2013-2022: Present Times and Recent History
Contents:
Those Cars from 50 years ago (series)
398 and 1235
BART's 50th Anniversary
Addendum (click on the links below):
Ad Wraps
Those Cars from 50 years ago (series)
398 and 1235
BART's 50th Anniversary
Addendum (click on the links below):
Ad Wraps
Those Cars from 50 years ago
From A Car to B2 car, Car 108 to 1818: 50 years of Service
This year, Bay Area Rapid Transit celebrates its golden anniversary, fifty years of revenue service between Oakland and Fremont, CA. Amazingly, this also includes the continuous half-century service of the aluminum-bodied A and B cars originally built by Rohr Industries of Chula Vista, CA.
As seen in this Squier Collection slide, two car trains were the common of the first months of BART’s revenue operation. On Day 1, there were just two B cars rolling in service, 503 and 504.
The lead car pictured here, A car 108, has a storied 50 years of service. The 108 was the first production A car built, and shipped from Chula Vista on February 8, 1972. A few months later, it was on display at the public Open House for Powell St station (also making it perhaps one of the first Rohr cars to traverse the tube). Between 1980 and 1981, Hayward shop personnel converted car 108 into a B car, and renumbered it to car 818. This conversion was part of a program to increase the size of the B car fleet for operational requirements, alongside addressing a number of A cars with defective and damaged cabs. An additional mid-life refurbishment, by Adtranz in Pittsburg, CA, resulted in the renumbering of the 818 into B2 car 1818. Although it’s hard to tell, this B2 car may have also played a role in the film Pursuit of Happyness, in which the main character, Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), attempts to skip a taxi fare and escape on BART, only to have the doors shut on his hand, and him losing an expensive bone-density scanner. The car in this film was likely 1818, but it may have been a similarly historic car 1810. Now at fifty years of service, this B2 car is still seen rolling around the system, most recently on the Red Line (Richmond – Millbrae – SFO) and Orange Line (Richmond – Berryessa (including MacArthur to Fremont, just like a half century ago)).
.
This year, Bay Area Rapid Transit celebrates its golden anniversary, fifty years of revenue service between Oakland and Fremont, CA. Amazingly, this also includes the continuous half-century service of the aluminum-bodied A and B cars originally built by Rohr Industries of Chula Vista, CA.
As seen in this Squier Collection slide, two car trains were the common of the first months of BART’s revenue operation. On Day 1, there were just two B cars rolling in service, 503 and 504.
The lead car pictured here, A car 108, has a storied 50 years of service. The 108 was the first production A car built, and shipped from Chula Vista on February 8, 1972. A few months later, it was on display at the public Open House for Powell St station (also making it perhaps one of the first Rohr cars to traverse the tube). Between 1980 and 1981, Hayward shop personnel converted car 108 into a B car, and renumbered it to car 818. This conversion was part of a program to increase the size of the B car fleet for operational requirements, alongside addressing a number of A cars with defective and damaged cabs. An additional mid-life refurbishment, by Adtranz in Pittsburg, CA, resulted in the renumbering of the 818 into B2 car 1818. Although it’s hard to tell, this B2 car may have also played a role in the film Pursuit of Happyness, in which the main character, Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith), attempts to skip a taxi fare and escape on BART, only to have the doors shut on his hand, and him losing an expensive bone-density scanner. The car in this film was likely 1818, but it may have been a similarly historic car 1810. Now at fifty years of service, this B2 car is still seen rolling around the system, most recently on the Red Line (Richmond – Millbrae – SFO) and Orange Line (Richmond – Berryessa (including MacArthur to Fremont, just like a half century ago)).
.
|
|
|
398 and 1235
|
A bit dirty but still rolling, C1 car 398 and A2 Car 1235 rest under an overcast sky in Hayward Yard. The C1 entered service 33 years ago, after final assembly roughly a mile away in Union City. A sizeable portion of the initial 150 C1 car fleet has been scrapped (over 1/3), and about 1/3 remain in service. Sister units 397 and 399 have been scrapped.
The A2 car, 1235, entered service in 1973 as A car 235, and was rebuilt by Adtranz in 2002. The sleek, and perhaps timeless, lines of the A car are still evident a half century later. The 398 shows “scars” from the old barcode and captive fleet sticker, after removal over a decade ago. The 1235 still has a hint of the old KarTrak style ACI plate, dating back to the 1970s (and removed approximately 30 years ago). June 4, 2022 |
|
BART's 50th Anniversary Party, 9/10/2022
BART's 50th anniversary party, a day early from the true 50th, was not one to be missed. It was an honor to play a part in it, at the "busiest and best table" (as said by many) of the event.
A spare A car cab was mounted as a photo booth, alongside a display of the track, third rail, and ATC system.
A spare A car cab was mounted as a photo booth, alongside a display of the track, third rail, and ATC system.
6/6/22, 10/8/22
