Pictures 11-34 and 11-35.

Car 970, alone of the 900 class, had four motors instead of the usual two, and so was usually assigned to St. Claude service.  Hennick & Charlton describe (pages 151-152) a 1930s experimental installation of four motors on certain 900 series cars in hopes of improving their performance.  The result of the experiment was the judgment that the expense of so equipping the entire car fleet did not justify the small improvement in performance, and so the experimental equipment was removed from the cars.  It is not clear whether car 970 was involved in that experiment, and somehow retained its four-motor configuration, or whether it was so equipped later for a reason which is lost to history.  However it came to have four motors, that configuration made it suitable to join the 1000 class cars in St. Claude line base service.

Here are two photos of car 970 in service on the St. Claude line.  In the upper view, taken in January 1948, the car is approaching Canal Street on N. Rampart.  The view is similar to that in Picture 11-9 and the next few pictures.  The car has not yet discharged its passengers, but is waiting its turn to pull up to the end of the line.  In the lower photo, taken June 10, 1947, we see the car at Canal Street, just after it has been pulled up to the stub track and its ends have been reversed.  The motorman is just pulling down what will be the front pole, as the conductor, unseen at the other end of the car, is loading what looks like a large crowd waiting to board.  Another St. Claude car is behind the 970, and will commence loading as soon as 970 begins its downbound (outbound) trip.  Note the passenger shelter at the left; compare to Picture 11-3, above. — Elliott Kahn photo, collection of J. G. Lachaussee (upper); Fred Victor DuBrutz photo (lower)

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NOPSI_970-StClaude-Rampart+CanalSt-1947-06-10.jpg

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