History

This bright yellow street car with red and white stripes and covered windows sends a clear signal to waiting passengers that this is NOT the next ride to their destination but a utility vehicle with work on its mind. This car is on display in Street Car Hall and is an effective tool in presenting the history and complexity of street rail operations. While most people think of streetcars as passenger vehicles, each streetcar company requires a fleet of utility vehicles.
 
This particular streetcar entered service as a passenger car, probably made by the same company that built STIB 1069 (Les Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles), and certainly early in the 20th century. Often, as new cars in passenger service grew larger to carry more riders and went faster with more powerful motors, older cars were sometimes converted to use for utility purposes rather than be scrapped.