For those of you who were quick to disparage the appearance of the Tandy Subway cars, you might be interested to know that ugly is only skin deep.

Work continues on the former subway car, albeit slowly at times to due competing demands for maintenance on the existing fleet. As the original Washington DC stepwells were being uncovered, investigatory vivisection was performed on the car's sheet metal skin revealing additional original features.

Two 2"x2" holes reveal that the original streamlined skin is still extant. Contrary to legend that the ex-Washington DC cars were cut down to floor level and built new, the examination prooves original steel exists even wearing its old paint. The sides and most of the roof (except where air condition was cut in) are still there, but the front nose and rear end have been removed.

MATA still plans to put the car in service as soon as possible in its existing configuration, but eventual plans call for restoration of the streamlined appearance.

AN

tnold@northtexastransport.org

> Two 2"x2" holes reveal that the
> original streamlined skin is still extant.
> Contrary to legend that the ex-Washington DC
> cars were cut down to floor level and built
> new, the examination prooves original steel
> exists even wearing its old paint. The sides
> and most of the roof (except where air
> condition was cut in) are still there, but
> the front nose and rear end have been
> removed.

Got any pictures?

Thanks,
Tim Davis
Detroit, MI

wbaoffice@ameritech.net