Port Authority 4000 Series PCC
Encyclopedia
The 4000 Series PCC was a streetcar
used by the Port Authority of Allegheny County
. The PCC streetcar
was designed by the Presidents' Conference Committee, a group of transit operators in the United States and Canada. The 4000's were a series of cars completely rebuilt from cars built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company
for Port Authority's predecessor, Pittsburgh Railways
.
. This project consisted of a reconstructed Beechview-South Hills Village line supplemented by an order of 55 Siemens SD-400
light rail cars. However, this project would only reconstruct roughly forty-five percent of the existing system, with the Overbrook-Library and Drake
lines earmarked in the "Stage II" plan, to be rebuilt at a later date as funding became available. Until that time, the "Stage II" lines would not be able to accommodate the new, heavier, and wider rail cars due to their age and condition, so the Authority needed to continue to operate their aging PCC fleet.
The solution was a fleet of completely rebuilt PCC's that could complement the new LRVs by operating on portions of the system that could not yet accommodate the larger, heavier cars, as well as having new components that extended their service lives until such time that their lines could be rebuilt and replacements bought.
Originally, the Authority planned to overhaul forty-five of their 1700 series PCC's. However, budgetary constraints and technical difficulties resulted in only sixteen cars being rebuilt. What cars that received the overhaul were essentially completely new vehicles built within the old car's body. All new propulsion and braking systems had been installed, as well as new interiors with improved lighting. They were each given two pantographs
, where the front one was outfitted with a de-icing apparatus intended to help remove sleet
from the overhead wires. As planned, nearly all cars would be air-conditioned, but with the aforementioned budget issues, only one car, number 4006, was fitted with an air-conditioning system.
, 47L Library via Overbrook, and 47S South Hills Village via Overbrook lines, as well as the 47 Shannon line, all trans-versing the Overbrook corridor. Later, it was discovered that the Library line could accommodate the larger LRV's with minor modifications, and the route was modified and redesignated as the "42L Library via Beechview"(as the Overbrook line could not accommodate the LRV's) and the PCC's were relegated to just the 47D,S, and 47 lines.
Unlike the LRV's which had both high and low level doors, the PCC's had only low level doors and were limited to street level boarding. As a result, all major stations on portions of the system that were shared by PCC's and LRV's(these being South Hills Village
, Washington Junction
, Castle Shannon
, South Hills Junction
, and all stops north of the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel) had both high and low platforms to accommodate both types of cars.
In 1993, the Overbrook Line was shut down between Castle Shannon
and South Hills Junction
due to the deteriorated conditions of the track, bridges, walls, and other infrastructure. With that, routes 47 and 47S were suspended, and the 47D was reduced to a short shuttle between Drake and Castle Shannon, where riders would be required to transfer to route 42S or a bus to continue to downtown.
In 1999, the Drake shuttle was shut down, and the remaining PCC's were retired.
where it has become part of a collection of historic streetcars and trolleys from all across the United States
and other nations. San Francisco MUNI acquired #4008 and #4009 in an internet auction in 2002 for $5000 each. However, they are low on the priority list for a return to service as they differ significantly from other MUNI PCCs, and will require re-gauging(as San Francisco cars are Standard Gauge
) as well as modifications for ADA accessibility
. The disposition of the remainder are as follows:
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
used by the Port Authority of Allegheny County
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Port Authority of Allegheny County is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 11th-largest in the United States. When considering that its service area is the 20th largest in the U.S...
. The PCC streetcar
PCC streetcar
The PCC streetcar design was first built in the United States in the 1930s. The design proved successful in its native country, and after World War II was licensed for use elsewhere in the world...
was designed by the Presidents' Conference Committee, a group of transit operators in the United States and Canada. The 4000's were a series of cars completely rebuilt from cars built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company
St. Louis Car Company
The St. Louis Car Company was a major United States manufacturer of railroad passenger cars, streetcars, trolleybuses and locomotives that existed from 1887–1973, based in St. Louis, Missouri.-History:...
for Port Authority's predecessor, Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways was one of the predecessors of the Port Authority of Allegheny County. It had 666 PCC cars, the third largest fleet in North America. It had 68 street car routes, of which only three are used by the Port Authority as light rail routes...
.
Background
In the early 1980s, the Pittsburgh Port Authority began its "Stage I" project to completely rebuild portions of its streetcar system into their new T systemPittsburgh Light Rail
The Pittsburgh Light Rail is a light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; it functions as a subway in Downtown Pittsburgh and largely as an at-grade light rail service in the suburbs. The system is owned and operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County...
. This project consisted of a reconstructed Beechview-South Hills Village line supplemented by an order of 55 Siemens SD-400
Siemens SD-400
The Siemens SD-400 LRV is an electric light rail vehicle locomotive built by Siemens-Duewag AG. It is powered by four individual Siemens DC-IBGT electric motors with each one developing and creating a combined total power output of . Electric current is received via an overhead catenary wire...
light rail cars. However, this project would only reconstruct roughly forty-five percent of the existing system, with the Overbrook-Library and Drake
47 Drake
The 47 Drake was a PCC trolley line that was part of the Pittsburgh Light Rail system.-History:The 47D was the last line in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be used solely for PCC streetcars...
lines earmarked in the "Stage II" plan, to be rebuilt at a later date as funding became available. Until that time, the "Stage II" lines would not be able to accommodate the new, heavier, and wider rail cars due to their age and condition, so the Authority needed to continue to operate their aging PCC fleet.
The solution was a fleet of completely rebuilt PCC's that could complement the new LRVs by operating on portions of the system that could not yet accommodate the larger, heavier cars, as well as having new components that extended their service lives until such time that their lines could be rebuilt and replacements bought.
