MBTA Ashmont-Mattapan PCC's

[UP4012]

These are original Boston PCC's, not like the MUNI which bought many of its PCC's from other lines. However, the cars were not built by the MTA, all of the MTA's PCC's were either Pullman-Standard or St. Louis. These cars do have HVAC. Transfer was not free from the Red Line, but you may be able to get a voucher at Ashmont.

[rail64]

Listen to the horible rumble! PCC's were designed with this to be gone by using a resilient wheel. BUT the MTA, Toronto and others in later years retroftted a solid wheel to save money. Ride is ok, but sound is awful. Ride a PCC in San Francisco or any museum and you will really hear the difference.

Sadly. the PCC's in Kenosha also have the solid wheels. They are just not fun to ride this way, with all the rumbling and racket they make.

[Cup12321]

Why is this considered the red line if it's some old school trolley thing?

[2012alexg]

is it a free transfer from the red line at Ashmont? Or is it just free at ashmont in general?

[krizvasa]

Thank you for that long article about PCC. It is remarkable but we are still using similar type of PCC streetcar in Central Europe. We have more tram systems in more cities. I would like to ask about this Ashmont-Mattapan line... So it was reopened for streetcars recently? How large is Boston streetcar system and how many people ride it instead of cars?

[UP4012]

@krizvasa The Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line was closed for renovations a couple of years ago and reopened after about a year and a half. The cars run mostly on separate right-of-way, with occassional street crossings. Currently, the only MBTA line which offeres streetcar service with tracks in the street rather than the median is the "E" Heath Street (or to some, Arborway) branch of the Green Line. The Red, Orange and Blue Lines use heavy EMU-style cars rather than LRVs (trams to you)

[ReccaDreamer]

i like these old-fashioned looking trains. but don't they got heat or AC? if not, then it'd be pretty damn cold in the winter (boston winters can be pretty brutally cold at times *with wind chills it's worst*) and in the summer, it's be damn hot. (ok so it's not that brutal temp-wise but still, the humidity is killer.)

[gp40mc]

they have heat and air conditioning.

[UP4012]

@gp40mc Right, the PCC fleet was upgraded with the infrastructure of the line. The cars would have originally had electric heat but the good old breeze-style AC. Modern AC was added in the upgrade.

[timosha21]

@UP4012 are these built in boston or are they from Philadelphia?