END OF THE LINE: FINAL RUN OF THE FIRST FLEET
Yesterday, April 20th, 2024 was the final day of the Legacy Fleet in service – the Final Run of the First Fleet. It was a fitting end to these storied cars, and over three thousand people wished them a final farewell – by joining in the festivities and riding the final trains.
BART media, with A car 101, the first legacy car (never entered service)
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Unlike the final scheduled run in September (which was more, spur of the moment “catch this train”), the final ceremonial run was an organized BART event, with roughly a month in advance notice. Alongside food trucks, speeches, and table setups, there were three special trains that departed MacArthur heading south.
With so many people, riding on three different trains, everyone had their own little journey. I have gathered the details on this event through my personal experience, but also through others that rode on other trains as well. As such, I thank them and have credited them through the photos they have provided.
With so many people, riding on three different trains, everyone had their own little journey. I have gathered the details on this event through my personal experience, but also through others that rode on other trains as well. As such, I thank them and have credited them through the photos they have provided.
The Event
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The final run just wasn’t about riding the trains – there were lively activities before the final run. These included a passport stamp, a coloring booth, a BART store, a BART A car cab, food trucks, and more.
BART graciously provided the Western Railway Museum a table and chairs. The Western Railway Museum is the only museum that will preserve the Legacy Fleet, and WRM volunteers explained to the public how WRM will preserve their cars – and how to purchase a Train Operator console.
BART graciously provided the Western Railway Museum a table and chairs. The Western Railway Museum is the only museum that will preserve the Legacy Fleet, and WRM volunteers explained to the public how WRM will preserve their cars – and how to purchase a Train Operator console.
BART A car cab with the WRM console and my Fremont sign
I brought my old 1980s-1990s Fremont sign.
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WRM Volunteeers, riders, and the media
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Speeches
The lineup of speeches included the BART Board President, General Manager, FTA officials, the BART Chief of Police, the Western Railway Museum, Sierra Train House, The Original Scraper Bike Team, BART rider Jaime Espitia, and a raffle to win legacy car plates.
The WRM speech is included below:
The WRM speech is included below:
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Thank you Chief Franklin.
Good afternoon everyone,
I am Andy Payne, a BART commuter who rode 660 of 669 legacy cars, and I am joined by Mr. Jay Bolick, retired BART train operator and manager of schedules, and Mr. Ryan Blake.
We are volunteers at the Western Railway Museum, which will be the ONLY museum to preserve three BART legacy cars. They will join our collection of trains from BART’s predecessors, such as the Key System and Sacramento Northern. I would like to note that today, April 20th, is the 66th anniversary of the final run of the Key System’s transbay trains – and we also the final home to 3 of those trains as well.
With these BART cars, we will tell the story of a new generation of electric railway transportation. These cars, designed with clean slate and a hunger for innovation, were once the world’s most advanced transit vehicles, a 30-year leap in technology, true transit pioneers.
Innovations included everything from Automatic Train Control to propulsion systems, and even the human details such as a streamlined fiberglass cab and wool carpeting. With so many innovations, systems across the world turned to BART to see what they could do to meet the challenges of the modern age.
And after over 50 years of revenue service, we have reached the end of the line. Of the 669 cars, only a handful will find new lives. Three of these cars, and many other BART-i-facts, will enjoy a final retirement at the Western Railway Museum starting in June 2024.
You can help us in our preservation effort. You can help by donating, or even purchase a train operator console; please talk to our volunteers for more details.
And perhaps one day, many years away, we will once again meet to preserve the Fleet of the Future.
But before that, we hope to see you at the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction soon, to enjoy these cars that forever changed the face of public transit.
Thank you.
And now, Mike Lin will discuss how he will also bring a second life to the legacy fleet, through a vacation rental house made of a BART A car.
Good afternoon everyone,
I am Andy Payne, a BART commuter who rode 660 of 669 legacy cars, and I am joined by Mr. Jay Bolick, retired BART train operator and manager of schedules, and Mr. Ryan Blake.
We are volunteers at the Western Railway Museum, which will be the ONLY museum to preserve three BART legacy cars. They will join our collection of trains from BART’s predecessors, such as the Key System and Sacramento Northern. I would like to note that today, April 20th, is the 66th anniversary of the final run of the Key System’s transbay trains – and we also the final home to 3 of those trains as well.
