Brookville Tapped for the El Paso Streetcar Project
The Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA), working with the city of El Paso, Texas, has agreed to terms with Brookville Equipment Corp. for the complete overhaul, restoration, and modernization of six Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars originally manufactured in 1937. This agreement is for the forthcoming 4.8-mile El Paso Streetcar Project, which will return the city of El Paso’s PCC vehicles to service for the first time since 1974.
The contract, valued at $18.8 million, includes completely stripping down the vehicle frames, repairing and replacing structural carbody components, a complete rewiring, truck remanufactures, door upgrades, and integration of modern technologies to provide a modern transit solution wrapped in a nostalgic, historical package. Key modern amenities will include the integration of HVAC units, a wheelchair lift system to ensure ADA accessibility, WiFi hotspot access, bike racks, and fareboxes.
The PCC restorations will begin in November at Brookville’s manufacturing facility in Brookville, Pennsylvania. As currently envisioned, the six streetcars will be refinished in El Paso’s original paint schemes from the 1950s (green, orange and white), 1960s (blue and white), and late 1960s and early 1970s (light blue, red and white), with two of each scheme included in the order.
“We are eager to partner with the CRRMA to return these streetcars to service for the city of El Paso and its citizens,” said Brookville Vice President of Business Development Joel McNeil. “By retaining the charms of yesteryear, while also integrating the latest technologies for passenger accessibility and convenience, we are hopeful these restored streetcars will serve as a reminder of El Paso’s unique history and become iconic symbols of its future.”
El Paso’s fleet of PCC streetcars was originally manufactured in 1937 by the St. Louis Car Co. for the city of San Diego. Later, the cars serviced El Paso and crossed into Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, before being removed from service in 1974. Since that time, the streetcars have been in outdoor storage, but now will be transported to Brookville for a complete remanufacture at the industry’s leading PCC streetcar rebuilder, with over 30 PCC streetcars in service in the United States and over 70 rebuilt or originally manufactured streetcars operating on American streets.
