| THE P.C.C. ERA IN DETROIT – Part 1 (The Need for a Modern Streetcar — But Detroit Would Have to Wait!) |
| In 1936, the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania became the first city in the world to operate a PCC streetcar in regular service. Pittsburgh Railways Company car #1604 (above) is an example of the pre-war style PCCs manufactured through 1945. When these #1600-series PCCs were being built for Pittsburgh Railways, the St. Louis Car Company diverted two cars from that order to Detroit for testing on DSR routes. (Voogd075 photo courtesy of Dutch Wikipedia) |
As far back as the boom years of the "roaring nineteen–twenties" the streetcar industry was beginning to lose passengers
to buses, which had begun replacing streetcars in many cities across the country. In addition, the increasing popularity of
the automobile was also beginning to take a toll on ridership numbers—as streetcars were considered to be old, noisy, and
most of all, slow.
In an attempt to reverse this decline in ridership, a group of executives representing a number of electric and street railway
companies, along with representatives from the various streetcar manufacturers, founded a committee in 1929 to design
a new, modern, standard-designed streetcar, which could successfully fight off the increasing competition arising from the
rubber–tire transportation industry. Heavily involved in this new venture was Dr. Clarence F. Hirschfield, who was Chief
of Research at the Detroit Edison Company. Hirschfield had been hired by Dr. Thomas Conway, Jr. (chosen head of
this new committee), to lead the research effort behind the design of an entirely new streetcar. Although he had no prior
experience in electric railway transportation, Conway felt Hirschfield could enter the job without any preconceived ideas.
The formation of this committee, known as the Electric Railway Presidents' Conference Committee (or the ERPCC),
would result in the successful development of a new modern high-performance streetcar. This new type of streetcar would
later prove that it could effectively hold its own against buses and automobiles, and would turn out to become one of the
most reliable and better designed streetcar ever built. This new streetcar was much quieter, larger and roomier than buses,
more comfortable riding, and offered a smooth and rapid acceleration-—compared with the jerky motion of the older cars.
These cars actually accelerated faster than the automobiles of that day.
to buses, which had begun replacing streetcars in many cities across the country. In addition, the increasing popularity of
the automobile was also beginning to take a toll on ridership numbers—as streetcars were considered to be old, noisy, and
most of all, slow.
In an attempt to reverse this decline in ridership, a group of executives representing a number of electric and street railway
companies, along with representatives from the various streetcar manufacturers, founded a committee in 1929 to design
a new, modern, standard-designed streetcar, which could successfully fight off the increasing competition arising from the
rubber–tire transportation industry. Heavily involved in this new venture was Dr. Clarence F. Hirschfield, who was Chief
of Research at the Detroit Edison Company. Hirschfield had been hired by Dr. Thomas Conway, Jr. (chosen head of
this new committee), to lead the research effort behind the design of an entirely new streetcar. Although he had no prior
experience in electric railway transportation, Conway felt Hirschfield could enter the job without any preconceived ideas.
The formation of this committee, known as the Electric Railway Presidents' Conference Committee (or the ERPCC),
would result in the successful development of a new modern high-performance streetcar. This new type of streetcar would
later prove that it could effectively hold its own against buses and automobiles, and would turn out to become one of the
most reliable and better designed streetcar ever built. This new streetcar was much quieter, larger and roomier than buses,
more comfortable riding, and offered a smooth and rapid acceleration-—compared with the jerky motion of the older cars.
These cars actually accelerated faster than the automobiles of that day.
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These newly designed streetcars would also successfully eliminate three major streetcar complaints from riders-—excessive
noise, vibration, and poor ventilation. The newly designed under-truck would help to absorb bumps along the tracks, while
the heating, ventilation, and braking were much improved over the old streetcars.
This newly designed streetcar would be named, the Presidents' Conference Committee car—more popularly known as
the P.C.C. The PCC style streetcar design would become the standard for the industry for the next few decades. The first
fleet of PCCs were ordered in 1935 by the Brooklyn & Queens Transit Co. — but the first car (#100) was delivered to
the Pittsburgh Railways Company, and went into service on July 26, 1936. Production on the PCC would continue in
North America until the early 1950's, with a total of 4,978 units being built. Thousands more were also produced in Europe
through the remainder of the 20th century.
noise, vibration, and poor ventilation. The newly designed under-truck would help to absorb bumps along the tracks, while
the heating, ventilation, and braking were much improved over the old streetcars.
