Welcome to the BARTchives, the unofficial BART history website. This is intended to be a simple educational archive (BART + Archive = BARTchive) of all the neat historical tidbits of what makes BART unique, with a particular focus on the legacy fleet.
BART is a testament to the people of the San Francisco Bay Area. Following a decade-long national decline in public transportation, the voters of the San Francisco Bay Area decided to tax themselves to design the most advanced rapid transit system ever built. BART, in turn, started a renaissance of public transportation – the movement following the opening of BART has spurred the creation of new modes and new technologies in public transportation throughout the United States, and to extent, the world, alongside igniting the establishment of different transit agencies throughout the Bay Area.
Early reports and articles colored BART via various names. They include statements such as the following:
As a lifelong BART rider, I have spent the last six years purposely riding and documenting each car in the fleet. From my research, the research of others, official reports, and various documents, I present to you, the viewer, an informative and local view on the greatest, and simultaneously most troubled, heavy rail system in the West Coast.
BART is a testament to the people of the San Francisco Bay Area. Following a decade-long national decline in public transportation, the voters of the San Francisco Bay Area decided to tax themselves to design the most advanced rapid transit system ever built. BART, in turn, started a renaissance of public transportation – the movement following the opening of BART has spurred the creation of new modes and new technologies in public transportation throughout the United States, and to extent, the world, alongside igniting the establishment of different transit agencies throughout the Bay Area.
Early reports and articles colored BART via various names. They include statements such as the following:
- "The largest single public works project ever undertaken in the United States by the local citizenry"
- "One of the greatest projects in construction history"
- "The most imaginative and aggressive effort ever made by an American urban region to solve its transportation problem"
- "An example for the Nation"
- “Every Mile a Miracle”
- “All Aboard BART, the Commuter’s Dream”
- “America’s all-new railway”
- “The BART Story: A New Age for Urban Transit”
- “A bright new day for the Bay Area”
- "Luxury on wheels"
- "The Impossible Dream"
- "The Silver Fleet"
- "The most comfortable fleet of trains in the world" (Western Construction, April 1973)
- "Rohring like a BART out of hell" (1972 - original cars built by Rohr Industries)
- "The first totally new mass transit system since 1907" (From The BART Design Car, Sundberg-Ferar)
- "Start of the new age of electric railroads in the United States" (From Bullets to BART)
- "A record-breaking project; An impressive engineering achievement; Architecture at its best; No bed of roses" (Western Construction, April 1973)
As a lifelong BART rider, I have spent the last six years purposely riding and documenting each car in the fleet. From my research, the research of others, official reports, and various documents, I present to you, the viewer, an informative and local view on the greatest, and simultaneously most troubled, heavy rail system in the West Coast.
What is BART?
The builder of the first HO scale BART cars provided a primer on BART when they released HO scale kits including: the BART A & B car set, extra B car, Station kit, and 9 Automobile-pak. This is a digital transcription of the BART introductory paper in the train set:
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September 11, 1972 opened up a new era in American rail transportation with the first operation of the new San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit system. A harbinger of exciting things to come, 10 years in planning, development, and construction.
BART has, without a doubt, received the widest publicity ever given a train or system. It is the rare person who has not heard about BART and would not recognize the distinctive modern design of its rail cars. Trains made up of 3 to 10, 72 passenger, car units speed along at 80 m.p.h., providing space-age comfort and safety (twice the average speed of other urban systems). |
MacArthur station, 1970s
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Automation is a key word at BART, everything is automated from ticketing to traffic control. Every train has an attendant in the cab, although not controlling it [sic], to keep watch and monitor certain train functions. Up to 105 trains can operate on the 150 miles of track running with headways as close as 90 seconds. There are no track crossovers or grade crossings. The system is almost equally divided between surface, elevated [aerial], and underground [subway] construction including the [almost] 4 mile tube under San Francisco Bay.
