Thread by @SFBART

It's always sad to see an old friend go, but sometimes, change is for the better.

BART has officially decommissioned (aka retired) all its C2 legacy train cars in August. Versatile but problematic, the C2s were given some curt goodbyes by BART maintenance staff at Hayward Yard.

C2 train cars are the first ever legacy fleet car types retired in full by BART.

Despite being a 90s kid, C2s are the first out for a reason: C2s were the most problematic train cars with technical glitches leading to delays, cancelled trains or swelteringly hot cars.

Let's first spell out the ABC's of BART rolling stock:

- A car is the 1970s lead car with the slant nose
- B car is the middle car which pairs with A car
- C car (C1 and C2) is the 1990s car with the flat nose
- D and E cars are the Fleet of the Future

C2 cars were in total about 80 cars and most were delivered to BART in 1995.

C2, and its cousin C1, were the second generation with one major strength over the A/B cars: they can be fitted as both as both lead car (where train operator sits) or middle (aka "cattle") cars

The versatility of the C cars transformed how BART operationally ran service.

Previously to resize the # of cars, it required extra train cars, labor and maneuvering to do a process called "run cuts."

With the highly adaptable C cars, time, labor and train cars were saved.

Also for old BART riders who may remember: C cars were the first train cars with a blue interior palette. The old A/B interiors from the 1970s were drab brown and orange.

(Yes, C cars also had wool upholstery and carpet but no BART cars have had wool since 2014 😅)

Versatility seemed to have come with a price.

C cars had many technical issues which came with age, leaving maintenance crews at the yards to come up with myriad homemade solutions to keep the trains operational.

HVAC, windshields, power source, doors, it kept the yards busy.

Many BART maintenance workers and supervisors are eager to see C2 cars gone for good. (C1 cars are next on the chopping block)

For the past year, BART has continued decommissioning legacy cars (while saving some for proposals to give it a second life)

https://twitter.com/SFBART/status/1303774732408557570

And for those who remember, the first ever decommissioned legacy car, dubbed "Felicia", was a C2 car.

Felicia ran about 2.2 million miles on BART tracks.

The crews at the yard did not like Felicia.

https://twitter.com/SFBART/status/1192958768964747265

Here are some tributes from those who knew C2 cars the best:

“I won’t miss coming to work and seeing a C2 in my stall... I used to work on them a lot.I prefer to work on the Fleet of the Future cars. They’re cleaner; they’re easier to work on, and they don’t break down as much."

“I’m sad to see them go because I just got really good at working on them, They were fun to fix. It challenged you to use your brain a lot more. But the good part is that we’re getting more up-to-date trains. I’m happy to see the new cars come. It’s time for an upgrade.”

“It showed the excellence of the workers in how they kept those C2 cars going. What I’m proud of at BART is that we make things work.Little by little we modify and improve things.I’ve always been amazed at how all the workers come together and step up to challenges like the C2s.”

We highly recommend reading the full article on the life and death of the C2 cars: bart.gov/news/articles/…

To the C2 car, from us at @SFBART: we hope you enjoy your retirement in the great railyard in the sky. o7