BROOKVILLE EQUIPMENT HAS STREETCAR FEVER.
1/12/2011 – Brookville, PA This past year has been one of many colorful and unique streetcars on BROOKVILLE’s production floor. San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority’s (MUNI) had contracted Brookville for two separate street car rehabilitation programs on part of its fleet of light rail vehicles. BROOKVILLE completed the restoration of MUNI’s Car #1, a 1912 streetcar that will return to service in time for the rail line’s centennial celebration. The car was built by W.L. Holman and placed into service in 1912. Prior to that date, early 20th Century American transit systems were privately-owned, often part of electric utilities. As a reaction to graft and corruption on the part of the city’s privately-owned streetcar company, United Railroads of San Francisco (URR), and as a reflection of the Progressive Era then sweeping California, San Franciscans passed a bond to build their own public streetcar system, the Municipal Railway, first of its kind in a major American city. The car was initially used on the “A-Geary” line, running from Kearny Street to Golden Gate Park via Geary and 10th Avenue.
The completely restored Car Number One was shipped to San Francisco at the end of December 2010 after more than 14 months of restoration work here at BROOKVILLE.
Along with Streetcar One, San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Authority also has a 16 Historic PCC Streetcar rehabilitation project with BROOKVILLE. The project entails 11 former New Jersey Transit cars, SFMTA Car 1040, and four double-ended PCC’s undergoing rehabilitation at BROOKVILLE. Each car had its own “rehab course of action” required for it to be prepared for the San Francisco streets again, so the work on each varied according to its needs.
ROOKVILLE’s skilled workforce has developed many unique skills required to complete the rehabilitation and restoration work required for projects like the SFMTA has brought to BROOKVILLE. It takes meticulous engineering and drafting work to assemble the equipment lists and drawings, a sleuth-like purchasing department to find compatible components to these historic streetcars, and an attention-detailed production staff to assure every metal rivet and screw are installed to the specification.
For more information, please contact Joel McNeil of Brookville Equipment Corporation at 814-849-2000 or jmcneil@brookvilleecorp.com.
Headquartered in Brookville, PA, in the scenic foothills of the Allegheny forests, Brookville Equipment Corporation is a world-class American manufacturer of innovative, powered transportation solutions for mining/tunneling, rail freight, and passenger transportation. Brookville products are custom designed to the highest engineering standards for quality, safety, and environmental responsibility. You can “Believe in a Brookville!”