[PRCo] Re: Ancient trolley cars

[Jerry MATT Matsick]

PCC cars was it the technical/mechanical side or nostalgia that kept these
beautiful cars running (even today they look great).   The Kawasaki in Philly,
is that the only city using them?
Jerry Matsick


-------------- Original message from John Swindler <j_swindler at hotmail.com>: -------------- 

After about 15 years it's time for a rebuilding. That hasn't changed much in 
> past 100 years. 
> 
> John 
> 
> > To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] Ancient trolley cars> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:17:42 -0400> > This is an open letter to Rich Allman and Ed Lybarger ...> > I recently became aware that the Philly Kawasaki or K-cars (the 9000s > and 100s on Red Arrow) have lasted in service longer than any PCC > cars in Pittsburgh except for perhaps the 1700s.> > Now let's address the 1700s... What day in 1948 or 1949 did the > first one enter revenue service, Ed? And what day in 1999 did the > last one go out of service? Did 1700 get a full 50 years of > service? Did any car get 50 years?> > Now the 1600s. Seems to be that they were out of service about > 1972? Correct? That is about 27 years? Aside from the 1700, > they lasted longer than any other Pittsburgh PCC cars.> > Rich: What month did 9000 go into public service in 
> Philadelphia in > 1980? Has it passed the 28 year mark yet? Is it in service? > 
> When did the last car go into servi! 
> ce?> > One thing is certain, it is older than any PCC that ever ran on the > 
> streets in Washington, Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, Detroit, > Montreal, 
> Chicago, Vancouver, Minneapolis, St.Louis, San Diego, > Birmingham, Cincinnati, 
> Kansas City.> > The only PCCs that I can think of that have run longer than a 
> K-car > are those many times rebuilt war-time cars in Boston (65 years old > 
> this year), a couple of all-electrics in Toronto in excursion > service, the F 
> line fleet in San Francisco that is pushing 60 years > old, and the El Paso cars 
> that got up to about 38 years and the > Pittsburgh Westinghouse 1700s that got 
> to 50 years and a bunch of > crap cars that SEPTA was running after the GOH 
> program. I am not > counting the current cars on Girard because they do not have 
> PCC > trucks and the electrical components are all new and most of the body > 
> parts are all new ... I count them as "budget new cars." > 
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