Brooklyn & Queens Transit 1001




Facts and Figures


Current Number1001
Railway RepresentedBrooklyn & Queens Transit
BuilderSt. Louis Car Company
Built In1936
Builder's order id1600
Currently in (State)Connecticut
--(Locality)East Haven
Totally out of svc date1956
(Initial retirement date)
Car Typestreetcar
-subtypePCC, prewar
-designation
Statusoperated occasionally
More infohttp://www.bera.org/cgi-bin/viewcar.pl?car=1001
Gauge4'8.5"
Constructionsteel
Roof typeAR
EndedSE
Length46'0"
Width8'4"
Height10'1"
Weight33360
#Seats59
#Wheels/Conf.8
Total HP220
TrucksClark B2
BrakesAir-Electric
CompressorPC-2
ControlGE 17KM3A1
MotorsGE 1198A (4)
Voltage (if not 600DC)

Car 1001 in operation at Branford in 2023
Flickr
photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/91993389@N08/52888512082/

Car 1001 in operation at Branford
Shore Line Trolley Museum
photo: https://shorelinetrolley.org/collection/1001/

Car History by Frank Hicks


Brooklyn & Queens Transit 1001
The first true PCC car ever built was this car, B&QT 1001. PCC referred to the Electric Railway Presidents Conference Committee, which was a group of street railway company representatives that in the early 1930's developed a design for a modern, standardized streetcar. The resulting PCC car was streamlined, rode smoother and quieter than other contemporary streetcars, and used a number of revolutionary electrical and mechanical systems. It was extremely successful and several thousand PCC's were built by two companies between 1936 and 1952. B&QT was one of the more active sponsors of the PCC development program and hosted two pre-PCC test cars during the early 1930's. The very first order was placed by B&QT for 99 cars built by St. Louis in 1936, and the first of these cars was car 1001. These were the only production PCC's ever ordered by B&QT, and as the most modern cars on the system they saw service right up until the end of B&QT streetcar service in 1956. BERA acquired 1001 after its retirement. At the time it was still a very modern car - only four years earlier PCC's had been rolling off the production lines. The car has operated consistently at Branford since its acquisition. In the 1960's it was rebuilt and restored to its as-delivered condition, and currently it is undergoing another more thorough rehabilitation.


Ownership History


OwnerCar NumFromToPreservation?Loan?
Brooklyn & Queens Transit (New York, Brooklyn)10011936 1940 NO NO
New York City Board of Transportation (New York, New York)10011940 1953 NO NO
New York City Transit Authority (New York, New York)10011953 1956 NO NO
Branford Electric Railway Association (Connecticut, East Haven)10011956 present YES NO


Additional Media

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Car 1001 in operation at Branford in 2022
YouTube
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA58rKn-m7o