Interior, 1970s
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Comfort and convenience are the alluring elements to attract passengers. BART with its lowest seating ratio to car length, provides stretch-out comfort in a tastefully appointed, fully carpeted interior, devoid of advertising [sic]. Seats are upholstered in fabric and vinyl and cantilevered from the side wall leaving the floor completely unobstructed. Deep tinted picture windows are a hallmark. Thirty-four stations are individually designed, many brightly color-coordinated and many containing works of art. It truly is a pleasure to ride, every aspect of the system has been given its own attention, to this end.
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These electric powered trains should truly effect every U.S. rail passenger service designed from now on.
The 70 foot car bodies are made of extruded aluminum pieces with no rivets or fasteners visible. The cab sections are of molded fiberglass similar to modern boat hulls. The ride is comfortable, quiet, and vibration free. Air suspension is utilized in conjunction with cushioned, welded rail.
These electric powered trains can be expected to deeply affect every future U.S. rail passenger service, as well they should.
The 70 foot car bodies are made of extruded aluminum pieces with no rivets or fasteners visible. The cab sections are of molded fiberglass similar to modern boat hulls. The ride is comfortable, quiet, and vibration free. Air suspension is utilized in conjunction with cushioned, welded rail.
These electric powered trains can be expected to deeply affect every future U.S. rail passenger service, as well they should.
The Legacy Fleet: 1970 - Present
The original, pre-rebuild Rohr Cars (1970-2002)
The rebuilt Rohr Cars (1998-Present)
The C Cars
C1s: In service from 3/28/1988 to 5/15/2023
C2s: In service from 1995 to 2020
C1s: In service from 3/28/1988 to 5/15/2023
C2s: In service from 1995 to 2020
The Fleet of the Future: 2016 - Present
BART through the years
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The Book - Legacy Fleet: The Story of BART's Old Cars
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The BARTchives is quickly turning into a major endeavor - a detailed book covering the history of the BART legacy fleet, from conception to decommissioning. The book explains the design process, construction, operation, refinement, refurbishment, and retirement of the fleet, using thousands of documents, hundreds of hours of analysis, and dozens of personal stories.
The book will serve as a memoir of these cars, and hopefully serve as the next volume of text following the excellent books on BART’s predecessors, including the Key System, Interurban Electric Railway, and Sacramento Northern. Being a labor of love, I have no firm date for publishing and printing. I reckon I am about one third the way done as of May 2023. |
Donations
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If you found this site informative, please consider a donation to the Western Railway Museum's Rapid Transit History Center (RTHC) project. I can personally vouch for the efforts of this organization, not only for their expansive BART archive, but their project to save these very cars.
Personally, I think the BART preservation job is probably the most difficult, and most symbolic rail transit preservation job faced today. These cars were the representation of a new wave of rail transit in the United States, and now, after over a half century of service, they are on the way out. Rail transit museums often focus on pre-1950 transit, but time marches on. To remain relevant to younger generations, the more recent past must also be preserved. We will never again get a chance to preserve these railcars, which revolutionized rail transportation, not only in the United States, but also influenced the development of rapid transit systems throughout the world.
Personally, I think the BART preservation job is probably the most difficult, and most symbolic rail transit preservation job faced today. These cars were the representation of a new wave of rail transit in the United States, and now, after over a half century of service, they are on the way out. Rail transit museums often focus on pre-1950 transit, but time marches on. To remain relevant to younger generations, the more recent past must also be preserved. We will never again get a chance to preserve these railcars, which revolutionized rail transportation, not only in the United States, but also influenced the development of rapid transit systems throughout the world.
Videos
If you would like to view more BART trains in video form, please consider taking a look at my YouTube site (ATP Transit).
BART Scenes
Old and new at Hayward Yard, 2021
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BART and snow, 2023
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Live BART Map
My favorite live BART map is "Where is BART?"
BART at 50
In 2023, about 350 of BART's original 450 car A and B car fleet made to about 50 years since their original construction (and many of them with 50 years of service). This is a record to be celebrated - and a testament to all those who designed, constructed, rebuilt, operated, and maintained them for the past half century.
