Sunday, February 13, 2011

Bay Area Rapid Transit, San Francisco, 1972


A postcard issued by San Francisco's BART at the time of its opening in September 1972. BART now covers 104 miles (167 km) using an electrified 3rd rail at 1,000 volts DC, however, the most notable feature is that it uses the 'Indian' broad gauge of 5'6" or 1676 mm (only 8 mm more than the 'Iberian' gauge used in Spain and Portual), against standard gauge 4'8½ (1,435 mm) used almost everywhere else in the USA.

A detailed history of BART is on its website

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