An E Line (then known as the Expo Line when this photo was taken) test train headed southbound along Flower Street.
(JulieAndSteve, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
NIPPON SHARYO P865
The P865 and P2020 are retired articulated light rail vehicles used on the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. They were manufactured by Nippon Sharyo and used on the A, C (P2020), and E lines.
The trains featured air conditioning, emergency intercoms, wheelchair spaces and automated announcements. They are of an air-electric design, with air powered doors, friction brakes, and a pantograph.
The interior of Los Angeles Metro Rail A Line (then known as the Blue Line when this photo was taken) Nippon Sharyo Car 160A.
(METRO96, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Operational history
The P865s were the first urban rail vehicles to run in Los Angeles County since the Pacific Electric Railway ceased operations in 1965 as the first cars were delivered in May 1989. The original 54 railcars, numbered 100–153, were ordered at a cost of $1.17 million each. Prior to entering service, all of the railcars were christened after various cities in Los Angeles County; it was in the same style as christening a ship before being launched. Examples include Long Beach (Car 100) and Bell (Car 105).
A Nippon Sharyo P2020.
(METRO96, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Nippon Sharyo P2020
The P2020 was the newer version of the P865, which had automated control panels for Green Line service since the C Line was initially intended to be fully automated. 15 vehicles with that model designation were delivered to Metro in 1994. The railcars, numbered 154–168, entered revenue service on the Green Line the following year. In the early 2000s, the railcars were transferred to the Blue Line fleet when the Green Line received newer Siemens P2000 LRVs.
Overhaul
In late 2013, Metro awarded a 60-month fixed price contract to ORX to overhaul the powered axle assemblies for the then twenty-three year old railcars.
A Nippon Sharyo P865 in 1995.
(David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Retirement and preservation
The P865s were completely retired in September 2018 after 28 years of service, and were replaced by Kinki Sharyo P3010s. While most of the P865s were dismantled for parts and subsequently scrapped, Cars 100, 108 and 144 were retained. Car 100, christened Long Beach and painted in the original Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) livery, is being preserved for its namesake city, and will be placed on static display in Downtown Long Beach. Car 144, christened South Gate, was donated to the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, California. Car 108 was modified for chemical defence training and delivered to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.
The P2020s were retired in 2021, as Metro did not have enough rail yard capacity to store the trains after the final batch of the Kinki Sharyo P3010 trains were delivered. All 15 railcars were retired throughout early 2021, with the last were removed from service on April 23, 2021. In early 2021, the P2020s were towed to Division 16 in Westchester via the C and K lines. On March 5, P865 Car 100 assisted in the towing operation. Most of the P2020 fleet was later removed and scrapped, but Car 164 is preserved at the Western Railway Museum in Suisun City, California.
In popular culture
The P865 has made several media appearances other than public service announcements. It was featured in movies such as Lethal Weapon 3, "Heat (1995 film)" , Virtuosity, The Italian Job, "Collateral (film)" and Captain Marvel.
Nippon Sharyo P865 and P2020 Overview
In service: 1990–2018 (P865)
In service: 1995–2021 (P2020)
Manufacturer: Nippon Sharyo
Constructed: 1989–1990 (P865)
Constructed: 1994–1995 (P2020)
Scrapped: 2017–2018 (P865)
Scrapped: 2021 (P2020)
Number built: 54 (P865)
Number built: 15 (P2020)
Number preserved: 3 (P865)
Number preserved: 1 (P2020)
Number scrapped: 51 (P865)
Number scrapped: 14 (P2020)
Successor: Kinki Sharyo P3010
Formation: Single unit
Fleet numbers: 100-153 (P865)
Fleet numbers: 154-168 (P2020)
Capacity: 104 standing, 76 seated
Operators
Lines served: A Line, E Line, C Line (P2020 only, 1995–2002)
Specifications
Car body construction: Low alloy high tensile steel
Car length: 87 ft 0 in (26,518 mm)
Width: 8 ft 8+3⁄4 in (2,661 mm)
Height: 11 ft 6 in (3,505 mm)
Floor height: 39.2 in (996 mm)
Doors: 8 (4 per side)
Articulated sections: 2 (one articulation)
Wheel diameter: 2 ft 4.00 in (711.2 mm)
Wheelbase: 6 ft 2+13⁄16 in (1.9 m)
Maximum speed: 55 mph (89 km/h)
Weight: 94,160 lb (42.71 t)
Traction system: Chopper control
Electric system: Overhead line, 750 V DC
Current collector: Brecknell Willis & Faiveley pantographs
AAR wheel arrangement: B-2-B
Trucks: Inside-bearing type with resilient wheels
Braking system: Pulse width controlled electro-pneumatic disc brake
Safety systems
P865: Emergency brakes, ATP
P2020: ATC, CBTC, ATO (pre-2003), ATP
Coupling system: Tomlinson
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
