Information on the Preserved BART Legacy Cars at the Western Railway Museum
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General Information
The Western Railway Museum is the home to the only complete legacy train: a 3 car train composed of an A2 car, a B2 car, and a C1 car. This unofficial page is meant to provide the reader with timely updates and information on the project, including the only BART cars in a museum. |
Currently, the best way to see the exterior BART cars is through the Car Barn 3 "Guided Tour" as part of the Interurban/Street Car train ride, in 2025. The cars are currently being prepared for public display and currently the interior is not open to the public. Please be patient while the cars are being prepared, I can assure you they will be worth the wait!
Plans are in the works for displays, as outlined in the above timeline.
The BART at WRM project team is 100% volunteer labor and work parties happen on a semi-regular basis. Please be patient as the team works on the cars – the displays will worth the wait, featuring rare BART Legacy Car equipment and BART History. If you would like to help out and contribute, please contact consoles[at]wrm.org.
Plans are in the works for displays, as outlined in the above timeline.
The BART at WRM project team is 100% volunteer labor and work parties happen on a semi-regular basis. Please be patient as the team works on the cars – the displays will worth the wait, featuring rare BART Legacy Car equipment and BART History. If you would like to help out and contribute, please contact consoles[at]wrm.org.
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General Timelines:
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Some Questions and Answers:
Where are the BART cars?
The WRM BART cars are parked at the Western Railway Museum located at: 5848 CA-12, Suisun City, CA 94585. They are parked inside Car Barn 3 for the time being. They are currently not accessible to the public, for the most part. It can be possible to briefly see the exterior of the cars, part of an event (Carban Lights Show in December 2024) or public carbarn tour (2025+). The interior will be open later in 2025.
Are the cars operational?
Somewhat. The cars could probably be moved if they had 1000v DC power (they don't - WRM uses overhead lines of a lower DC voltage). Car low voltage systems (lighting, console, doors, etc) are functional and powered through batteries hooked up to the cars.
Will the cars run?
Afraid not. Due to a variety of factors, the cars will not roll under their own power. These factors include:
Who else got BART Legacy Cars?
Good question. I made a page just about that.
Where are the BART cars?
The WRM BART cars are parked at the Western Railway Museum located at: 5848 CA-12, Suisun City, CA 94585. They are parked inside Car Barn 3 for the time being. They are currently not accessible to the public, for the most part. It can be possible to briefly see the exterior of the cars, part of an event (Carban Lights Show in December 2024) or public carbarn tour (2025+). The interior will be open later in 2025.
Are the cars operational?
Somewhat. The cars could probably be moved if they had 1000v DC power (they don't - WRM uses overhead lines of a lower DC voltage). Car low voltage systems (lighting, console, doors, etc) are functional and powered through batteries hooked up to the cars.
Will the cars run?
Afraid not. Due to a variety of factors, the cars will not roll under their own power. These factors include:
- 1000 volt DC power requirement (WRM uses about 650 v DC). This also introduces some type of safety aspect to prevent passenger electrocution
- Third rail collector shoes for power collection (WRM uses an overhead line. BART cars would need a trolley pole)
- Complex subsystems and maintenance requirements - e.g. no BART gauge pit to work on undercar equipment, limited supply of parts.
- Impracticability of such extensive modification (these cars look almost exactly as how they were in service - no need to irreversibly damage the cars for such limited gains)
Who else got BART Legacy Cars?
Good question. I made a page just about that.
Car by Car Information
A2 Car #1164
Specs:
- Original Owner: Bay Area Rapid Transit District
- Technical Data: Lightweight two truck rapid transit car. Built by Rohr of Chula Vista, CA in 1973. Seats 60 passengers, one operator, maximum passenger capacity ~200. Empty weight 61,500 lbs.
- Trucks: LFM Rockwell model HPD-3, cast steel, inboard bearing, articulated frame. Automatically leveling air bag suspension (4x air cushion bellows), alongside rubber bumpers. Wheels, 30.0-28.0” diameter, aluminum centered, steel tire with modified cylindrical thread. Axle, steel tube. Traction motors, 2x per truck, 150 hp ADtranz 1507C AC traction motors, air-cooled, parallel drive. Westinghouse Model WR-400-1 gear unit with 5.571:1 gear ratio.
- Carbody: Aluminum, similar to aircraft design with roof with roof, sidewalls, and flooring constructed of aluminum beams, struts, and intercostal members. Semi-monocoque design.
- Brake Equipment: Hydraulic friction brakes, dynamic, and parking brake.
- Dimensions: Width, maximum 10’ 6” Length over couplers, 75’. Height, 10’ 6”. Truck wheelbase, 50”.
