B Cars
Car No: 501-774; Built: 1970-1975; Service: 1970-2002; Builder: Rohr

B car 501, the first B car.

B cars were used in the middle of trains. These cars did not have automatic controls, and relied on lead and trailing units for their operation in revenue service. They ran under manual control as single units in the yard.

For very technical details on the original A and B cars, see the page Rohr: Background on the BART Car.

All surviving B cars were later rebuilt into B2 cars. See the page B2 cars for their lives after 2002, and the rebuilding page for information on the rebuilding processs.

In later years, certain A cars were converted into B cars (800 series). See the page A to B conversion page on the conversion story.

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General Details

Builder: Rohr Industries, Inc.
Location: Chula Vista Rohr Plant, Building 61
Years of Construction: 1970-1971 (Prototypes), 1971-1975 (Production)
Quantity: 274 (as built)
Length: 70 feet
Weight: 57,000 - 58,000 lbs
Seats: 72
Original Seat Manufacturer: American Seating Co (Cars 501-600), Companhia Teperman De Estofamentos (Brazil) (601-629)*
Propulsion: Westinghouse DC Chopper drive with 4 x 150 HP Westinghouse Model 1463 motors
Brakes: Hurst-Airheart (friction); dynamic brakes.
Motor Alternator: Safety Electric
HVAC: ThermoKing
Beeper: Federal Signal
Coupler: Wabco N3
Truck: LFM-Rockwell cast steel, model HPD-3

* Companhia Teperman De Estofamentos seats were replaced in the 1970s, due to quality issues.

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Prototype Cars (501-503)

The other 3 cars, B cars 501, 502, and 503 also survived, and were rebuilt in 1972. They were later rebuilt in 2000 by Adtranz, and remain rolling today as cars 1501, 1502, 1503.

Thus, 1501 is the oldest car left running on BART.

Click on each photo to learn more about the scenes.

Production Cars (504-774)

Car No: Year Built
504-549: 1972
550-623: 1973
624-723: 1974
724-774: 1975

Various car notes:
504 - First Production Car Car, 11th car built, delivered Feb 8, 72. Board of Directors agreed to preserve this car back in the 1970s. In service on day 1, 9/11/1972.
505 - Delivered Feb 8, 72, accepted by BART 4/21/1972. In service on day 1, 9/11/1972. Part of the Nixon Trainset.
511 - Destroyed by undercar equipment fire in Oakland West, Dec 12, 1979.
529 - Collision with Car 148, Concord yard 1/10/75, and rebuilt
537 - Electrical equipment cover caused TBT Fire, 1979
547 - Damaged in Transbay Tube Fire. Written off due to compromised almuninum carbody. Used for Full scale fire testing in December 1980 by McDonnell-Douglas in Anaheim, CA. Sold to Harley Metals Co, Los Angeles, CA, for scrap.
576 - Ex Side destination test car
581 - Destroyed in Transbay Tube Fire 1/17/79
608 - Destroyed in Transbay Tube Fire 1/17/79
630 - Derailed 2/26/98 near Lafyette.
646 - Destroyed in Transbay Tube Fire 1/17/79
676 - Write off, Derailment in the Oakland Wye, Dec 17, 92.
683 - Destroyed in Transbay Tube Fire 1/17/79
685 - 685 locked axle 9/14/74. Prevented train 101 from A10-M10-M30 from leaving M10. Out of service
709 - Derailed in Collision with Hi Rail (fatal to Hirail passenger) 544, car 152 on 1/19/75
712 - Last car to be rebuilt as part of the midlife rebuild, onboarded 9/18/02.
753 - Major damage to x end in Dec 17, 92 derailment at A05.

800 Series

For the unique story of the B cars numbered 801-837, see "A to B Conversion"

Car No: Year Built; Year Converted
801-835: 1972/1973; Converted 1978-c.1981
836, 837: 1973; Converted 1993

Various car notes:
801 - First converted B car. Once a pride of the fleet, and christened with champagne.
824 - Trail Car on the Fremont Flyer
826 - Fremont Flyer
832 - Only surviving car of the ill-fated train of the 1979 Transbay Tube fire
834 - President Nixon rode this car