Petunia is a Birney Safety car built in 1920 by the J. G. Brill Company. In 1947, After serving faithfully in Dallas, she was retired to East Texas where she became a ranch house. When Ed Landrum found her in 1980, she had no electrical or running gear, but did come complete with sofa, refrigerator, and yes, a kitchen sink. Ed restored the body, and he and Frank Schultz fabricated a new underframe using wheels and motors from Melbourne W2 cars. She is the second most heavily used car in the MATA fleet and serves as the primary backup car to #186. Car #636 is still owned by Ed Landrum, and is leased to MATA. In the photo, the motorman brings the Birney into the stop at One McKinney Place. Return to the office Return to track one Back to the Car Barn
Copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 by McKinney Avenue Transit Athority.
Images copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001 by Steve Goss
Photo digitizing graciously performed by Millet The Printer , (214)741-3602
The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority is operated and managed by volunteers dedicated to the history and preservation of electric railways in the North Texas area. It is a nonprofit corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations of money, equipment, or time to MATA are always cheerfully accepted.
Office and Car Barn: 3153 Oak Grove at Bowen, Dallas Texas 75204 Telephone: (214) 855-0006, Fax: (214) 855-5250. http://www.dallas.org/mata/index.htm
Last updated March 02, 2003
