THE 1000s

DTAR 1000-1009  34' 2" OB
48' 2" OA
10' 8¾" HT
8' 6½" W
76-E1 Perley A. Thomas Car Works ON 132 1926 [Note] 10 cars
DTAR 1010-1019  34' 2" OB
48' 2" OA
10' 8¾" HT
8' 6½" W
76-E1* St. Louis Car Co. ON 1429 21 Oct 26 10 cars
(Truck orders) Brill ON 22576 20 10 76-E1 26" WH, GE 265G mot. (Am. Car Co. for NOPSI) 27 Dec. 26 Promised 15 Mar. 27
Brill ON 22576½ 4 76-E1 26" WH, GE 265G mot. (Am. Car Co. for NOPSI) 27 Dec. 26 Promised 15 Mar. 27
Brill ON 22577 16 76-E1 WHSE 510-E 35 hp. (Am. Car Co. for NOPSI) 27 Dec. 26 Promised 15 Mar. 27
Note discrepancy in trucks: only enough for 15 cars.

* NOPSI ordered ff from St. Louis Car Co.: “1 set 'EIB 64' trucks 5'4" WB ON 6091” no date, but listed in between dates 17 Feb. 28 & 21 May 28.  These used under 1010 for experimental operation for over one year.  GE & WHSE platform controls tried, RE has specs.  1010 RT with 76-E1 trucks in early 1930s.

Discrepancy in number of trucks / number of cars.  No explanation for reducing 22576 to 10 trucks (20 would have, when added to other two orders, made enough pairs for 20 cars).  NOPSI was considering the St. Louis EIB 64, perhaps for 5 cars.  5 sets could have come from earlier orders of 76-E1 trucks.  Only one pair of EIB 64 known.

[Note] NOPSI records state ON date was 22 Aug. 27, but car builder's dates earlier.  No explanation.

FIRST NEWS: TP 11/21/26 “New cars ordered for Dryades — other lines.”  The first 1000s arrived 23 Jan. 28 — designed for two-man...or one-man...operation, one of the factors precipitating the long and violent strike of 1929.  After the strike, retention of two-man operation of all streetcars in N. O. assured.  For the next five years the 1000s saw service on several lines to support 800s and 900s.  There is a famous ad in ET showing a 1000 on West End.  On 21 Apr. 35 the 1000s were assigned to operate full time the St. Claude Line, with 800s helping rush hours.

The 1000s were 4-motor cars (which may explain why NOPSI experimented with 4-motor operation of 800s and 900s).  Floor and platforms used graduating ramp each end of body to eliminate steps at bulkheads.  Treadle rear exit doors.  Windows were brass sash.  P - S pp. 159-160.  Scale drawing S p. 161.  Cars 1010 and 1011 used GE type Q form E quick service valve; cars 1012 & 1013 used WHSE type E relay valve.  Both reduce time lag and increase braking.

Interior trim was cherry, bronze car trimmings, pantasote curtains, agasote headlining.  Paint - Murphy Varnish Co.  Hale & Kilburn seats - wood slat (required by humid heat weather in N. O.).  Ellison 1" white enamel staunchions.  See ERJ vol. 70 no. 16 p. 764 15 Oct. 27 & vol. 71 no. 17 p. 263 11 Feb. 28 (see also ERJ 20 Aug. 27 & 28 Jan. 28).

All 20 cars SCR by early 1949, after St. Claude Line ended streetcar service early hours of 1 Jan. 49.  The 1000s made their last run to the Napoleon Yard, were loaded onto barges, and moved across the Mississippi River for SCR on the “right bank” of the river.  Some observers, seeing the cars on a barge, assumed the 1000s would journey to South America for future service (which they were mechanically capable of doing).  Unfortunately, the scrapyard claimed them long before their utility had been fully used.

