Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 01450 and 01455

In 1961, Boston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) ordered 92 new cars from Pullman-Standard to re-equip the Cambridge-Dorchester rapid transit line. Pullman delivered the cars, Nos. 01400-01491, in 1963. (In Boston, rapid transit car numbers all started with zero to distinguish them from surface streetcars.) The 01400s went into service on May 3, 1963. The 01400 series cars, designated Cambridge-Dorchester number 5s, replaced original Cambridge-Dorchester cars dating to 1911 as well as the #4 Cambridge-Dorchester cars (Nos. 0695-0754) dating from 1928. (Seashore has five of the #4 cars, including three that are held for parts.) The design of the 01400 cars was similar to the 01100 series cars built in 1957 for the Main Line (Orange Line). The cars carried a blue, white and gold paint scheme based on the colors of the Massachusetts Commonwealth flag. In common with many other rapid transit cars, the number 5s were built and operated in pairs. The “A” car had the motor generator set and storage battery while the “B” car had the air compressor for the air brakes. The MTA ordered the number 5s with some modern features but also endeavored to keep construction cost down. At 69 ½ feet, the 01400s were the longest rapid transit cars in the U.S. when built. They had curved sides which provided wider aisle space. The 01400s had space inside the car for the guard who controlled the doors, unlike on the number 4s where the guard stood on the car platform. The #5s lacked air conditioning and were built of Cor-Ten steel rather than more costly aluminum or stainless steel. These were the last Boston rapid transit cars built without air conditioning. Interior surfaces were plastic which did not require paint. The cars were considered rough riding and noisy. Top speed was 55 mph. In 1964, shortly after the arrival of the #5s, the MTA was absorbed into the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). MBTA adopted a color coding scheme to identify Boston’s various transit lines. The Cambridge-Dorchester line became the Red Line because the line’s northern terminal was at Harvard University whose official color is crimson. However, the #5s did not receive their red paint scheme until the early1980s when the MBTA extended the Red Line to Alewife. In 1994, the MBTA retired the 01400 cars and replaced them with the 01800 series cars built by Bombardier. The MBTA kept four 01400s for work train service and sent two to Seashore. The rest were scrapped. In 1995, the MBTA agreed to sell Nos. 01450 and 01455 to Seashore for $1 each. At the time, the museum intended to restore one car to its original blue, white and gold colors and restore the other to its later red colors. No. 01450 is an “A” car with the battery, and No. 01455 is a “B” car with an air compressor. In 2017, Seashore installed trolley poles so they could operate on museum trackage.