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BART at 50: Documents, Photos, Articles, etc
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Bay Area Transit - Outside of BART
Two entire worlds of Bay Area Ferryboats - the streamlined Inti' heads out to San Francisco, while the old Klamath undergoes restoration work.
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There are dozens of interesting transit agencies around the San Francisco Bay Area, alongside BART. BART is no island and the pioneering spirit of the system resulted in a new age of public transit in the San Francisco Bay Area. The likes of which included investments in bus, rail, and ferry transportation systems.
As of today, there are three ferry pages. Coming soon are pages on: Amtrak California, CalTrain, ACE, and SMART. |
Recent Edits:
6/6/23 Updated C1 cars (More cars scrapped)
6/6/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (More cars scrapped)
6/4/23 Updated A cars (More A car pictures)
6/4/23 Updated B2 cars (Added general details about B2 cars)
6/2/23 Updated C2 cars (Added Regional Measure 2 cars)
6/2/23 Updated C1 cars (349 scrapped, added Regional Measure 2 cars)
6/2/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (349 scrapped)
5/31/23 Updated Home Page (Coming Soon: Legacy Fleet: The Story of BART's Old Cars)
5/31/23 Updated C1 cars (More cars scrapped)
5/31/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (More cars scrapped)
5/28/23 Updated B cars (Added many more pictures of the original B cars in the 1970s and 1980s)
5/28/23 Updated C1 cars (More cars scrapped. Final C1 day in service was 5/15/2023)
5/28/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (More cars scrapped)
5/22/23 Added article: "Farewell C cars, Farewell 432"
5/19/23 Updated C1 cars (No C cars appear to be scheduled for revenue service)
5/16/23 Updated Legacy Fleet (Fleet Size)
5/16/23 Updated C1 cars (Updated final C1 cars left in service)
5/16/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (Added 3 more cars on roster)
5/16/23 Updated All A2 Cars (1205 in collision with pickup 5/15/23)
5/6/23 BART Car Number Plate Owners: Want a picture of your car? Send a message!
5/6/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (Pictures and car 394)
5/6/23 Updated C1 cars (Updated C1 cars left in service)
5/4/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: BART Car 1902: Number Plate
5/2/23 Added CB Cars
4/29/23 Updated B2 Cars (Scrapped cars)
4/29/23 Updated All A2 cars (Lead and rear cars on first revenue train into Transbay Tube, 9/1974)
4/23/23 Added Final C1 cars left in service (Car-by-car look at the last C1 cars)
4/23/23 Updated A2 Cars (Details)
4/23/23 Updated D Cars (Pictures)
4/23/23 Updated E Cars (Pictures)
4/23/23 Updated B2 Cars (More car pics)
4/23/23 Updated C1 cars (More car pics)
4/23/23 Updated All A2 cars (More car pics)
4/22/23 Updated BART Car Plates (Added original A car Rohr builder's plate)
4/22/23 Updated C1 cars (Added more cars reported scrapped)
3/18/23 Updated C1 cars (Added more cars reported scrapped)
2/24/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: BART and snowy Diablo Range
2/19/23 Added BART on the Golden Gate Bridge
2/19/23 Updated A cars (A car 128 delivery photo)
2/18/23 Updated Lab Cars (Images from 1965 and Scrapping in 1980s)
2/18/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: Historic Article: How Key System's Emblem Evolved
1/29/23 Updated 1972-1982 History (R line opening 1/29/1973)
1/29/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: Celebrating the opening of the R line (1973-2023)
1/28/23 Updated A Condensed History of the BART Fleet (Pictures)
1/28/23 Updated Rebuilding (Added flowchart)
1/25/23 Added BART Car Plates: All about the different plates and plaques on BART cars
1/21/23 Updated C1 cars (Added more cars reported scrapped)
1/15/23 Updated Frequently Asked Questions (Added PM details)
1/14/23 Updated C1 cars (Adding C1 cars left in service)
1/14/23 Updated A Line
1/13/23 Added George and Gracie: BART Platform Voices
1/10/23 Updated C1 cars (Adding C1 cars left in service)
1/2/23 Added Construction/Production - How Fleet of the Future Cars are Made
Prior site updates are listed here.