With these BART cars, we will tell the story of a new generation of electric railway transportation. These cars, designed with clean slate and a hunger for innovation, were once the world’s most advanced transit vehicles, a 30-year leap in technology, true transit pioneers.
Innovations included everything from Automatic Train Control to propulsion systems, and even the human details such as a streamlined fiberglass cab and wool carpeting. With so many innovations, systems across the world turned to BART to see what they could do to meet the challenges of the modern age.
And after over 50 years of revenue service, we have reached the end of the line. Of the 669 cars, only a handful will find new lives. Three of these cars, and many other BART-i-facts, will enjoy a final retirement at the Western Railway Museum starting in June 2024.
You can help us in our preservation effort. You can help by donating, or even purchase a train operator console; please talk to our volunteers for more details.
And perhaps one day, many years away, we will once again meet to preserve the Fleet of the Future.
But before that, we hope to see you at the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction soon, to enjoy these cars that forever changed the face of public transit.
Thank you.
And now, Mike Lin will discuss how he will also bring a second life to the legacy fleet, through a vacation rental house made of a BART A car.
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Riding the trains
1269, the second train, parked at K35 before the run
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After the speeches came the rides – the whole point on why everyone was there. People began lining up hours ahead of the ride – certain to get their seat on the trains.
The final trains were x2 10-car trains and x1 5 car train. This resulted in 6 A cars and 19 B cars in service – 25 cars. The fleet stands at 13 A cars and 22 B cars, so 46% of the A cars and 88% of the B cars were in service. B car utilization was pretty high – a good reflection on how important they were back in the day, with utilization surpassing 90% on a scheduled, daily basis. |
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The spirit onboard was lively; there was perhaps a “Spirit of ‘72” everywhere – people were excited to ride the streamlined trains.
We are on the opposite end of the time spectrum and these cars were certainly tired. There were cars that were hot (AC problems), duct tape on the floor, and plenty of weathering inside and outside the cars. But the cars were decently clean, and the people were more than happy to ride the veterans. Nobody expected a shiny new car, and nobody was looking for them either.
There were indeed some Day One riders amongst the crowd, and old head Train Operators. It was a final send off. Even some Train Operators rejoiced in the “old school” pre-FOTF announcements. One such person reported hearing an announcement along the lines of “the legacy fleet didn’t go by color lines, so this is your Fremont train”.
We are on the opposite end of the time spectrum and these cars were certainly tired. There were cars that were hot (AC problems), duct tape on the floor, and plenty of weathering inside and outside the cars. But the cars were decently clean, and the people were more than happy to ride the veterans. Nobody expected a shiny new car, and nobody was looking for them either.
There were indeed some Day One riders amongst the crowd, and old head Train Operators. It was a final send off. Even some Train Operators rejoiced in the “old school” pre-FOTF announcements. One such person reported hearing an announcement along the lines of “the legacy fleet didn’t go by color lines, so this is your Fremont train”.
The Trains
The first train to depart was train 104 with the following cars (VIP Train):
1212, 1897, 1607, 1738, 1259 (Bay Fair end)
1212, 1897, 1607, 1738, 1259 (Bay Fair end)
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Of historical note:
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The lead car, 1259, was a VIP car on the southbound run. Once the VIPs boarded, the public also boarded and the train left around 2:00 pm, nonstop to Bay Fair. The train went Out of Service at Bay Fair and returned, in service. It ran from Bay Fair to MacArthur nonstop, passing by the second train between Fruitvale and Lake Merritt. Afterwards (around 2:55 pm), it went out of service and thence to Hayward Yard. This was the last Legacy train to MacArthur.
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With permission, I put a reproduction Rohr builder’s plate on the cab door – where they once were 50 years ago.
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The second legacy train to depart MacArthur was train 100 with the following cars:
1203, 1760, 1759, 1584, 1834, 1890, 1515, 1580, 1911, 1269 (Fremont end).
This train had no Zoho One ad wraps.
1203, 1760, 1759, 1584, 1834, 1890, 1515, 1580, 1911, 1269 (Fremont end).
This train had no Zoho One ad wraps.
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Of historical note:
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This train made all stops to Fremont station, went out of service, and returned to Hayward yard. It met the third train at Union City station, deadheading versus the final train heading to Fremont.
