Red Arrow Car 14

Car 14 leaving the Yard at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. This car is currently out-of-service until repairs are made.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• trolleys
• Streetcars
• Pennsylvania
• Trolley
• Museum

[piratef2004]

the reason is that these two cars are in worst shape then red arrow no.5.

[RDG484]

I also rode No. 78 a few times as well as No. 66. I hope Brilliner No. 5 is next to be restored after your PGH low-floor.

[piratef2004]

Sorry, but West Penn 832 and Mon-West Penn 250 Are next on the list. currently Red Arrow no.5 is not on the restoration list

[RDG484]

I rode these cars to school and play countless times during my childhood; Louies, Brilliners, and Master Units.

[piratef2004]

that is really cool. if you get a chance, check out the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum outside Washington Pa

[stevefromPA2]

Use to see them lined up at Darby and 69th st outside of Philly..

[Jeffbear1]

Red Arrow car # 14 is a gorgeous restoration. I love the "as delivered" 1949 paint scheme. Also great are the original style metal windshield frames and the Golden Glow headlights....but with the correct clear lenses. The maroon, cream, silver and black colors are perfect. Too bad SEPTA couldn't have saved one, but they have never been known to be historic minded.

[RDG484]

"Out of a total of 40 Brilliners only 4 Brilliners still exist........."

Make that 3. No 7 is a write-off because I read that they were trying to take it off the trailer it was sitting on and the sides buckled. It's beyond repair, and will be used as parts for sister car No. 9.

ONLY 3 LEFT OUT OF 40!!!

[RDG484]

Yes. The Red Arrow Brilliners were the last rail cars of ANY kind built by Brill. After that it was all buses and trackless trolleys.

[italobambino43]

My misstake, I realized I made the type-o, lol. I know that according to my father, when the Route 20 would cross over Oregon Avenue in South Philly and it would head down towards Packer avenue on it's way to pick up the sailors at Broad street, the conductor would open up it's throttle and let loose! Now that line had Nearside cars on them till about 1956, he claimed they were kind of fast, not Bullit car fast however. I rode the Bullit cars since I was a kid. No need to ride it now, boring!

[italobambino43]

Thank's for the Information on the "Brilliners". To your knowledge, were these the last Streetcars Brill Co. manufactured before going out of business?

[RDG484]

That's not a Nearside car. It's a double-ender built at the same time as PRT's single-ended Peter Witts and both have many interchangeable parts. The Nearsides were also single-ended but were about 10 years older. Only one Nearside exists at Seashore. PA Trolley Museum also has a Peter Witt from Philly but it's painted green. It's not fast, though. 30 MPH may seem fast on jointed rail but is NOTHING compared to riding a Red Arrow car like No. 78 at 50 MPH on jointed rail back in Philly.

[RDG484]

PRT leased 3 of them from Brill, successor PTC later bought them. Because of their squared front ends they were restricted from many lines due to close clearances that PCC's had no trouble clearing with their more rounded front ends. All 3 were eventually scrapped. Out of a total of 40 Brilliners only 4 Brilliners still exist; all ex-Red Arrow: Nos. 7 and 9 owned by Electric City in Scranton, No. 5 here at the PA Trolley Museum, and No. 8 at Shore Line, which has been cosmetically restored.

[italobambino43]

By the way, there were a few Brilliners on the PTC system, a few of them ran on the route 26, Willow Grove line.

[italobambino43]

I have been there to the Washington Pa trolley museum, they have great stuff there! They really love the big orange PRT Brill Nearside-Peter witt car, I rode it, my first time on a Nearside car, it is beautiful, and fast to.