Originally, the Authority planned to overhaul forty-five of their 1700 series PCC's. However, budgetary constraints and technical difficulties resulted in only sixteen cars being rebuilt. What cars that received the overhaul were essentially completely new vehicles built within the old car's body. All new propulsion and braking systems had been installed, as well as new interiors with improved lighting. They were each given two pantographs
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
, where the front one was outfitted with a de-icing apparatus intended to help remove sleet
Sleet
Sleet refers to two distinct forms of precipitation:*Rain and snow mixed, snow that partially melts as it falls. *Ice pellets, one of three forms of precipitation in a US-style "wintry mix", the other two being snow and freezing rain. The latter is referred to as sleet mainly by the United States...
from the overhead wires. As planned, nearly all cars would be air-conditioned, but with the aforementioned budget issues, only one car, number 4006, was fitted with an air-conditioning system.
Service
The 4000 series was intended as an intermin solution for the Authority's unrebuilt lines, which could not accommodate the newer, heavier railcars. As such, they were assigned to the 47D Drake via Overbrook47 Drake
The 47 Drake was a PCC trolley line that was part of the Pittsburgh Light Rail system.-History:The 47D was the last line in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be used solely for PCC streetcars...
, 47L Library via Overbrook, and 47S South Hills Village via Overbrook lines, as well as the 47 Shannon line, all trans-versing the Overbrook corridor. Later, it was discovered that the Library line could accommodate the larger LRV's with minor modifications, and the route was modified and redesignated as the "42L Library via Beechview"(as the Overbrook line could not accommodate the LRV's) and the PCC's were relegated to just the 47D,S, and 47 lines.
Unlike the LRV's which had both high and low level doors, the PCC's had only low level doors and were limited to street level boarding. As a result, all major stations on portions of the system that were shared by PCC's and LRV's(these being South Hills Village
South Hills Village (PAT station)
South Hills Village is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is the southern terminus of both the 42S and 47S. Port Authority's switching yard and shops are located just west of the station. The station is located in Upper St. Clair and is adjacent to the...
, Washington Junction
Washington Junction (PAT station)
Washington Junction is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is located in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The facility is designed both as a transfer station for southbound travelers Washington Junction is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's...
, Castle Shannon
Castle Shannon (PAT station)
Castle Shannon is a station on the "Beechview" branch of the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is located in Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania and is served by the Red Line. Located away from the suburb's main commercial and residential districts, the station is designed...
, South Hills Junction
South Hills Junction (PAT station)
South Hills Junction is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. This station served as the original "merge point" of the inbound Beechview and Overbrook branches of the light rail system, just before the run under Mount Washington through the Mount Washington...
, and all stops north of the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel) had both high and low platforms to accommodate both types of cars.
Castle Shannon (PAT station)
Castle Shannon is a station on the "Beechview" branch of the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is located in Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania and is served by the Red Line. Located away from the suburb's main commercial and residential districts, the station is designed...
and South Hills Junction
South Hills Junction (PAT station)
South Hills Junction is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. This station served as the original "merge point" of the inbound Beechview and Overbrook branches of the light rail system, just before the run under Mount Washington through the Mount Washington...
due to the deteriorated conditions of the track, bridges, walls, and other infrastructure. With that, routes 47 and 47S were suspended, and the 47D was reduced to a short shuttle between Drake and Castle Shannon, where riders would be required to transfer to route 42S or a bus to continue to downtown.
In 1999, the Drake shuttle was shut down, and the remaining PCC's were retired.
Preserved Examples
Car #4004 was donated to the Pennsylvania Trolley MuseumPennsylvania Trolley Museum
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, located at 1 Museum Road, Washington, Pennsylvania, is a museum dedicated to trolleys and includes several restored examples.-History:...
where it has become part of a collection of historic streetcars and trolleys from all across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other nations. San Francisco MUNI acquired #4008 and #4009 in an internet auction in 2002 for $5000 each. However, they are low on the priority list for a return to service as they differ significantly from other MUNI PCCs, and will require re-gauging(as San Francisco cars are Standard Gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) as well as modifications for ADA accessibility
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
. The disposition of the remainder are as follows:
- 4001: Static display in front of South Hills VillageSouth Hills Village (PAT station)South Hills Village is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is the southern terminus of both the 42S and 47S. Port Authority's switching yard and shops are located just west of the station. The station is located in Upper St. Clair and is adjacent to the...
depot.
- 4004: Preserved and in passenger service at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pa
- 4007: Static display 100 yards (91.4 m) east of South Park (PAT station)South Park (PAT station)South Park is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network, located in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The street level stop is designed as a small commuter stop, serving area residents who walk to the train so they can be taken toward Downtown Pittsburgh.-History:A PAT PCC...
.
- 4011: Buckeye Lake, Ohio: private owner (derelict)
- 4012 (ex-4000): Buckeye Lake, Ohio: private owner (also derelict)
See also
- Pittsburgh Light RailPittsburgh Light RailThe Pittsburgh Light Rail is a light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; it functions as a subway in Downtown Pittsburgh and largely as an at-grade light rail service in the suburbs. The system is owned and operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County...
- 47 Drake47 DrakeThe 47 Drake was a PCC trolley line that was part of the Pittsburgh Light Rail system.-History:The 47D was the last line in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be used solely for PCC streetcars...
- PCC streetcars
- Trams
- Siemens SD-400Siemens SD-400The Siemens SD-400 LRV is an electric light rail vehicle locomotive built by Siemens-Duewag AG. It is powered by four individual Siemens DC-IBGT electric motors with each one developing and creating a combined total power output of . Electric current is received via an overhead catenary wire...