- Propulsion Equipment: ADTranz. Traction motors: Adtranz 1507C.
- Misc Data: Couplers, WABCO N-3. Maximum speed, 80 mph. Acceleration rate, max. 3.0 mphps. Braking rate, 3.0 mphps.
- Current Condition: This car is in good condition. An HVAC unit and battery box were removed for transportation to the museum. Due to gauge, third rail collector equipment, and sophisticated carborne equipment, it is not operational. However, the car retains its intact (but unpowered) propulsion and braking systems.
History:
The growing population of the San Francisco Bay Area, and related growth of automobile commuter traffic, necessitated the creation of a public transit system (BART) to connect cities and suburban areas. Hailed as the solution to the Bay Area’s automobile traffic problems, BART’s designers were keenly aware of the need to create a modern public transit system of such high quality to persuade commuters away from their cars and onto transit. BART’s designers followed a clean slate approach and took full advantage of modern space age developments in technology and engineering to create the first all-new rapid transit system in 60 years.
The BART cars, would be streamlined, modern, lightweight trains moving under automatic train control at speeds up to 80 mph, linking Daly City and San Francisco with Oakland and the rest of the East Bay through an underwater tube. Aesthetically, the cars were designed to represent that space-age approach, designed to match the comfort of a jet airliner or the most expensive automobile and fully tailored to match riders’ needs and innovation. Under the floor, the cars utilized cutting-edge propulsion and braking technology, including chopper control.
An aerospace manufacturing company named the Rohr Corporation was the low bidder on the contract for the original BART fleet included 250 slope-nosed A cars (numbered 101-250) and 150 middle B cars (numbered 501-600). From 1969 to 1975, Rohr built a total of 454 A and B cars for testing and revenue service. These cars were built in Chula Vista, CA, and A car 164 was delivered to BART on January 18, 1973.
The early years of BART service were fraught with severe reliability programs. The sophisticated cars were very unreliable – at times, as much as 45% of the fleet was under maintenance. In order to correct the numerous problems with the cars, much effort was placed by BART, Rohr, Westinghouse (subcontractor for the electrical equipment) and others. Among the changes included the assignment of a car, A car 164, to the Hayward Test Track to serve as the engineering test car. Over the years, the 164 served in a variety of tests, including problems with the chopper control system, measurement of heat from the friction brakes to motor gearboxes, and even unplanned carbody structural testing.
By the late 1990s, the A/B car fleet was refurbished by Adtranz and later Bombardier in Pittsburg, CA. The refurbishment included the replacement of HVAC, propulsion, brake systems, alongside new cabs and other new or rebuilt components. The cars were renumbered, gaining 1000 to the old car number, and renamed as A2 and B2 cars. The 164 was among the last 4 original A cars in service in April 2002, and sent over for refurbishment shortly after. It was among a fleet of 59 A2 cars.
Now designated A2 car 1164, the car reentered service in late 2002 – no longer captive to the Hayward Test Track, but in daily revenue service. After 22 years, the car rolled over 2 million miles on all BART lines. In September 2023 BART retired the legacy fleet from scheduled service, but held on to a dwindling fleet for “ready reserve” (backup) service. The 1164 was among the final active A2 cars, used as a backup to the Fleet of the Future on the Blue line through late February 2024.
WRM selected the 1164 due to its historical value as the engineering test car of BART, representing both the space age design of the legacy fleet alongside the efforts to create a reliable system. BART donated the 1164 to WRM and it was delivered on August 9, 2024.
B2 Car #1834
Originally built as A car #120 in 1972, converted to B car 834 in 1981, refurbished into B2 car #1834 in 2002.
Originally built as A car #120 in 1972, converted to B car 834 in 1981, refurbished into B2 car #1834 in 2002.
Specs:
History:
The growing population of the San Francisco Bay Area, and related growth of automobile commuter traffic, necessitated the creation of a public transit system (BART) to connect cities and suburban areas. Hailed as the solution to the Bay Area’s automobile traffic problems, BART’s designers were keenly aware of the need to create a modern public transit system of such high quality to persuade commuters away from their cars and onto transit. BART’s designers followed a clean slate approach and took full advantage of modern space age developments in technology and engineering to create the first all-new rapid transit system in 60 years.
The BART cars, would be streamlined, modern, lightweight trains moving under automatic train control at speeds up to 80 mph, linking Daly City and San Francisco with Oakland and the rest of the East Bay through an underwater tube. Aesthetically, the cars were designed to represent that space-age approach, designed to match the comfort of a jet airliner or the most expensive automobile and fully tailored to match riders’ needs and innovation. Under the floor, the cars utilized cutting-edge propulsion and braking technology, including chopper control.
