Did Brooklyn ever have Birney cars?

Corgi is releasing this month the Birney Safety car for Brooklyn. This is car #7151 with front destination for Cypress Hills and side destination for Ridgewood.

I've been trying to research information on it but to no avail. Is this a model of the actual car or is it fictitious? I collect bus/trolley models with Brooklyn connections, but won't purchase this if it never existed.

http://www.diecastdirect.com/asp_module ... ode=C55208

Frankie

Frankie-While I can't personally vouch for the accuracy of the paint scheme, there were numerous Birney cars that plied the streets in Brooklyn.

Here's a link to page #61 from Harold Cox's "The Birney Car" listing the numerous Birneys that were used in Brooklyn:

http://streetcars.telcen.com/books/birney/61.html

It appears that the number 7151 is historically accurate.

The entire book can be accessed here:

http://streetcars.telcen.com/books/birney/index.html

Looks like I will be purchasing one!

Thanks Art for the info - I appreciate it.

Frankie

Frankie-I couldn't let this topic drop-my father is a Brooklyn boy who moved away after WWII. I inherited much of my interest in railways and transit from him.

Here's a photo of a Birney in Bay Ridge, circa 1920 from Dave's Railpix.

http://www.davesrailpix.com/nyc/htm/bqt401.htm

I've mentioned previously in this forum that Dave's Railpix is probably the most complete source of traction photos on the Internet. There are a LOT of Brooklyn and Queens Transit photos at this link, you may be able to find more photos of Brooklyn Birneys here:

http://davesrailpix.com/nyc/bqt.htm

Thank you Art for the wealth of information! I'll be busy for awhile looking through the website.

I lived in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn in the '50's before moving to Mineola. Wilson Avenue was down the corner. I only remember riding the Wilson trolley once, but was too young when the line was converted over to Bingham Macks.

My dad was a bus mechanic for the NYCTA - he was based in ENY before retiring in the '70's.

Frankie

Bachmann has an HO scale Birney in the works which should be awesome if it's anything like their Peter Witt car. I hope they do a Brooklyn paint scheme.

2 Brooklyn companies used Birney cars, Bush Terminal Railroad bought 2 from Brooklyn Rapid Transit.