NOPSI1001-1man This apparently posed picture, taken along City Park Ave. in front of Delgado College, shows Perley Thomas car 1001 demonstrating how riders would board and alight from the car in one-man service.  The car is signed Special.  We see a passenger boarding at the front door and another exiting from the rear door, the opposite of the usual practice in New Orleans at that time. — George Friedman collection

NOPSI1000-StClaude-NRampart+CanalSt-c1938 Perley Thomas car 1000 is at the St. Claude terminal on N. Rampart at Canal on a rainy day around 1938.  Car 872 in the right background is passing on Canal Street, probably on the Cemeteries or West End line.  The St. Claude car has changed ends and is ready to begin its downbound (outbound) run to the American Sugar Refinery.  Note the roof colors: white or silver, probably to reflect the sun and make the car a bit cooler in summer; and a broad black stripe to hide sparks from the trolley wheel, which otherwise would inevitably stain the light colored roof.  This roof treatment was given c. 1938 to at least some cars in all four Perley Thomas car series, the 400s, 800s, 900s, and 1000s, but it did not last long. — Louis Hennick collection

New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

Riverfront Line Equipment  1988 4'8½"  1997 RG 5'2½"

DTAR 450 Ex NOPSI 924, RB, RG, REN 1988 under supervision Al Townsend.  In 1995 Fed. Govt. required all cars on Riverfront compliant with ADA (Americans with Disability Act).  Stored at Napoleon Barn, then RG again.  Now at Carrollton Sta., idle.  In fair condition, but partially dismantled.  Still has 76-E2 trucks.  First RB unveiled 7/14/88.
451 Ex NOPSI 919, RB, RG, REN 1988, also the work of Mr. Townsend.  Same fate as 450, in better condition, idle at Carrollton Sta., on 76-E2 trucks.  RB completed by 8/14/88 (Riverfront opening).
452 Ex Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways 626 W2 class, BLT 1930 Preston Workshops.  Required ramps at station stops to provide wheelchair service.  Stored after ruling by govt. in new Napoleon Barn.  SLD Main St. Trolley, Memphis, Tenn. 2001, via Gomaco for refurbishing.  (Details from DC.)
453 Ex NOPSI 453, ex N.O.Ry.&Lt. Co. 303.  Never ran on Riverfront.  Stored inside at Carrollton Station.
454 Ex M&MT 478 W1 class, BLT 1928 Preston Workshops, conv. SW2 class 1938.  Same fate as 452.
455 Ex M&MT 331 W class, BLT 1926 Holden's Body Builders, conv. W2 class 1928-33.  Added to fleet in 1990 after Riverfront was double tracked.  Same fate as 452.
456 Ex NOPSI 952, RB, RG, REN 1990 after Riverfront was double tracked, Al Townsend.  Stored 1995 new Napoleon Barn.  RB to 1964 (second RB), REN (original no.) 952, sent 1998 to S. F. Municipal Ry. (in exchange for S. F. Muni. Ry. cable car no. 59, exhibited in City Park, unprotected, eaten with termites, now in deplorable condition, stored inside Carrollton Station), where it suffered a bad accident, but immediately repaired and is operating.  (See also 913.)
457 Ex NOPSI 957.  Dismantled, stored until 1996.  RB, REN 1997.  FIRST OF RIVERFRONT LINE'S SEVEN CAR FLEET.  Supervised by Elmer Von Dullen.  See Changing Directions RTA-TMSEL Newsletter vol. 1, no. 1, 1997.  Von Dullen designated 457 “the prototype” of the fleet.  He invented the car's chair lift (the only returned 900 so equipped).  457 RT with CKD trucks, after RT experimentally with PCC trucks and controls salvaged from 2nd hand Philadelphia PCC cars, as was car 458.
458-463 Completely built at Carrollton Station, same type trucks assembled in N. O. by agreement with CKD Tatra Carbuilders of the Czech Republic.  458-463 are identical with 457, in effect 6 more 900-types, but all with Von Dullen lifts.