An aerospace manufacturing company named the Rohr Corporation was the low bidder on the contract for the original BART fleet included 250 slope-nosed A cars (numbered 101-250) and 150 middle B cars (numbered 501-600). From 1969 to 1975, Rohr built a total of 454 A and B cars for testing and revenue service. These cars were built in Chula Vista, CA, and A car 120 was delivered to BART on June 1, 1972 – a few months before opening day.
A car 120 was used in pre-revenue service testing and entered revenue service shortly after September 11th, 1972. Only a few weeks into operation, on September 27, 1972, President Richard Nixon visited the Bay Area as part of the tail end of his re-election campaign. President Nixon, First Lady Pat Nixon, and BART General Manager B.R. Stokes rode A car 120 from San Leandro to Lake Merritt. Nixon considered federal investments in public transportation a chief domestic priority of his administration and called his ride on BART “the smoothest ride I’ve ever had.” Nixon called BART an “example for the Nation” in modern metropolitan transportation.
A car 120 gained a special plaque commemorating the ride, but the car was later damaged by arson in 1976. By the late 1970s, BART had a small fleet of damaged A cars and needed more B cars for weekday peak commute service and weekend service. BART forces were able to create and carry out a process of converting A cars into B cars, which included the removal of the cab nose. Hayward Shop completed a total of 35 cars in the late 1970s and early 1980s, of which included A car 120 converted into B car 834. B car 834 rolled again in revenue service starting in 1981.
By the late 1990s, the A/B car fleet was refurbished by Adtranz and later Bombardier in Pittsburg, CA. The refurbishment included the replacement of HVAC, propulsion, brake systems, alongside new cabs (for some A cars) and other new or rebuilt components. The cars were renumbered, gaining 1000 to the old car number, and renamed as A2 and B2 cars. Ahead of refurbishment program, 2 A cars were inspected and converted into B cars 836 and 837 in 1993, and refurbished into B2 cars 1836 and 1837. Additionally, a further 76 A cars were converted and refurbished into B2 cars (numbered 1838-1913) under the refurbishment program, bringing a total of 380 B2 cars.
Now designated B2 car 1834, the car reentered service in 2002. After 22 years, the car rolled over 2 million miles on all BART lines, and roughly 6 million miles over the past 50 years. In September 2023 BART retired the legacy fleet from scheduled service, but held a final ceremonial run event on April 20, 2024. B2 car 1834 was among the final cars in this special run.
WRM selected the 1834 due to its historical value as the only BART car to have carried a sitting President, alongside representing the careful workmanship of BART staff in converting 35 damaged A cars into reliable B cars. BART donated the 1834 to WRM and it was delivered on September 11, 2024 – the 52nd anniversary of the start of BART revenue service.
- Original Owner: Bay Area Rapid Transit District
- Technical Data: Lightweight two truck rapid transit car. Built by Rohr of Chula Vista, CA in 1972. Seats 53 passengers, maximum passenger capacity ~200. Empty weight 59,000 lbs.
- Trucks: LFM Rockwell model HPD-3, cast steel, inboard bearing, articulated frame. Automatically leveling air bag suspension (4x air cushion bellows), alongside rubber bumpers. Wheels, 30.0-28.0” diameter, aluminum centered, steel tire with modified cylindrical thread. Axle, steel tube. Traction motors, 2x per truck, 150 hp ADtranz 1507C AC traction motors, air-cooled, parallel drive. Westinghouse Model WR-400-1 gear unit with 5.571:1 gear ratio.
- Carbody: Aluminum, similar to aircraft design with roof with roof, sidewalls, and flooring constructed of aluminum beams, struts, and intercostal members. Semi-monocoque design.
- Brake Equipment: Hydraulic friction brakes, dynamic, and parking brake.
- Dimensions: Width, maximum 10’ 6” Length over couplers, 70’. Height, 10’ 6”. Truck wheelbase, 50”.
- Propulsion Equipment: ADTranz. Traction motors; Adtranz 1507C.
- Misc Data: Couplers, WABCO N-3. Maximum speed, 80 mph. Acceleration rate, max. 3.0 mphps. Braking rate, 3.0 mphps.
- Current Condition: This car is in good condition. An HVAC unit and battery box were removed for transportation to the museum. Due to gauge, third rail collector equipment, and sophisticated carborne equipment, it is not operational. However, the car retains its intact (but unpowered) propulsion and braking systems.
