The last of almost 5,000 PCC-type streetcars to be built in North America is on its way to rebirth. Streetcar No. 1040, delivered to Muni new in 1952 as the final production streetcar of its kind built in the U.S., left Muni’s Metro East facility December 4 en route by truck to Pennsylvania, where it will be completely rehabilitated by Brookville Equipment Company.
The extensive deterioration of the streetcar, evident in these photos, is testimony to what happens when streetcars are not protected from the elements during their periods out of service. This is why Market Street Railway has advocated so persistently to provide covered storage for the most vulnerable streetcars at their Geneva Division home, a project that is finally getting underway, with completion scheduled for next year.
Meanwhile, No. 1040 is slated for a careful restoration befitting its historic status as the last built of its kind. Market Street Railway has asked that the “Golden Glow” bulb and reflector headlight be preserved (with a more powerful halogen bulb to meet current standards) and that its unusual seating with the conductor’s seat opposite the rear door also be preserved. (This class of cars originally required a two-person crew by city ordinance, a requirement lifted within two years of Car No.
1040’s arrival.)
No. 1040 was pushed onto the transport trailer by vintage 1916 Muni work car No. C1, itself restored in part by Market Street Railway volunteers. No. 1040 is due to be returned to San Francisco in ready-to-run restored condition by mid-October 2010. It is the second of 16 PCCs being renovated or upgraded under the contract with Brookville.
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