Benefits and Safety Features
The Birney was designed to operate with only a motorman, saving the cost of the conductor. The advent of World War I made single-person operation additionally attractive as it addressed the wartime labor shortage. When labor was available, Birneys could be operated at more frequent intervals, prompting the slogan "A Car in Sight at all Times". This latter attraction was one of the street railway industry's first attempts to deal directly with automobile competition.
The Birney Car also introduced the use of pneumatically balanced and interlocked doors. If a door was stuck open, or a passenger or other object blocked the door, the motors could not be started.
The controls on the Birney Car also included an early application of the "deadman control". This device removed power from the car's motors if the controller handle was released for any reason. The car would then coast to a stop, or could be braked to a stop by the motorman.
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