Both built in 1946 by St. Louis Car Co.

These are PCC (President Conference Committee) cars built for St. Louis. They were numbered 1720 & 1726. In 1957 they were leased by San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) and later purchase in 1961. In SF they were renumbered 118 & 1159 respectively. PCC's were the electric railroad's answer to the new competition caused by buses and automobiles. They ride very smooth and accelerate quickly. The design was done from 1928-34. They allowed some operations to continue until the 50's. The PCC's were so innovative that some patents are still being used today. PCC trucks are still used today on some Heavy Rail transit lines in the US. There were at least 5000 PCC cars built in the US, many more in foreign countries.

San Francisco retired these cars in the mid-80's when the new MUNI Metro subway opened. This subway converted 5 streetcar lines to light rail standards. The Subway was no place for a PCC. The subway could only load from "high platforms". Today SF has put PCC's back in operation on Market Street on the "F-Market" line. These PCC's were bought from Philadelphia and refurbished. They are painted in colors of many different former streetcar operators throughout the US.

Car 1118 (3/23/02)

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Page last updated 08/27/07