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89:) streetcars. Birneys were small and light, about a third the weight of conventional cars of the period; were of rugged, standardized construction; mass-produced and inexpensively built. Twin motors gave them nimble acceleration. Birney cars averaged about 28 feet (8.5 m) in length and typically had seating for about 32 passengers.
201:
Birney cars began to fall from favor in part because of the features that had originally made them attractive. Their light weight could be a problem in snow that a heavier car could easily plow through. Their short length made their ride quality comparatively poor, and on poorly maintained track they
213:
The streetcar companies also found that the safety features of the Birney, such as the use of interlocked doors to prevent the car from starting if a door was open or a passenger was stuck, could be incorporated in larger cars and that the public was not as disturbed by the absence of the conductor
328:
purchased two. The two
Birneys in Geelong were unusual, having been built with longitudinal seating. These and the four Adelaide cars were transferred to Bendigo in 1947, where four of them remained in revenue service until 1972. One each of the Geelong and Adelaide cars is operational on the
258:
Although the vast majority of the cars built were sold to streetcar operators in North
America (including in Mexico and Cuba), a small number went to much more distant places, such as Australia and New Zealand. In the latter, Birney cars were imported for use by the provincial centres of
222:
Its initial rise and fall notwithstanding, the Birney car was useful and durable, and many were shipped to streetcar systems in other countries, especially ones located in smaller cities and towns, where they served for additional decades. For example, the
197:
Thousands of the cars were purchased from their inception to a few years after the end of the war. Production peaked in 1920, with 1,699 cars built in that year alone, but then declined rapidly and ended in 1930.
255:
from 1920 to 1921 when the TTC took over the TCR and continued operating the cars until 1940 (remaining 14 cars were sold to
Halifax excluding 3 sold to Cornwall in 1926 and 8 to Halifax in 1927).
151:
The Birney Car also introduced the use of pneumatically balanced and interlocked doors. If a door was stuck open, or a passenger or other object blocked the door, the motors could not be started.
82:
systems in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. The design was named the "Safety Car", and became known as the "Birney Safety Car" and ultimately simply as the "Birney" car.
70:
The Birney car was the joint 1915 invention of
Charles Birney and Joseph Bosenbury (who was issued the patents in 1917 and 1919, and assigned half to Birney; see Brill page 140). Birney was an
50:
that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower
62:
version were built. Several different manufacturers built Birney cars. The design was "the first mass-produced standard streetcar (albeit with minor variations)" in North
America.
166:
158:". This device removed power from the car's motors and applied the air brakes if the controller handle was released for any reason, causing the car to come to an abrupt stop.
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31:
294:
both were served by Birney streetcars, the former's fleet being made up entirely of Birney cars – 61 of them – of both single- and double-truck configuration. In 1930, the
136:
additionally attractive as it addressed the wartime labor shortage. When labor was available, Birneys could be operated at more frequent intervals, prompting the
169:, which later cancelled the order. The two cars – the only double-truck center-entrance Birney cars to be built – were eventually delivered to the
165:
version of the Birney car was developed in the 1920s, incorporating its most successful features. The first of these were ordered in 1918 by the
487:
has built at least 18 replica Birney cars, in the style of the less-common double-truck Birney car design, since 1999. Gomaco fitted these with
886:
181:, which used them exclusively. In addition to 11 double-truck passenger cars, which featured deluxe interior appointments and toilets for
373:
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314:
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cost than conventional streetcars. Production of Birney cars lasted from 1915 until 1930, and more than 6,000 of the original, single-
881:
206:
easily. The public began to deride them as flimsy. Their limited passenger capacity rendered them unsuitable for busy routes and
651:
Myers, Johnnie J. (1982). "Texas
Electric Railway." Chicago, Illinois, USA: Central Electric Railfans' Association. pp. 164–166.
515:. Gomaco also restored an original single-truck Birney car body in 2002–3 for the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District in
633:
397:
236:
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863:(She is a great-great-great-granddaughter of company founder John George Brill). (Birney safety cars pages 140–145, 162)
239:) across North America to build an "all-Birney fleet" and keep its streetcar system going in the difficult years of the
860:
720:
678:
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298:, Brazil, tramway system bought 20 second-hand Birney cars from Boston and these cars were converted to metre gauge.