This newly designed streetcar would be named, the Presidents' Conference Committee car—more popularly known as
the P.C.C. The PCC style streetcar design would become the standard for the industry for the next few decades. The first
fleet of PCCs were ordered in 1935 by the Brooklyn & Queens Transit Co. — but the first car (#100) was delivered to
the Pittsburgh Railways Company, and went into service on July 26, 1936. Production on the PCC would continue in
North America until the early 1950's, with a total of 4,978 units being built. Thousands more were also produced in Europe
through the remainder of the 20th century.
| In 1936, the DSR began purchasing hundreds of these small-size Ford "Metro" Transit buses after it decided to convert its streetcar fleet over to buses. Over 2,100 small-size Fords were purchased by 1946. (DSR Files) |
The DSR entered the war era with a deteriorating streetcar fleet, and hundreds of small-size buses. The bus operation had
been performing well, as new buses were purchased prior to the war. But government-imposed gasoline and tire rationing
would force the DSR to make major adjustments, including restoring full-time streetcar service on many of the lines which
the department had begun to use buses during evening hours after 7 P.M. and all day on Sundays.
This same government rationing program was also being imposed on private automobile owners, which turned these auto
owners into transit riders by the thousands. These events forced the DSR to bring out of storage retired, old, and poorly
conditioned streetcars—including some complete with coal stoves. The cars had to be sent to the shop to be refurbished,
and then put back into service.
As auto assembly lines began producing tanks and airplanes for the war, depression era unemployment ceased, and transit
ridership boomed. But somehow the aging DSR streetcar fleet managed to hang-in there and performed quite excellently,
considering their age and worn-out condition.
When World War-II ended in August 1945, the DSR was operating with a fleet of 908 streetcars on 19 car routes. High
wartime ridership demands had taken its toll on the DSR's existing rolling stock. Most of the rail fleet at that time consisted
of Peter Witt style cars built between 1921 and 1930, and double–truck steel–body cars that dated back even further to
the pre-1922 DUR years. During the war, orders from the Office of Defense Transportation (ODT) required streetcar
use over buses whenever possible to help conserve gasoline and rubber. Since no new rail equipment had been purchased
by the DSR since 1930, the department's aging streetcar fleet was badly in need of replacement.
In August of 1945, the DSR—realizing that its existing rail fleet had worn out—ordered "two" PCC cars from the St. Louis
Car Company for revenue service testing on its lines. Two demonstrator "air-electric" cars, numbered #100 and #101,
were diverted from an order being built for the Pittsburgh Railways Company. The cars arrived in early October, still in
their red and cream Pittsburgh colors, and were placed into service on the heavy Woodward Avenue line.
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Information for the above article was compiled from numerous on-line sources relating to the history of the PCC streetcar, and from various articles written by Jack E.
Schramm on Detroit's Street Railways.
Schramm on Detroit's Street Railways.
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© 2007 (PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON 04-29-07)
Meanwhile, here in Detroit, the reception toward these new modern
streamlined cars was somewhat lukewarm and indifferent. Fred A.
Nolan — who became DSR General Manager in 1934 — found the
PCC to be an impressive and undeniably attractive transit vehicle—
in addition to being quieter and faster than buses. But Nolan insisted
that the cars were not for Detroit—since he and DSR management
had already determined that the city's street railway system would
be converted over to an "all bus" operation by 1953. Nolan felt that
the PCC wouldn't be worth the investment for so short a period. As
a result, no new rail cars were bought by the DSR during that time.
Instead, over two thousand small-size Ford Transit buses would be
purchased by the city beginning in 1936. However, World War-II
would soon follow, and somewhat sidetrack the conversion program
plans—–if only for a short period.
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
| The web-site which takes a look back at the History of Public Transportation in and around the City of Detroit. |
| .. |
| FOR THE D.S.R. PCC ROSTER LISTING SEE: PCC ROSTER |
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