1995-08-slide109 Car 450, ex-924, proceeds upbound on the standard gauge Riverfront Line in August 1995.  Unlike any previous New Orleans streetcars, the route name is painted across the dash, with the car number mounted above the center window (where the route name appears on all other cars). — George Friedman photo

1995-08-slide111 Car 454, ex-Melbourne 478, downbound on the Riverfront Line in August 1995.  After regauging of Riverfront, this car and its two sisters were sold to Memphis. — George Friedman photo

2003-08-06-EPSN0011 Car 457, ex-957, was the first of the new wide gauge cars for Riverfront.  It is seen here on August 6, 2003 at the Canal Street stop, heading downbound toward the French Market. — George Friedman photograph

2003-08-06-EPSN0009 Car 460, one of the completely new cars, proceeding downbound past the old Jax Brewery toward the French Market end of the line. — George Friedman photo

2003-08-06-EPSN0044 The interior of car 460, taken from the wheelchair access door, showing the longitudinal seats along the right side of the car, to accommodate standing crowds. — George Friedman photo

2003-08-06-EPSN0023 One of the advantages of regauging the Riverfront Line to match the gauge of the St. Charles Line is that Riverfront cars can be housed at Carrollton Station, rather than being stored somewhere along Riverfront.  Here is car 463 on St. Charles Ave., August 6, 2003, deadheading down to Canal Street to begin its day's service on Riverfront. — George Friedman photo

Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans August 29, 2005.  All the Riverfront and Canal Line cars, except for 461, were held at the Canal SIS car barn.  Car 461 was at Carrollton Station for repainting.  The flooding in the aftermath of the hurricane drowned the Canal SIS site, soaking all the streetcars (and the buses) stored there, and completely ruining their delicate electronic controls.  RTA was allowed to bring some of the St. Charles cars, the Perley Thomas 900s, down to Canal Street and to operate them on the Riverfront and Canal Lines.  This was begun December 18, 2005, and continued until the 2000-series cars were refurbished and became available for service on Canal and Riverfront in early 2009.

Car 461 was given a unique blue and yellow livery in early 2006, and was used in service on Riverfront for a while.  However, when it developed some control problems, it was returned to Carrollton Station and stored pending rebuilding and repainting along with the rest of its class.

NORTA_461-blue-Riverfront-2006-05-23-07 Car 461 in its blue and yellow dress, along the Riverfront Line, May 23, 2006.  The car number has been restored to its New Orleans standard position on the front dash above the headlight.  (The route name should be above the center window, but no roll sign or name plate was installed.) — Earl Hampton photo

In early December 2007, Brookville Equipment Co., the company which had provided the trucks and control systems for the 2000 series Canal cars, was given the contract for the components necessary to rebuild all 31 damaged streetcars: the 24 Canal cars and all 7 Riverfront cars, including the 461.  Repainting of the red cars at Carrollton was already under way.  The trucks were remanufactured at the BEC facility in Brookville, PA.  Installation of the new trucks and controls, including rewiring of the cars, was done at Carrollton Station shops from early 2008 to early 2010.  The 2000s were rebuilt first, then the 457-463 series cars were given the same treatment.  Cars 457-463 resumed service on Riverfront in early 2010.

The result of the rebuilding is that all of the red “Perley Thomas replica” cars (2001-2024 and 457-463) have the same trucks and controls: Brookville trucks with upgraded Saminco drives and TMV control systems.

2006-06-03-DSCF1864 One of the remanufactured trucks as delivered to Carrollton Station by Brookville Equipment Co., June 3, 2006. — Earl Hampton photo

2010-02-19-EPSN0451 Refurbished car 458, with 463 behind it, is at Carrollton Station, almost ready to reenter Riverfront service, February 19, 2010.  The route name is displayed above the center window, though it is a painted name plate, not a roll sign, and the car number appears above the headlight, the same as on other New Orleans streetcars. — George Friedman photo

In 2020, RTA selected cars 460-463 to provide ADA-compliant wheelchair service on the St. Charles line.  The most obvious difference is that they were painted green, matching the Perley Thomas 900 series cars.  Each car now carries a wheelchair symbol on its ends and sides.

NORTA_463-StCharles-Nashville-IB Green car 463 operating on the St. Charles line to provide wheelchair service, Christmas Day, 2021.  Note Christmas decorations along the roof line on the car end.  It is on St. Charles Avenue, having just passed Nashville inbound. — Earl Hampton photo

Copyright © 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014 Louis C. Hennick.  Photos copyright © 2010, 2021 by the persons credited.  Picture captions copyright © 2010, 2014, 2022 H. George Friedman, Jr.  All rights reserved.

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