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In
Australia, seven of the eight Birney cars imported there have survived in operating condition: five are at
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service, causing them to be relegated to minor lines or to be sold mostly to small-town streetcar systems.
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443:. Thus, Australia has a high proportion of the world's surviving, operable Birney cars. In New Zealand,
452:
252:
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125:
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operations. Single examples of original Birney cars are in service on heritage streetcar lines in
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21:
27:
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231:, Canada, bought up Birneys secondhand from other systems (including 22 acquired from the
8:
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436:
349:
283:
97:
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No.16 was recently rediscovered and recovered to the Bill
Richardson Transport World in
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361:
101:
75:
55:
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including the two ex-Geelong cars and three from
Adelaide, one G type at the Adelaide
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in 1921. Double-truck Birney cars were sold to a number of systems, including that of
856:
716:
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133:
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A number of Birney cars remain in use today in North
America at trolley museums and
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330:
325:
240:
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416:) has one fully restored Birney car. Additionally, replica Birney cars built by
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Cities in South America whose streetcar companies purchased Birney cars included
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service, the Texas Interurban operated three unusual Birney-based double-truck
174:
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in the South Island, reputedly the world's most southerly tramway system.
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without passenger seats or windows– the only cars of this type ever built.
17:
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The controls on the Birney Car also included an early application of the "
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140:"A Car in Sight at all Times". This latter attraction was one of the
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673:. Toronto, Ontario: Upper Canada Railway Society. p. 111–115.
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295:
71:
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112:
385:
137:
623:
100:, but several other companies also manufactured Birneys (e.g.
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by Debra Brill (2001, Indiana University Press, Bloomington)
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389:
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heritage line; the three other Adelaide cars are held by the
162:
86:
59:
451:, and Invercargill Birney car No. 15, restored by the
79:
715:. New York: Bonde Press. pp. 96, 97, 105, 182, 183.
420:
are in service in at least four U.S. cities (see below).
519:; this was intended for static display in a local park.
603:. St. Louis, MO (US): Archway Publishing. p. 97.
92:The largest producer of Birney Safety Cars was the
340:
85:The vehicle was a return to single-truck (single-
868:
337:, South Australia, with one in regular service.
144:industry's first attempts to deal directly with
120:The Birney was designed to operate with only a
107:
247:, finally retiring its last car in 1949. The
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645:
594:
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282:in Ecuador obtained Birneys secondhand from
32:Fort Collins Municipal Railway Birney car 21
563:
561:
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315:Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board
706:
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475:and is being restored for static display.
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589:
832:. Gomaco Trolley Company. Archived from
710:
546:
344:
111:
26:
749:"The Port Adelaide Tramways 1879-1935"
701:
624:Connecticut Motor Coach Museum (2005).
869:
662:
478:
598:
237:Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway
804:"Our fleet – South Australian Trams"
668:
574:, pp. 122–127, 210, 414. Milwaukee:
406:National Register of Historic Places
217:
887:Train-related introductions in 1915
628:. Arcadia Publishing. p. 127.
116:Birney safety car, typical interior
13:
853:History of the J. G. Brill Company
447:Birney No. 8 is preserved by
14:
898:
755:issue 262 August 1995 pages 19/20
382:McKinney Avenue Transit Authority
323:Melbourne Electric Supply Company
233:Toronto Transportation Commission
810:. Tramway Museum, St Kilda. 2019
882:Streetcars of the United States
822:
796:
770:
765:Birney Safety Cars in Melbourne
758:
499:. These have been supplied to
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729:
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341:Preservation and continued use
171:Waterbury and Milldale Tramway
1:
601:Veteran & Vintage Transit
539:
214:as the companies had feared.
78:, an operator of a number of
20:vehicle. For other uses, see
808:The Tramway Museum, St Kilda
167:Cape Breton Electric Company
108:Benefits and safety features
65:
7:
522:
10:
903:
713:Latin America by Streetcar
671:The Toronto Civic Railways
483:In the United States, the
453:Tramway Historical Society
286:. The Colombian cities of
192:
16:This article is about the
15:
669:Hood, J. William (1986).
599:Young, Andrew D. (1997).
