Indianapolis Railways streetcar No. 153 is the last surviving streetcar from the once world-renowned Indianapolis streetcar system - one of the largest in the United States. 153 was built by the Brill Company, an electric railroad car manufacturer, in 1932 to hold up to 47 passengers in city commuter service. For nearly 20 years, this car provided a connective thread for the citizens of Indianapolis between their careers, businesses, homes and expansive travel on the vast Indiana electric railway system. The car featured a sleek, modern and stylish interior as part of the streetcar system revival effort during the 1930s.
Prior to the famous PCC streetcar design used throughout North America in the 20th century that standardized streetcars, 153’s design is considered to be one of the best designs ever produced. The car ran through the 1950s; the last streetcar ran in January of 1953.
Streetcar No. 153’s interior, or an identical unit, as featured in a Central Electric Railfans’ Association aritcle.
The car spent 20 years post-retirement as a tire shed at a truck repair shop in Bedford, Indiana, and was then acquired and relocated to the Indiana Transportation Museum. The car received a coat of paint and was stored outside for nearly 40 years, until acquired by the Hoosier Heartland Trolley Company in 2018.
This car is significant to the history of Indianapolis as the sole-survivor of one of the largest, most critical electric railway systems in the United States and the world.