Reservoir Work Car

Just wondering if anyone knows anything about this work car, which I photographed at Reservoir on 11/22/02:



I can't see any number in the photos I took, but it does look like a wire car. Based on this, I checked NETransit and would guess that it's car 4366, built in 1987 by the MBTA. What's interesting is that it has the same type of trucks used on the Type 4s, so I wonder if that means anything about its history. It could also be car 3283, built in 1950 by Henry Dow, but that one is listed as being stored at Riverside.

I'd appreciate any additional information if someone knows more!

I doubt any car was constructed in 1987 with wood panneled sides ...

That's 3283, 1950 homemade car by the MTA. The trucks are from a center door car, like a 6100 series cars. It was rebuilt in the mid 90s at Watertown. The 1987 cars(one wire and one crane car) are green and look quite modern. I know there was a third car being built in Watertown, but I dont know what happened to it after they closed that shop. Is that the pump car now(4361)??

Thank you, ckb, but I was not suggesting that this car was built new in 1987. It obviously looks home-built or rebuilt, which is why I pointed out the trucks. You never know, it could have been cobbled together from some old boxmotor from somewhere plus other miscellaneous parts.

I appreciate the explanation, sery2831. It's a pretty unusual-looking car compared to most stuff you see on the MBTA. I'll have to see if I can dig up any more info, starting with Rollsign back issues.

John, IIRC the last work car built by Watertown was the 4367, which is now the Blue Line's Wire Car. I first saw it as a half-built frame and carbody on a visit to Watertown sometime around 1989, but it wasn't completed until 1992.

I forgot all about the blue lines wire car! That must have been the body I remembered.

Now this is interesting...the Nov/Dec 1976 issue of Rollsign has drawings of a sister car #3279, which at the time was the wire car for the Blue Line. At first glance it appears identical to #3283, but closer examination reveals different placement of the side windows, and the sliding side doors open in the opposite direction. Also, the same Taylor trucks are shown on the drawing, but they are listed as having been modified for 31"-diameter rapid transit wheels.

But here's the strange part: the date on the drawing is November 19, 1920. Hmm...

I have been told that 3279 is based on the Boston & Worcester line car built by Wason in 1908 which is probably true as it is as similar to 3279
as 3279 is to 3283. #3283 is similarly said to be based on 3279.
3283 kept returning to service after previous storings as it has much better inventory space than the new one, good enough to make up for having to tend the pole continuously. I suspect that the good qualities of B&W #3 are the reasons for copying it and the reasons that 3279 and 3283 were around so long. 3279 was famous as having the last pair of type 4 trucks, this may not have been literally true but, they were very similar and, coveted in case a type 4 was replicated. I assume that both of the Boston cars were not made of steel for electrical insulation rather than engineering reasons.
LS