Kansas City Public Service 755
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Dave's Electric Railroads |
Built in:1946 by St. Louis Car Company (ord#1650)
Out-of-service/Retired:1985 (1983)
Type of car:streetcar (PCC, postwar)
Current Owner:Illinois Railway Museum(Union, Illinois)
Car History by Frank Hicks
Kansas City Public Service
The only KCPS PCC car preserved as such, this car was part of that line's first order for postwar cars in 1946. The president of KCPS, Powell Groner, specified a non-standard design for his cars that featured full-height side windows without the small standee windows - or "apertures" as he derisively called them. These distinctive cars ran in Kansas City until 1954 when most were sold to Philadelphia or Toronto. Car 755 went to the former as 2267, and between 1954 and 1985 mainly ran on Routes 5, 23 and 50. In the mid-1970's it was repainted in red white and blue for the bicentennial and acquired a name, "South Carolina," that it wore until its retirement. After IRM acquired the car in December 1985 and regauged it from 5'2.5" Pennsylvania gauge to standard, it was stored for 15 years before being repainted into its original KCPS "spitball" color scheme. Operational restoration is planned.
Ownership History:Kansas City Public Service #755 1946-1954 / Philadelphia Transportation Company #2267 1954-1968 / Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority #2267 1968-1985 / Illinois Railway Museum(Union, Illinois) 1985-present
Facts and Figures
| Status:displayed inoperable | Gauge:4'8.5" |
| Construction:steel | Roof type:AR | Ended:SE |
| Length:46'5" | Width:8'4" | Weight:37800# |
| #Seats:51 | #Wheels/Conf.:8 (B-B) | Total HP:220 |
| Trucks:Clark B2 | Brakes:Electric | Compressor:n/a |
| Motors:WH 1432J (4) | Voltage (if not 600DC): |
Notes
Later SEPTA #2267 "South Carolina"
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