Key System No. 561

Thanks to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association, an important piece of American electric railroading, Key System electric car No. 561, is again back on track at the association’s Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista Junction. California. No. 561 was originally built in 1887 by the Gilbert Car Company in Troy, New York for the Manhattan Railway, when it was used in commuter service on Manhattan’s Second Avenue Elevated, as car 844. It would be almost thirteen years until the car would receive electric propulsion equipment, sometime between 1901 and 1903. Before that period, the El system was operated with small steam locomotives, quite the contrast to the streets of Manhattan today.

Western Railway Museum Volunteers work on Key System 561 during its restoration last year. To the left is Sacramento Northern car 1005, also undergoing restoration at WRM. Photos by David Johnson.

By 1942, Manhattan’s El system was demolished and World War II was raging across Europe and the Pacific. In response to the war effort, El car 844 was sent to work at the Kaiser shipyards in Richmond, California where it operated between there and Oakland, transporting Ship Yard workers on a line built by the Key System. At that time it was equipped it with pantographs from former Southern Pacific Red Cars. Previously, to operation in California, the cars were powered via a third rail. The line had a short life starting in January 1943 and lasting until September 1945.

With the war over, Key System cars No. 561 and 563 (also from Manhattan’s El) were purchased by the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society and operated on periodic excursions on the Key System. Following their short excursion career, the cars were then stored at the 40th and Pablo yards before being donated to the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association, and moved to Rio Vista Junction. By 1965 they had established the Western Railway Museum and a car barn, for storage of the museum’s growing collection, was built.

Seeing the car’s historical importance the group began to restore the pair, but by 1975 efforts had come to a halt. Fast forward to 2004, and the annual Electric Railroaders Association’s convention being held in the Bay Area that year fast approaching, the decision was made to restore car 561. Work started on July 31st, only six weeks before the convention.
 

ing in the California sun, Western Railway Museum’s Key System car 561 sits after a successful six week restoration at the WRM's shop at Rio Vista Junction, CA.

Most of the restoration work consisted of painting, wood work, the rebuilding of the end platforms, windows, and some mechanical work. This was only the first step, the next was finding and installing all the parts stored in multiple locations around the museum. With the museum’s shop running full bore, the car was completed by September 6th in time for the ERA’s convention.

With the restoration of Key System car 561 completed, work continues on other projects at the museum, including Sacramento Northern car 1005.

Electric operations take place at the museum every Saturday and Sunday 11 A.M. to 5 A.M. and Wednesday to Sunday from July 4th to Labor Day. For more information see the Western Railway Museum’s website.

(Justin Franz, compiled from material collected by David Johnson)