American Car Company Streetcar, 1922
Add to SetSummary
Faced with growing competition from automobiles, streetcar companies economized. Charles O. Birney designed a small, single-truck streetcar that could be operated by one person rather than the usual two-member crew. The Birney Safety Car included a "dead man" controller that stopped the vehicle if the operator unexpectedly let go. This Birney car operated in Fort Collins, Colorado, from 1924-1951.
Faced with growing competition from automobiles, streetcar companies economized. Charles O. Birney designed a small, single-truck streetcar that could be operated by one person rather than the usual two-member crew. The Birney Safety Car included a "dead man" controller that stopped the vehicle if the operator unexpectedly let go. This Birney car operated in Fort Collins, Colorado, from 1924-1951.
Artifact
Streetcar
Date Made
November 1922

On Exhibit
at Henry Ford Museum in Transportation - Streetcars
Object ID
53.34.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of National Railway Historical Society.
Material
Cane (Plant material)
Leather
Steel
Wood (Plant material)
Color
Black (Color)
Red
Dimensions
Height: 117.625 in
Width: 92 in
Length: 343.625 in
Weight: 17000 lbs
Inscriptions
Painted on each side: 26 / FORT COLLINS MUNICIPAL RAILWAY / 26 Painted by door on each side: PLEASE HAVE / EXACT FARE READY Handle marked: PAT. JUNE 5, 1917 Air brake handle marked: T 23981