History
The 1017 is part of a 71 car order of U2s built by Siemens Duewag in Germany and California at its plant in Florin (Sacramento), California, for the SDMTS's brand new light rail line which was being constructed on the San Diego, Arizona, and Eastern Railway between San Diego and San Ysidro. They are part of the second order of post-Boeing SLRV cars to be placed in service in the United States. The overwhelming success of the San Ysidro line inspired the revival of interest in urban "light rail vehicles" in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Central and SouthAmerica.
In 1988, 1017 was featured in the film “little Nikita” staring River Phoenix.
Dates1981: both 1017 and 1018 built and delivered to SDMTS.
1981-2016: SDMTS
1988: in the Little Nikita.
2016: donated to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association by the SDMTS.