Car
754
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| • | 754, a 19-ton, 48-foot, 54-seat streetcar was built in 1926 by American Car Company for Dallas Railway and Terminal Co. It was originally a "Peter Witt" center entrance car. |
| • | The DR&T later removed 754's center doors when the company rebuilt each of its Peter Witts for one-man operation. |
| • | 754 was on the active DR&T roster until the end of operations in January 1956. |
| • | Shortly after system abandonment, Ben Carpenter (son of the president of Dallas Railway and Terminal Company from 1927 to 1935) moved 754 to his family's Hackberry Creek Ranch in Irving, Texas, and placed it on concrete blocks. |
| • | 754 spent its retirement years there serving as a playhouse for the Carpenter children and grandchildren. About ten years ago, the family built a miniature town around the car body. |
| • | When all of his children and grandchildren had grown up, Mr. Carpenter decided it was time to donate the streetcar to the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority. |
| • | The car was well cared for: The seats were in good condition, the windows and doors were intact, and the floor was in quite good shape. Even the roof had held up well. MATA Chairman Phil Cobb said, "Considering its age, the streetcar is in fabulous condition." |
| • | We awarded a contract to Edwards Railway & Motorcar Company of Montgomery, Alabama, to restore 754. It's 100% restoration will include Melbourne Type Y trucks to which will be added resilient wheels. The Edwards Company has an outstanding reputation in the construction of reliable rail cars. |
| • | 754 will be insulated and air conditioned. She will ride on resilient wheels and have a/c motors. These improvements will result in a smoother, more comfortable, and quieter ride. |
| • | 754 is painted in Dallas Railway and Terminal's postwar read and cream color scheme. |
| • | The 754 restored car body arrived at MATA on June 21, 2009. She is being finished with wiring, controls, motors, trucks, etc. and will soon be placed into revenue service. |