History:
The growing population of the San Francisco Bay Area, and related growth of automobile commuter traffic, necessitated the creation of a public transit system (BART) to connect cities and suburban areas. Hailed as the solution to the Bay Area’s automobile traffic problems, BART’s designers were keenly aware of the need to create a modern public transit system of such high quality to persuade commuters away from their cars and onto transit. BART’s designers followed a clean slate approach and took full advantage of modern space age developments in technology and engineering to create the first all-new rapid transit system in 60 years.
The BART cars, would be streamlined, modern, lightweight trains moving under automatic train control at speeds up to 80 mph, linking Daly City and San Francisco with Oakland and the rest of the East Bay through an underwater tube. Aesthetically, the cars were designed to represent that space-age approach, designed to match the comfort of a jet airliner or the most expensive automobile and fully tailored to match riders’ needs and innovation. Under the floor, the cars utilized cutting-edge propulsion and braking technology, including chopper control.
An aerospace manufacturing company named the Rohr Corporation was the low bidder on the contract for the original BART fleet included 250 slope-nosed A cars (numbered 101-250) and 150 middle B cars (numbered 501-600). From 1969 to 1975, Rohr built a total of 454 A and B cars for testing and revenue service. These cars were built in Chula Vista, CA, and A car 120 was delivered to BART on June 1, 1972 – a few months before opening day.
A car 120 was used in pre-revenue service testing and entered revenue service shortly after September 11th, 1972. Only a few weeks into operation, on September 27, 1972, President Richard Nixon visited the Bay Area as part of the tail end of his re-election campaign. President Nixon, First Lady Pat Nixon, and BART General Manager B.R. Stokes rode A car 120 from San Leandro to Lake Merritt. Nixon considered federal investments in public transportation a chief domestic priority of his administration and called his ride on BART “the smoothest ride I’ve ever had.” Nixon called BART an “example for the Nation” in modern metropolitan transportation.
A car 120 gained a special plaque commemorating the ride, but the car was later damaged by arson in 1976. By the late 1970s, BART had a small fleet of damaged A cars and needed more B cars for weekday peak commute service and weekend service. BART forces were able to create and carry out a process of converting A cars into B cars, which included the removal of the cab nose. Hayward Shop completed a total of 35 cars in the late 1970s and early 1980s, of which included A car 120 converted into B car 834. B car 834 rolled again in revenue service starting in 1981.
By the late 1990s, the A/B car fleet was refurbished by Adtranz and later Bombardier in Pittsburg, CA. The refurbishment included the replacement of HVAC, propulsion, brake systems, alongside new cabs (for some A cars) and other new or rebuilt components. The cars were renumbered, gaining 1000 to the old car number, and renamed as A2 and B2 cars. Ahead of refurbishment program, 2 A cars were inspected and converted into B cars 836 and 837 in 1993, and refurbished into B2 cars 1836 and 1837. Additionally, a further 76 A cars were converted and refurbished into B2 cars (numbered 1838-1913) under the refurbishment program, bringing a total of 380 B2 cars.
Now designated B2 car 1834, the car reentered service in 2002. After 22 years, the car rolled over 2 million miles on all BART lines, and roughly 6 million miles over the past 50 years. In September 2023 BART retired the legacy fleet from scheduled service, but held a final ceremonial run event on April 20, 2024. B2 car 1834 was among the final cars in this special run.
WRM selected the 1834 due to its historical value as the only BART car to have carried a sitting President, alongside representing the careful workmanship of BART staff in converting 35 damaged A cars into reliable B cars. BART donated the 1834 to WRM and it was delivered on September 11, 2024 – the 52nd anniversary of the start of BART revenue service.
C1 Car #329
Built as C car #329 in 1988.
Built as C car #329 in 1988.
Specs:
History:
Despite well-intentioned goals of streamlined, innovative trains, BART’s early years of operation showed that the A and B cars were both unreliable and required significant amounts of time to change train sizes. Slant-nosed A cars required the entire train to return to the yard and a multi-step series of uncouplings and recouplings to create the right-sized train before and after peak commute periods.
To help create a more reliable and efficient system, alongside support ridership growth and increase service levels, BART and designers crafted a more conventional looking flat-nosed BART car, named the C car.
The C car allowed for rapid changes in train sizes by their ability to run as lead/trail and middle cars. The design of the A cars allowed them to be used only as lead/trail cars and the B cars were used as middle cars. The C cars were able to run in any location in a train, allowed for by the design of the flat cab-end nose equipped with “flipper doors” that held cushions (rubber tubes) allowing for safe passage between cars when midtrain. The flipper doors were locked closed when the C cars were used as lead/trail cars. C cars also hosted numerous minor design changes, including a different seat layout, improved electrical equipment, a new generation of ATC equipment, and met updated standards for fire safety.
