New life for an old streetcar
 
Body Shop Mechanic Fred Witham (left) shows some of his handiwork. Waterfront Streetcar No. 482 (right) is scheduled to be back in service before the end of the year.
Along with the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market, Metro's Waterfront Streetcar has become a Seattle icon. But the 1927-vintage streetcars first imported from Australia in 1982 require special care to keep them rolling for the thousands of passengers who hop aboard at stops in the International District and Pioneer Square, and along the Seattle waterfront.
Each day, from morning until midnight, the rolling antiques travel 1.8 miles of track along Alaskan Way and South Main Street. At any given time, four of five streetcars are in service while the fifth undergoes a year-long restoration process. Carpenters, sheet metal workers, upholsterers, painters and mechanics in Metro Transit's Component Supply Center in Tukwila all work together to bring new life to these daily workhorses.
The process begins when the streetcar is lifted on jacks at the trolley barn near Myrtle Edwards Park and its wheels--or trucks--are removed. Rubber tires are attached to the vehicle on specially modified axles before it is hauled to the Component Supply Center late at night.
During the rehab, the entire vehicle is stripped down to its wood frame. All the exterior sheet metal panels are replaced by body mechanics Bill Holman and Fred Witham because or four years' worth of metal fatigue. New wood panels, trim and benches are milled and re-fitted by Carpenter Jim Clark, and the electrical and mechanical components are rebuilt. Because there are no spare parts available, everything that goes on the streetcar must be formed from scratch at the Component Supply Center.
"The most difficult aspect of the rehab is finding the materials, such as brass and quality woods to make the streetcar look as original as possible," said Heather Kilborn, vehicle maintenance chief with the Body Rebuild and Upholstery Group. "We try to find better and stronger products to rebuild it with. The level of detail that goes into maintaining the vehicle's historic accuracy is another real challenge."
After the streetcar is painted and the rehab is complete, the vehicle is sent back to the trolley barn where new trucks are attached along with the whistle and a few other parts. Then the year-long process begins for another streetcar.
Thanks to the enthusiasm and artistic skills of Metro employees, these antique streetcars will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for many years to come.
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