505:Charlotte, North Carolina
404:, are listed on the U.S.
124:, saving the cost of the
830:"Replica Birney Trolley"
784:. Bendigo Tramways. 2019
737:"The Tramways of Brazil"
711:Morrison, Allen (1996).
429:Tramway Museum, St Kilda
392:. Three of these cars,
335:Tramway Museum, St Kilda
303:Municipal Tramways Trust
263:in the North Island and
179:Texas Interurban Railway
877:Tram vehicles of Canada
572:The Time of the Trolley
457:Ferrymead Heritage Park
410:Nelson Electric Tramway
356:, Rio Vista, California
134:single-person operation
22:Birney (disambiguation)
485:Gomaco Trolley Company
370:Fort Collins, Colorado
357:
354:Western Railway Museum
309:purchased four as its
278:, in Argentina, while
253:Birney cars in Toronto
249:Toronto Civic Railways
117:
96:, a subsidiary of the
35:
767:Melbourne Tram Museum
568:Middleton, William D.
509:Little Rock, Arkansas
497:Peter Witt streetcars
352:Birney car 62 at the
348:
317:purchased two as its
115:
30:
529:Peter Witt streetcar
465:Christchurch tramway
380:, as well as on the
378:Fort Smith, Arkansas
374:San Jose, California
235:(TTC) and five from
94:American Car Company
576:Kalmbach Publishing
479:Replica Birney cars
437:Hawthorn tram depot
398:Fort Collins car 22
394:Fort Collins car 21
350:Sacramento Northern
284:Trenton, New Jersey
98:J. G. Brill Company
76:Stone & Webster
626:Waterbury Trolleys
517:Fresno, California
513:Memphis, Tennessee
463:, operates on the
408:. In Canada, the
402:Fort Smith car 224
362:heritage streetcar
358:
118:
102:Ottawa Car Company
36:
695:"Halifax Transit"
635:978-0-7385-3811-2
449:Wanganui Tramways
433:Melbourne X class
301:In Australia the
218:International use
161:A longer, double-
74:with the firm of
44:Birney Safety Car
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782:Bendigo Tramways
778:"Our tram fleet"
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331:Bendigo Tramways
241:Great Depression
128:. The advent of
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435:housed at the
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175:Tampa, Florida
142:street railway
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861:0-253-33949-9
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836:on 2001-06-17
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46:is a type of
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838:. Retrieved
834:the original
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812:. Retrieved
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798:
786:. Retrieved
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772:
760:
752:Trolley Wire
750:
745:
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473:Invercargill
469:Invercargill
461:Christchurch
445:New Plymouth
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414:Nelson, B.C.
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300:
269:
265:Invercargill
261:New Plymouth
257:
251:operated 25
245:World War II
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187:express cars
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69:
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39:
37:
18:mass transit
229:Nova Scotia
130:World War I
871:Categories
840:2009-05-31
540:References
431:, and one
321:; and the
313:tram; the
183:interurban
146:automobile
441:Melbourne
326:(Geelong)
280:Guayaquil
272:Concordia
208:rush hour
126:conductor
66:Invention
48:streetcar
814:20 March
788:20 March
570:(1967).
523:See also
495:, Italy
491:from ex-
384:line in
307:Adelaide
296:Curitiba
288:MedellĂn
204:derailed
122:motorman
72:engineer
319:X class
292:Pereira
193:Decline
80:trolley
859:
719:
677:
655:
632:
607:
582:
489:trucks
418:Gomaco
400:, and
386:Dallas
376:, and
311:Type G
276:Paraná
138:slogan
40:Birney
493:Milan
390:Texas
163:truck
132:made
87:bogie
60:truck
56:labor
857:ISBN
816:2019
790:2019
717:ISBN
675:ISBN
653:ISBN
630:ISBN
605:ISBN
580:ISBN
511:and
412:(in
290:and
274:and
243:and
54:and
455:at
439:in
104:).
42:or
873::
806:.
780:.
703:^
644:^
591:^
578:.
548:^
507:;
503:;
467:.
459:,
396:,
388:,
372:;
368:;
305:,
227:,
38:A
843:.
818:.
792:.
739:.
725:.
697:.
683:.
659:.
638:.
613:.
586:.
24:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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