ATLANTA — MARTA is upgrading its fleet while preserving history at the same time.
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The transit authority is donating a rail car to the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth.
The car was placed in service in 1981, built by Société Franco-Belge and retired 30 years later. It has a 75-foot-long aluminum body, weighs 81,000 pounds and can hold 46 seated passengers, the release states.
The 42-year-old rail car is one of many activities MARTA has planned for its transition to its new rail car fleet.
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MARTA’s heavy rail system began construction in 1975. The first rail cars rolled out in 1979.
“I got here in ‘98 and this is what I trained on to become a mechanic, so it’s got a little nostalgia going. I’m not going to shed a tear, but this is an end of an era. We are getting ready to start a new chapter with the new cars, so everybody can see the transition from old to new,” said Pierre Merrick, a MARTA journeyman rail car mechanic.
The Southeastern Railway Museum has almost 100 rolling stock items, including historic Pullman cars, classic steam locomotives and historic MARTA buses.
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MARTA is replacing its entire heavy rail fleet over the next few years at a cost of approximately $646 million.
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