Rapid Transit and PCC Trolley Cars

Dallas



When highway US-75 was rebuilt north of Dallas, in the late '90s, the design incorporated a tunnel, beneath the road. This tunnel was the foundation for a new rapid transit system, stretching from central Dallas to the northern and southern suburbs. Above ground, the system used abandoned or under-utilized freight railroad lines, rebuilt with upgraded double track rights of way. Originally, due to the speeds possible on the private trackage, the system planned to use 75-foot long, single body rolling stock. However, a study showed that articulated units could handle the same number of passengers, while being one foot narrower. Thus, DART, Dallas's rapid transit authority, commissioned the design of an articulated Light Rail Vehicle capable of high speeds, like heavy rail equipment, but still as "maneuverable" as other LRVs.


DART_LRV
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TypeArticulated LRV
OperatorDallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
Year2000
Numbers100 - 179
Notes The current DART light rail system consists of two routes. The Red Line runs from the city of Plano, to Westmoreland Rd, in South Dallas. The Blue Line goes from Garland to Ledbetter Drive. Several more lines are planned, but funding is currently a problem.
Download These are included in my Traffic library. To get it, please go to the Traffic Library Download Page.

Chicago




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Type"Chicago Six Door" PCC (Blue Devil)
OperatorChicago Surface Lines
Year1936/1945/1953
Numbers4002 - 4051
7002 - 7034
Notes The largest fleet of PCCs in the US belonged to CSL. These "Blue Devils" were the first production order, after two experimentals in 1933. These cars were unique in that they had six doors on one side of the car, three in the front for entry, and three more for exit. Also, these were two-man cars (most PCCs required only a driver) with a conductor's station near the center doors.

All 84 cars were built by St Louis Car Company, which would become the leading manufacturer of PCCs. They were numbered in two separate series, for accounting purposes. Each group was assigned to a different CSL predecessor company.

In 1945, the Blue Devil paint scheme was modified, with the addition of nose stripes, as shown in the second set of images.

By 1953, the Chicago Transit Authority had taken over CSL's operation. In that year, they converted the Blue Devil cars to single man operation, and re-painted them in their "Everglades Green" paint scheme. The conversion involved removal of one of the center doors (leaving a still respectable five).
USER_BMP {LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\CSL4002L.dib;LABEL=Chicago Surface Lines;GT=ES;EPOCHE=2-3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=L;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}

{LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\CSL4002R.dib;LABEL=Chicago Surface Lines;GT=ES;EPOCHE=2-3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=R;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}
Download This zip file contains the CSL PCCs. Winzip Logo

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Boston



Boston had a fleet of nearly 350 PCCs. All but one of them were built by Pullman - Standard, at the Osgood Bradley plant in Worcester, MA. 175 of them were built during the war, and eleven of these are still in service, on the Ashmont - Mattapan shuttle.

Boston's PCCs had to operate in the US's first subway. The platform arrangement required that the cars have doors on the left-hand side, this was unusual for an American PCC.

Also, unlike Chicago's cars (which only had emergency towing hooks) Boston's P-S PCC's had automatic couplers, and operated in trains of 1 to 3 cars.


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TypeBoston "Tremont" PCC
OperatorBoston MTA
Year1940
Numbers3002 - 3021
NOTES These were Boston's first PCCs, except for the test unit 3001 (which was known as the Queen Mary). Their first assignment was on the Tremont line, and that assignment gave them the name "Tremont" cars. They, like most of Boston's cars, used the air-electric control system. Some of the unique features of this class are the original style upright windshield and the standard second headlight at the front of the roof.
USER_BMP {LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\MTA3002L.dib;LABEL=Boston MTA "Tremont" PCC;GT=ES;EPOCHE=3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=L;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}

{LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\MTA3002R.dib;LABEL=Boston MTA "Tremont" PCC;GT=ES;EPOCHE=3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=R;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}

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TypeBoston "Wartime" PCC
OperatorBoston MTA
Year1944
Numbers3022 - 3196
3222 - 3271
NOTES These were modifications of the Tremont design, intended for quick, cheap, and efficient production during the war years. Ironically, representatives of this austere class are still on the road today. Later members of the class came equipped with a false celestory on the roof, enclosing the ventilators and trolley pole base.
USER_BMP {LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\MTA3022L.dib;LABEL=Boston MTA "Wartime" PCC;GT=ES;EPOCHE=3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=L;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}

{LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\MTA3022R.dib;LABEL=Boston MTA "Wartime" PCC;GT=ES;EPOCHE=3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=R;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}

{LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\MTA3222L.dib;LABEL=Boston MTA "Wartime" PCC;GT=ES;EPOCHE=3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=L;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}

{LocoStart}FILE=[FILE LOCATION]\MTA3222R.dib;LABEL=Boston MTA "Wartime" PCC;GT=ES;EPOCHE=3;ULAND=USA;OL=J;OLH=11;RICHTUNG=R;VMAX=5;EXEMPLARE=1;ZG=63;SELECTED=1;{LocoEnd}
Download This zip file contains the Boston PCCs. Winzip Logo
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