A friend of mine rode this train, in the Nixon seat. People began to notice the Nixon car and its historical value, and as such at least 10 people delighted in sitting in his seat and having their picture taken.
A friend of mine rode this train, in the Nixon seat. People began to notice the Nixon car and its historical value, and as such at least 10 people delighted in sitting in his seat and having their picture taken.
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The third and final legacy train to depart MacArthur was train 102 with the following cars:
1260, 1587, 1548, 1721, 1501, 1857, 1596, 1512, 1869, 1241 (Fremont end)
1260, 1587, 1548, 1721, 1501, 1857, 1596, 1512, 1869, 1241 (Fremont end)
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Of historical note:
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This train made all stops to Fremont.
“Fruitvale station, Fruitvale station. Orange Line train to Fremont. Last run of the First Fleet.”
The announcement approaching Fremont was the following:
“We are now approaching Fremont station, Fremont station. Attention BART riders, we’re arriving at our final stop Thanks for riding the last day of the BART legacy Fleet. A new dawn of public transportation...the legacy trains carried passengers on BART’s opening day, September 11th, 1972 launching service between Fremont and MacArthur stations. In the 52 years since, they have run on every end of BART’s famous broad-gauge tracks…on this final run, we close the book on the Legacy Fleet. These trains traveled millions of miles in their lifetime and many of these legacy trains...and took everyone where they needed to go…this is the end of the line, Fremont station. Last run of the first fleet.”
The train was met with a crowd at the end of the line (which arrived from the second train). The train went out of service and changed ends. The train prepared for departure and the fans began chanting: LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY!
The train departed, but soon stopped at A85. After a brief pause, the train resumed and the chants continued, LEGACY, LEGACY, BYE!
On its way back to Hayward Yard, the train briefly stopped at Union City station and met a Fleet of the Future train.
“Fruitvale station, Fruitvale station. Orange Line train to Fremont. Last run of the First Fleet.”
The announcement approaching Fremont was the following:
“We are now approaching Fremont station, Fremont station. Attention BART riders, we’re arriving at our final stop Thanks for riding the last day of the BART legacy Fleet. A new dawn of public transportation...the legacy trains carried passengers on BART’s opening day, September 11th, 1972 launching service between Fremont and MacArthur stations. In the 52 years since, they have run on every end of BART’s famous broad-gauge tracks…on this final run, we close the book on the Legacy Fleet. These trains traveled millions of miles in their lifetime and many of these legacy trains...and took everyone where they needed to go…this is the end of the line, Fremont station. Last run of the first fleet.”
The train was met with a crowd at the end of the line (which arrived from the second train). The train went out of service and changed ends. The train prepared for departure and the fans began chanting: LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY!
The train departed, but soon stopped at A85. After a brief pause, the train resumed and the chants continued, LEGACY, LEGACY, BYE!
On its way back to Hayward Yard, the train briefly stopped at Union City station and met a Fleet of the Future train.
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A Reflection
It is still somewhat hard to believe that this was indeed the end. It was only a few years ago that these cars were so common, most people paid hardly any attention to them – they were just the fleet. For comparison, I vividly remember standing on the end of the platform at Fremont, taking pictures of “boring C2 cars and even more boring B cars” – and even one rider got really mad and stepped off the train, asking what am I taking pictures of (trains) and why (because BART trains are cool). Now those pictures are some of the best C2 car pictures I took.
I remember the ridicule that came with all of it – nobody wanted to say they actually liked the dirty cars, let alone there was something historic about them. BART was not a bus so the bus nuts didn’t care, and BART was not a conventional FRA railroad so the rail nut didn’t care too. I kept quiet but cautiously acquired whatever I could find – this included an early book about Opening Day (Off and Running), and comments from a wise, retired BART engineer on a now deleted forum (bartrage), and one of the most important BART lists – the A to B conversion list.
As time has progressed, with replacement by the Fleet of the Future approaching the horizon, I started to notice more and more people getting interested in the cars. Traffic on the website has grown quite steadily. It is fun to see people use the website – now it seems everybody knows the Nixon car (1834); the 1501 was well loved on its final run (after being on BART for 54 years, it finally was noticed as something a little special); the C cars were retired in May 2023; etc, etc.
