Picture in Time 10: New York 674

With New York 674 (or to give its full name New York 3rd Avenue Transit 674) due to make a rare outside appearance this weekend as part of the Emergency Services event at the Crich Tramway Village it seems an opportune moment for the latest instalment of our “Picture in Time” feature to, well, feature that very tram.

Built in 1939 by the Third Avenue Transit Company, 674 seats 46 passengers and was designed with one man operation in mind. With barely six years of service on its home system it was one of 42 similar cars to be exported to Vienna where the tramway there was struggling in the aftermath of World War Two. It was numbered 4225 in Vienna and operated there up until 1969 when it was withdrawn from service. But the story does not end there as in 1970 it was received on behalf of the National Tramway Museum by the British Ambassador to Austria.

Arriving at Crich in 1970 the tram was immediately pressed into service and it operated as Vienna 4225 until 1970 when it was once again withdrawn from service. But that was not to the end of its operating career at Crich as it spent just one year out of use before returning in 1977. Then in 1979 it was decided to repaint the tram and return it to its appearance as New York 674 and it ran like this until 1985 when it was withdrawn once again. It has not run in service since. It did spend a number of years as one of the prized exhibits in the PCC Exhibition and since the official breaking up of that it has remained in Depot VI except for special occasions including Sunday 4 August!

On 27th August 1979 we see New York 674 in the instantly recognisable location of Town End terminus at Crich. This was the first year that the tram had operated as 674 having being repainted that year from its Vienna colours. Behind can be seen another foreign tram in the form of Johannesburg 60.

Moving almost up-to-date and we catch up with 674 on the Traverser at Crich during last year's Enthusiast events mainly celebrating the 50th anniversary of the closure of Glasgow's tramways.

 

OK, so this is not New York 674 but it is one of its sisters still in Vienna at the Vienna Tram Museum. This is number 4208 (which was 679 in the New York fleet) and shows what became of 674 when it first moved into Europe. (All photos: Bob Hodges)

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