US Standard Light Rail Vehicle - Differences

Differences

While Boston and San Francisco bought their cars at the same time, and they appear identical externally, the cars have differences:

• Doors: The doors, at first, were essentially the same. However, Muni's cars have moveable steps, which can be lowered for street-level boarding or raised for boarding from high-level platforms, such as those in the subway. The Boston cars do not have this feature and so must be boarded from street-level. These doors proved troublesome, and MBTA eventually replaced them with bi-folding doors, further distinguishing them from Muni's.

• Appliances: MBTA's LRV's had been fitted with air-conditioning units for Boston's humid climate. Muni's cars feature more specialized equipment for subway operations, such as cab signaling, but provide forced-air ventilation instead of air conditioning.

• Interior styling: The "Boston" cars feature wood grain interior parts at the operator's cab and articulation section, while Muni cars have a yellowish-orange color interior. However, a few of Muni's cars actually have the same wood grain interior as Boston's because those cars were originally built for Boston, who rejected and returned them to Boeing. Muni then bought these cars, had their air-conditioners removed, and fitted with all the features exclusive to their fleet. The wood grain in these cars is thus the only feature that distinguishes these cars from those originally made for Muni.

• Capacity: San Francisco's cars seated 68, but the Boston cars seated 52 until the MBTA later had four seats removed to better accommodate wheelchairs.