. about 16 of the cars were thoroughly rebuilt for use in San Francisco on F-Market & Wharves.
Newark, NJ: As of Mid 2001, the PCC cars are about to be replaced with new LRVs. As these PCC cars are standard gauge, they will have no trouble finding new homes.
Boston, MA: The Mattapan Shuttle continues to run PCC cars. The Boeing cars have all been replaced with newer equipment.
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1300 Series cars were originally designed for Boston but never delivered. MUNI took 30 of these cars. They have fewer seats and fake wood trim. Boeing left the streetcar business after completing the 1300 series cars for MUNI. The bad publicity was probably more than it could take.
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