6/6/23 Updated C1 cars (More cars scrapped)
6/6/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (More cars scrapped)
6/4/23 Updated A cars (More A car pictures)
6/4/23 Updated B2 cars (Added general details about B2 cars)
6/2/23 Updated C2 cars (Added Regional Measure 2 cars)
6/2/23 Updated C1 cars (349 scrapped, added Regional Measure 2 cars)
6/2/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (349 scrapped)
5/31/23 Updated Home Page (Coming Soon: Legacy Fleet: The Story of BART's Old Cars)
5/31/23 Updated C1 cars (More cars scrapped)
5/31/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (More cars scrapped)
5/28/23 Updated B cars (Added many more pictures of the original B cars in the 1970s and 1980s)
5/28/23 Updated C1 cars (More cars scrapped. Final C1 day in service was 5/15/2023)
5/28/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (More cars scrapped)
5/22/23 Added article: "Farewell C cars, Farewell 432"
5/19/23 Updated C1 cars (No C cars appear to be scheduled for revenue service)
5/16/23 Updated Legacy Fleet (Fleet Size)
5/16/23 Updated C1 cars (Updated final C1 cars left in service)
5/16/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (Added 3 more cars on roster)
5/16/23 Updated All A2 Cars (1205 in collision with pickup 5/15/23)
5/6/23 BART Car Number Plate Owners: Want a picture of your car? Send a message!
5/6/23 Updated Final C1 cars left in service (Pictures and car 394)
5/6/23 Updated C1 cars (Updated C1 cars left in service)
5/4/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: BART Car 1902: Number Plate
5/2/23 Added CB Cars
4/29/23 Updated B2 Cars (Scrapped cars)
4/29/23 Updated All A2 cars (Lead and rear cars on first revenue train into Transbay Tube, 9/1974)
4/23/23 Added Final C1 cars left in service (Car-by-car look at the last C1 cars)
4/23/23 Updated A2 Cars (Details)
4/23/23 Updated D Cars (Pictures)
4/23/23 Updated E Cars (Pictures)
4/23/23 Updated B2 Cars (More car pics)
4/23/23 Updated C1 cars (More car pics)
4/23/23 Updated All A2 cars (More car pics)
4/22/23 Updated BART Car Plates (Added original A car Rohr builder's plate)
4/22/23 Updated C1 cars (Added more cars reported scrapped)
3/18/23 Updated C1 cars (Added more cars reported scrapped)
2/24/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: BART and snowy Diablo Range
2/19/23 Added BART on the Golden Gate Bridge
2/19/23 Updated A cars (A car 128 delivery photo)
2/18/23 Updated Lab Cars (Images from 1965 and Scrapping in 1980s)
2/18/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: Historic Article: How Key System's Emblem Evolved
1/29/23 Updated 1972-1982 History (R line opening 1/29/1973)
1/29/23 Added article to the Two Bagger: Celebrating the opening of the R line (1973-2023)
1/28/23 Updated A Condensed History of the BART Fleet (Pictures)
1/28/23 Updated Rebuilding (Added flowchart)
1/25/23 Added BART Car Plates: All about the different plates and plaques on BART cars
1/21/23 Updated C1 cars (Added more cars reported scrapped)
1/15/23 Updated Frequently Asked Questions (Added PM details)
1/14/23 Updated C1 cars (Adding C1 cars left in service)
1/14/23 Updated A Line
1/13/23 Added George and Gracie: BART Platform Voices
1/10/23 Updated C1 cars (Adding C1 cars left in service)
1/2/23 Added Construction/Production - How Fleet of the Future Cars are Made
Prior site updates are listed here.
BART in brief: “BART had gone too far, the critics, said, and history proved their argument was partially correct. Others argued that BART had to plow fresh ground because the industry was stagnant, and they were also partially correct.”
The BARTchives is a nationally recognized site on the history of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, with a focus on the legacy fleet. Contributions are welcome - please see the About page.
