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Rio de Janeiro Tramways Power & Light Company Open Car #1774
Before air conditioning, a trolley without sides was the obvious solution to summer heat. Air blowing through the speedy car was its “climate control” and the cars became appropriately known as "Breezers". By the 1920s mechanical ventilation had made closed trolleys more comfortable in summer and open cars in northern Ohio were relegated to memories. With America’s open trolleys long gone, preservationists turned to Latin America for examples of the type as the temperate climate there allowed them to remain in service for for many years. 1774 is one of a dozen such cars of this type brought to U.S. museums from Rio de Janeiro in 1965. It was built in the Rio de Janeiro Tramways' shops in 1912 and incorporates many Brill inspired features. The car was a part of two other museum's collections before coming to NORM.
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Streetcar #1774 Specifications
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Type:
Electric Street Car
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Description:
Double End, Double Truck, Deck Roof, Open Bench Streetcar
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Builder:
Rio de Janeiro Tramways Power & Light Company
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Year Built:
1912
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Retired:
1962
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Acquired by NORM:
2007
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Dimensions:
Length: ft. in., Width: ft. in., Height: ft. in.
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Weight:
39,683 lbs.
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Seating Capacity:
About 65, Full Width Bench type
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Trucks:
Shop
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Lines Served On:
Rio de Janeiro Tramways Power & Light Company
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Status:
Restorable Car Body
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Photos
Sister car #1794 in service in Rio de Janeiro.
(Allen Morrison Collection)
Here is #1774 in transit at Mt. Union, PA in 1965.
(Museum Collection)
November of 2009 finds #1774 spotted outside the Bennet Carhouse at NORM during a car shuffle.
(S. Heister Photo)
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