Birney

The Birney Safety Car, even Birney Car, or Birney Safety Car is a tramcars, which was produced in two types 1915-1930 in the United States.

History

The vehicle was developed between 1910 and 1915 by engineers Charles O. Birney and Joseph M. Bosenbury. Their intention was to create a small and lightweight tram car, which, at high drive density, reduce the cost of infrastructure and personnel compared to conventional vehicles should. As a result of standardization, the railcars could be produced inexpensively and in large numbers. The low purchase price and the lower follow-up costs led to a widespread use of robust vehicles. From the two-axle design more than 6000 specimens were from different manufacturers, built until 1930. It was the first mass-produced tram vehicle of the United States. The most important manufacturer was the American Car Company, a subsidiary of the JG Brill Company.

1920 was achieved with 1699 railcars, the highest annual production. The vast majority of the deliveries went to companies in North America, including Canada, Mexico and Cuba. But businesses in Australia ( eight cars), New Zealand ( mirror up because of the link traffic in both countries ) and Argentina received Birney Safety Cars. Acquired second-hand vehicles eventually reached as far as Ecuador and Colombia.

In 1930 production ended. The lack of smoothness of the short, two-axle vehicles had become increasingly to the comfort problem. On getting worse maintained routes the derailment frequency increased, after snowfall heavier vehicles were superior. On its busiest routes and during rush times the capacity of the small railcar often no longer sufficient. They migrated to lower-level routes or sold in smaller cities.

In the 1920s, an extended design was created. The body of this four-axle vehicle rested on two bogies. The Texas Interurban Railway began in interurban traffic only that, lesser-used vehicle, with superior interior and toilets, a.

Description

Unlike the former tram vehicles with two bogies, the vehicle was biaxial and shorter. The resulting weight savings was about one-third, why not least decreased the cost of track maintenance. Two speed motors helped him to good acceleration. There was an average of 8.5 meters long and had 32 seats.

The railcars were designed for schaffner operation, this development was encouraged by the lack of personnel in the First World War. The closing of the doors was pneumatically.

The term Safety Car (German safety car ) results from the fact that the doors were locked while driving. When not starting the closed doors was not possible. For this purpose, decreed the vehicle on a dead-man who interrupted the current to the traction motors, if the driver let go of the control lever.

Whereabouts

In tram museums in North America there are several copies issued. Driving capability railcars exist, inter alia, in the museum or tourist street railway companies of Dallas ( McKinney Avenue Transit Authority ), Fort Collins (Fort Collins Municipal Railway), Fort Smith (Fort Smith Trolley Museum ), Perris ( Orange Empire Railway Museum ), Tampa ( TECO Line Streetcar system) and the Canadian Nelson ( Nelson Electric Tramway ). Also in Australia ( Bendigo, St Kilda, Melbourne) and New Zealand ( New Plymouth, Christchurch ) are vehicles mostly drivable obtained.

The four-axle design was replicated for some street railway companies in the United States by the Gomaco Trolley Company since 1999 in at least 18 copies, in a somewhat altered form. They are, among others, in Tampa, Little Rock and Memphis in use. An original vehicle is located in Tampa workup, it is the only remaining of the longest design.

List of museum vehicles ( incomplete)

Australia

  • Bendingo: Tw 30 ( biaxial, a bar pantographs, formerly Adelaide Tw 301) moves to the Tramway Museum
  • Bendigo: Tw 302 ( biaxial, a bar pantographs, formerly Adelaide, Geelong later ) running on the Tramway Museum
  • Melbourne: Tw 303 ( biaxial, a bar pantographs, formerly Adelaide ), in the St Kilda Tramway Museum
  • Melbourne: an operable Tw at Hawthorn Tram Depot

Canada

  • Nelson: Tw 400 ( biaxial, two trolley booms; formerly Victoria), in working up

New Zealand

  • Christchurch: Tw 15 ( biaxial; formerly Invercargill ), traveling on the tram museum

USA

  • Colorado Springs: Tw 135 (formerly Fort Collins Tw 22), in working up the Pikes Peak Historic Street Railway Museum
  • Dallas: Tw 686 ( biaxial, two trolley booms ) drivable
  • Fort Collins: Tw 21 ( biaxial, two trolley booms; formerly ibid.) goes on Museum Fort Collins Municipal Railway route of the Society
  • Fort Smith: Tw 224 ( biaxial, two trolley booms; formerly ibid.), ready to drive in the Fort Smith Trolley Museum
  • Pensacola: a two-axis Tw, exhibited in the Museum of Commerce
  • Perris: Tw 10 ( biaxial, a bar pantographs, formerly Pacific Electric ), moves in the local Orange Empire Railway Museum
  • Rio Vista: Tw 62 ( biaxial, two trolley booms; former Sacramento Northern), ready to drive in the Western Railway Museum
  • Tampa: Tw 163 ( biaxial, two trolley booms; formerly ibid.), TECO Line Streetcar ready to drive the system
  • Tampa: Tw 402 ( four axes, bar pantographs, formerly ibid.), in working up

Gallery

Fort Collins Birney Car 21

Carriage 62 of the Sacramento Northern Railway Western Railway Museum, Rio Vista

Four-axle cars ( replica ) in Charlotte

Fort Collins, Colorado Tampa, Florida Fort Smith (Arkansas) Perris, California Nelson (British Columbia) River Rail Streetcar MATA Trolley Victoria (British Columbia) Pensacola (Florida) Rio Vista, California Charlotte (North Carolina)
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