Overview: The PCC Streetcar gets its name from the group which designed it, the President's Conference Committee. This group which was made up of owners of transit authorities, public and private operators of street railways and electric equipment builders met in 1931 to design a streetcar which better suited the needs of both the companies which operated them and the passengers who ride them. This committee conducted a 4 year span of research from which a list of specifications could be made. The design also allowed for any interested transit companies to slightly modify the design at a reasonable cost to meet city specific needs. The design created by the PCC was shifted into a new company called the Transit Research Corporation which continued the work of the committee after it was disbanded. The TRC protected the patents for the streetcar while allowing various companies to build licensed models for profit but royalties had to be paid to the TRC. The PCC Design committee sparked rival companies to imitate the PCC's concept design of a streetcar that could be used in various cities but all ultimately failed.

 

 

 

 

 

A large portion of the PCC Design was focused on reducing noise which streetcars produced a lot of. This was done by replacing many parts such as the springs with rubber instead of metal which reduced vibration and thus reduced noise. The wheels were also engineered with what is sometimes called the "Sandwich" method placing a rubber wheel in between two metal ones and this also helped reduce noise and improve comfort. Another main focus was in the gear assembly. Gears on older streetcars produce most of the noise heard and the PCC Streetcar used Hypoid Gears. These gears which are assembled at a right angle allow more teeth of the gear to remain engaged at all times. This along with the use of rubber greatly reduced noise as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Westinghouse and General Electric both developed advanced accerlation and braking systems which over its life span was constantly improved upon to increase safety. The PCC had 3 pedal controls with the Dead Mans Switch at the left, the brakes in the middle and the accelerator at the right. The dead mans switch is a control used on trains which must be held down for normal operation at all times. When this switch is not held down the train automatically begins to stop ensuring the safety of the passengers in case of the driver falling asleep or suffering a medical emergency. Some cities used different methods for controls. Chicago PCC units used levers instead of pedals. Improvements in technology at the time allowed the PCC to accelerate and brake faster than most cars on the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over 5000 PCC Streetcars roamed the streets of nearly all major North American cities and was exported to Europe after WWII. With the increase of Steel, Oil, Rubber and the dominance of those industries the rise of the transit bus began and many cities began to dismantle their streetcar networks in favor of buses. Now nearly 80 years later many cities are returning to the streetcar due to higher diesel costs and newer technologies. Virtually all streetcars built today employ lessons learned during the PCC development committee. Some cities like Toronto, San Francisco and Philadelphia have the oldest remaining original streetcar networks and all preserve PCC streetcars either refurbished for regular use or heritage lines. San Fransisco uniquely has been known to acquire streetcars from other cities and refurbish them in their original liveries. Septa's PCC Streetcars have been completely overhauled with new electrics and LED lighting earning its new designation as the "PCC II".