It was quite hard starting out – I began all this work with just a simple pen and pencil, writing down every car number and shoving it into an excel sheet. I have attached that first version here:
As time has progressed, with replacement by the Fleet of the Future approaching the horizon, I started to notice more and more people getting interested in the cars. Traffic on the website has grown quite steadily. It is fun to see people use the website – now it seems everybody knows the Nixon car (1834); the 1501 was well loved on its final run (after being on BART for 54 years, it finally was noticed as something a little special); the C cars were retired in May 2023; etc, etc.
It was quite hard starting out – I began all this work with just a simple pen and pencil, writing down every car number and shoving it into an excel sheet. I have attached that first version here:
First version of the BART Fleet List. This was based on riding the cars themselves and writing down every number.
And the current version, here:
That spreadsheet is now a powerful home for every car.
As you can tell, my curiosity got the best of me for…..6-ish years and counting. I made a conscious effort to ride every car (660/669), photograph every car (also 660/669), and learn all I could along the way. It’s been a good effort – these goals transformed into deliverable products – the BARTchives you are now reading, a book all about these cars (and you can reserve a copy here), and even joining part of the Western Railway Museum’s team in preserving the cars (I pushed for the selection of 1164, based on some notes shoved into that excel sheet. And now, 1164 will be the only A car ever preserved in a museum, alongside B car 1834 and C car 329). It was an honor to speak about saving cars in front of hundreds of people who actually cared about them. It has been a similarly great joy see these cars reach the end – to see them chopped up and become no more, but to also help save them for future generations.
These cars made records, some that are rock solid, others that could be broken, and some that have a special place in the heart of the Bay Area:
These cars made records, some that are rock solid, others that could be broken, and some that have a special place in the heart of the Bay Area:
- They were the first space-age rapid transit cars, harbinger of a new era of public transportation.
- They were, by far, the most successful Rohr transit vehicles. The carbodies themselves, designed for only 20-30 years of service, lasted over 50.
- They were the fastest rapid transit cars ever built. In testing, single cars made it up to 100 mph, and there is even one reasonable claim that a car once maxed out at 120 mph.
- They were the final rapid transit cars ever built by an American firm (C2 cars).
- The A2/B2 cars carried about 4 million passengers, 6 million miles, each. C1 cars averaged about 3 million miles, and C2 cars were about 2.4 million miles. Every single car carried over 1 million passengers
- They were the most beloved rapid transit cars, with hundreds upon hundreds riding them on their final run - I don't think any other subway car built past 1950 has recieved so much love on its final run.
WRM will get the cars in the summer and they will be placed in Car House 3 - similar to this photoshop. If donations allow, the Rapid Transit History Center (showing in other WRM renderings) will be built afterwards.
This is the end of the line for the cars. Most of them will be scrapped, chopped into thousands of pieces and shipped as metal parts to Asia for new and useful purposes, while some portions of the car with no use after shredding will become garbage to the landfill.
But a few cars will survive. We will always remember, perhaps a bit nostalgically, about those slant-nosed electric trains that replaced the busses that had replaced the trains on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Yours truly,
Andy T. Payne - ATP Transit
P.S. – The BARTchives is far from over. Alongside preserving the cars, I have tons of pictures, videos, documents, and even scale models to share for many years to come. Additionally, the Fleet of the Future (Fleet of the Present?) is rolling and just as early BART fans rode those A and B cars during their troublesome early days, we now ride the D and E cars on what were recently some troublesome days. But, day by day, the new cars are getting better, and perhaps they will create a new legacy. But there will always be a special place for each of us with the Legacy Fleet.
Yours truly,
Andy T. Payne - ATP Transit
P.S. – The BARTchives is far from over. Alongside preserving the cars, I have tons of pictures, videos, documents, and even scale models to share for many years to come. Additionally, the Fleet of the Future (Fleet of the Present?) is rolling and just as early BART fans rode those A and B cars during their troublesome early days, we now ride the D and E cars on what were recently some troublesome days. But, day by day, the new cars are getting better, and perhaps they will create a new legacy. But there will always be a special place for each of us with the Legacy Fleet.
Photos also provided by Chance T von B, Ben Wang, Reese Whitehead, Ron Hook, and BART.
