1774 is a “breezer”.  Open cars acquired this nickname due to the cool breeze that would blow through the car as it ran.  Before air conditioning, a trolley without sides was the obvious solution to summer heat.  Air blowing through the speedy car was its climate control.  By the 1920s mechanical ventilation had made closed trolleys more comfortable in summer and open cars in northern Ohio were relegated to memories.  Also, other activities had caught people’s fancy to cool off.  In more temperate climates, these cars stayed in service.  Car 1774 hails from Brazil and was built using many Brill parts and inspired features.

With America’s open trolleys long gone, preservationists turned to Latin America for examples of the type as the temperate climate there allowed them to remain in service for many years.  1774 is one of a dozen such cars of this type brought to U.S. museums from Rio de Janeiro in 1965.  It was built in the Rio de Janeiro Tramways’ shops in 1912 and incorporates many Brill inspired features.  The car was a part of two other museum’s collections before coming to NORM.

This car was acquired by the Museum to represent a type of car that was no longer in existence from the local transit operator.

Builder	Rio de Janeiro Tramway, Light & Power
Type	Electric Street Car
Description	Double End Double Truck Deck Roof Open Car
Year Built	1912
Retired	1962
Acquired	2007
Seats	65
Length
Width
Height
Weight	39,683
Trucks	shop trucks
Motors
Control
Brakes
Compressor