Built: 1913 by the J.G. Brill Company   Retired: 1959

Construction: Steel  Length: 55 ft. - 4 in.  Weight: 103,800 lbs.    

This car was built in 1913 for Southern Pacific’s “Red Electric” system operating out of Portland, Oregon. It was purpose built as a trolley Railway Post Office (RPO) car. For more information about RPO cars, click here to see RPO car ATSF 60.  By the time that system was abandoned in 1929, most of its 61 cars (including this one) had been resold to the SP-controlled Pacific Electric in Los Angeles.

In 1936 PE rebuilt the car into RPO 1406. When PE's RPO service ended in 1950 it was converted to an unpowered work car. As “wrecker” 008, it was used to move tools and supplies to the scene of accidents. It was sold for scrap in 1959.

In 1964, the Museum negotiated with the scrap dealer that had purchased the car, but was only able to buy the running gear (or “trucks”) underneath the car. However, instead of ending up on the scrap heap, the body of the car became the junk yard’s office. 28 years later, in 1992, the junk yard was sold and the owner donated the car to the Museum. The car is now reunited with its original trucks.   

Additional Photos:

1406 at the lower level yard at PE's 6th & Main terminal in Downtown Los Angeles. ERHA-SC / Ray Younghans Collection at OERM.	1406 in service. Note the SP concrete phone booth at right. ERHA-SC / Ray Younghans Collection at OERM.	The car's final configuration as Relief Car (aka "wrecker") 008. Bradford Collection, OERM
Preparing to move the 1406 to indoor storage, April 2009	Touching down on the rails, April 2009.

Page updated 8/25/09