Postcard from Tampa

Thanks to Bill Hirsch, who has sent along a couple of photos of Tampa Electric 402, the double-truck Birney located in Tampa, Florida.

I say "located" rather than "preserved" because, well, this poor car isn't quite as preserved as it used to be. Twenty years ago, it was a fairly typical streetcar body (photo) with an intact roof and at least some of its doors and windows. Today, not even both of its ends are intact, its roof is all but gone, and other than a coat of paint, its condition has clearly deteriorated in the last five years. Bill also spoke with the car's owner, who plans to further modify it as part of an art installation in the future. So, I haven't quite resigned myself to taking it off the PNAERC list yet, but something tells me it may just be a matter of time. Between the plight of car 402 and this recent event, it's a rough time to be a double-truck Birney.