The first of 150 C cars entered service on March 28, 1988 and over the years, ran on every BART line. C car 329 entered service in 1988. Unlike the A and B cars, the C cars never had a comprehensive rehabilitation, and used Westinghouse chopper control and DC motors until their retirement in May 2023. The 329 was in service for 35 years and traveled over 3 million miles.
An additional order of C cars, named the C2 cars, entered service in 1995. These 80 cars were built for East Bay extensions to North Concord, Pittsburg, and Dublin, but over the years ran on every BART line. These cars were slightly different from C cars (hence referred to as C1 cars). Due to the unreliably of electrical equipment in these cars, they were retired in 2020. The last of these cars was scrapped in 2021.
BART selected C1 car 329 for preservation by the Western Railway Museum, being the among the final C1 cars left in service, and of those, the C1 car in the best condition. The 329 was donated by BART to WRM on October 4, 2024.
- Original Owner: Bay Area Rapid Transit District
- Technical Data: Lightweight two truck rapid transit car. Built by Alstom in 1988. Seats 56 passengers, one operator, maximum passenger capacity ~200. Empty weight 63,485 lbs. Carbody welded in Raismes, France with final assembly of car in Union City, CA.
- Trucks: Welded steel plate, inboard bearing, articulated frame. Automatically leveling air bag suspension (4x air cushion bellows), alongside rubber bumpers. Wheels, 30.0-28.0” diameter, aluminum centered, steel tire with modified cylindrical thread. Axle, steel tube. Traction motors, 2x per truck, 150 hp Westinghouse/GEC 1463 BA DC traction motors, air-cooled, parallel drive.
- Carbody: Aluminum, similar to aircraft design with roof with roof, sidewalls, and flooring constructed of aluminum beams, struts, and intercostal members. Semi-monocoque design.
- Brake Equipment: Hydraulic friction brakes, dynamic, and parking brake.
- Dimensions: Width, maximum 10’ 6” Length over couplers, 70’. Height, 10’ 6”. Truck wheelbase, 50”.
- Propulsion Equipment: Westinghouse. Traction motors; Westinghouse 1463 BA.
- Misc Data: Couplers, WABCO N-3. Maximum speed, 80 mph. Acceleration rate, max. 3.0 mphps. Braking rate, 3.0 mphps.
- Current Condition: This car is in good condition. Due to gauge, third rail collector equipment, and sophisticated carborne equipment, it is not operational. However, the car retains its intact (but unpowered) propulsion and braking systems. The car was pretty much fully operational as handed over from BART, and even moved around the yard under its own power.
History:
Despite well-intentioned goals of streamlined, innovative trains, BART’s early years of operation showed that the A and B cars were both unreliable and required significant amounts of time to change train sizes. Slant-nosed A cars required the entire train to return to the yard and a multi-step series of uncouplings and recouplings to create the right-sized train before and after peak commute periods.
To help create a more reliable and efficient system, alongside support ridership growth and increase service levels, BART and designers crafted a more conventional looking flat-nosed BART car, named the C car.
The C car allowed for rapid changes in train sizes by their ability to run as lead/trail and middle cars. The design of the A cars allowed them to be used only as lead/trail cars and the B cars were used as middle cars. The C cars were able to run in any location in a train, allowed for by the design of the flat cab-end nose equipped with “flipper doors” that held cushions (rubber tubes) allowing for safe passage between cars when midtrain. The flipper doors were locked closed when the C cars were used as lead/trail cars. C cars also hosted numerous minor design changes, including a different seat layout, improved electrical equipment, a new generation of ATC equipment, and met updated standards for fire safety.
The first of 150 C cars entered service on March 28, 1988 and over the years, ran on every BART line. C car 329 entered service in 1988. Unlike the A and B cars, the C cars never had a comprehensive rehabilitation, and used Westinghouse chopper control and DC motors until their retirement in May 2023. The 329 was in service for 35 years and traveled over 3 million miles.
An additional order of C cars, named the C2 cars, entered service in 1995. These 80 cars were built for East Bay extensions to North Concord, Pittsburg, and Dublin, but over the years ran on every BART line. These cars were slightly different from C cars (hence referred to as C1 cars). Due to the unreliably of electrical equipment in these cars, they were retired in 2020. The last of these cars was scrapped in 2021.
BART selected C1 car 329 for preservation by the Western Railway Museum, being the among the final C1 cars left in service, and of those, the C1 car in the best condition. The 329 was donated by BART to WRM on October 4, 2024.
Last Updated: 11/23/24
