Port Authority 4000 Series PCC
| Port Authority 4000 Series PCC | |
|---|---|
PCC 4001 as a static display in front of the South Hills Village depot, 2004.
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| Manufacturer | St. Louis Car Company, rebuilt by Port Authority's South Hills Junction car shops |
| Constructed | 1949 |
| Refurbishment | 1981-1988 |
| Number built | 12 |
| Number in service | 12 |
| Fleet numbers | 4001-4012 |
| Capacity | 46 (103 including standees) → 'crush'-load: 134 max. |
| Operator(s) | Port Authority of Allegheny County |
| Line(s) served | Pittsburgh Light Rail |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 46.5 feet (14.2 m) |
| Width | 8 feet (2.44 m) |
| Height | 10 feet (3.05 m) |
| Doors | 2 |
| Weight | 37,400 lb (16,964 kg) / 53,000 lb (24,040 kg) (empty/full) |
| Traction system | 4 × 48 hp or 36 kW continuous, 4 × 55 hp or 41 kW one hour (rating) |
| Acceleration | max. 4.3 MPHPS = 1.9 m/s² |
| Deceleration | max. 9.0 MPHPS = 4.0 m/s² -- service 3.6 MPHPS = 1.6 m/s² |
| Electric system(s) | 600 VDC Overhead |
| Current collection method | Pantograph |
| Track gauge | 5 ft 2 1⁄2 in (1,588 mm) Pennsylvania Trolley Gauge |
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.
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 system. 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 fifty-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 such 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. Of the sixteen, only twelve cars received the complete overhaul, while four were only partially rebuilt. These four, affectionately referred to as "Super 17's" by many, received the same mechanical and electrical improvements, seats, body work, and paint scheme as the remaining twelve, but retained several of their 1949 attributes, including original interior and exterior lighting, all-steel body panels, and operator's controls, as well as retaining their original numbers. The 4000 series cars that received the complete 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. Some cars were 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.
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