When the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District opened in 1972, it was the newest, most innovative and technically advanced system in the world. BART pioneered the use of central computer control and on-board electronic propulsion as well as featuring the lightest weight car per passenger ever built. The technical innovations involved in the BART system were revolutionary at the time.
Now that the BART system is in the process of replacing their original fleet of transit vehicles, the Western Railway Museum is proposing to acquire up to 3 BART cars for display. We are happy to report that, thanks to many enthusiastic meetings with BART management and shop personnel and a huge amount of time spent formulating a written response, we have recently submitted an official proposal for the acquisition.
Our proposal to BART emphasizes that the Western Railway Museum is the ideal place to preserve and interpret both BART equipment and history, but that all display options that the museum has suggested are dependent upon fundraising success. At the minimum, we need to raise sufficient funds to move 3 BART cars to the museum site. At the maximum, we could build an entire interpretive building, the Rapid Transit History Center, devoted to BART cars and BART history. Which option we pursue will depend on how much support we have from donors. Can you help make this preservation opportunity a reality? Please consider a donation today to help preserve the history of BART in the Bay Area.
