01400 Red Painted Bluebird Revival #1Call them Redbirds (Not to be confused with the NYC Subway cars on hand), Bluebirds (the original paint), 01400's, #5 Cambridge-Dorchester cars, but most riders would have called them loud, rough riding, and uncomfortable, and these cars built by Pullman Standard served Red Line riders from 1963 to 1994. Mostly running from Harvard to Ashmont, modifications to these cars, which included headlights, allowed Braintree branch operations.
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Car numbered 01450 and 01455 arrived at Seashore in 1995 in serviceable condition, yet sat for 22 years until a very ambitious and dedicated group of guys set out to bring these red painted Bluebirds back to life. Their hard work paid off, as the Bluebirds made their operational debut to very eager passengers at Seashore's "Rapid Transit Day" this past Saturday.
On their second passenger filled trip, here are rough red painted Bluebirds passing by a couple of cars from MBTA's Blue Line past (Not known as Bluebirds) which include the 1923 Type 2 Pullman Standard cars (far right) which served riders from 1924 to 1980, and Type 3 St. Louis Car Company cars which arrived for the Orient Heights extension which served from 1951 to 1980.
Arguably for the first time since 1963, riders were very excited to once again take a ride in these revived 01400 cars!
Unknown photographer October 7, 2017.
Added to the photo archive by Jay Gadon, October 10, 2017.
Railroad: Seashore Trolley Museum.
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