Checks can be sent to:  R. Donald Ross, 3821 Crater Lake Ct, Irving, TX 75062-4015

The Laclede Car Company of St Louis built these 20 cars in 1903, #567, for the URR. At the time they were placed in service, the interurban line to San Mateo had just been completed. They served on the San Mateo line until 1906 when the 1–12 series cars, which had been built for the Philadelphia and Western, replaced them. The 1200s were then used on the Daly City (#14) line, with an occasional trip to San Mateo. The P&W cars were locally known as. "Big Subs". In 1923 the massive Big Subs were taken out of service and once again the 1200s returned to the San Mateo line. At this time, they were upgraded by extending the platforms, adding deep cushioned leather seats (with electric heaters under the seats), new K-28 controllers and adding partitions to make a three-compartment car. In September 1944 the Municipal Railway of San Francisco took over the former Market Street Ry. The San Mateo (#40) interurban line was abandoned on January 16, 1949, and the 1200 series cars scrapped.

Geneva Car House was home to the 1200s. 1225, the first car of the series, in an experimental paint scheme sits on the car house lead track.

Car 1227 on one of the car house tracks at Geneva. Note the "lamp shade" on the light bulb on the front platform.

A view of South City Junction with car 1228. The South City line, a branch line, operated to South San Francisco and connected with the San Mateo line here.

The 1200s were popular with rail fans and they liked to take the cars on fan trips over routes not normally used by these cars. Here are two views of the 1229 on a pre WW2 trip. One view shows the car on the #7 line going over private right of way in Golden Gate Park with a windmill in the background. The other view is of the car at the Southern Pacific RR station at 3rd and Townsend. The 1229 was the only car with air horns located at the upper right side of the front of the car. All other cars had air whistles.

Car 1230 at Holy Cross cemetery.

Two views of car 1233, the first is southbound at the Broadway Burlingame station. Note the SP commute line tracks to the left of the view. The second view of 1233 is at the San Mateo terminal. The SP station is also next to the interurban, but out of view.

A fan trip in San Francisco used 1234 just one week prior to abandonment. This location at 19^th Street on the J line is still in service using LRVs

The last car was a charter by the Northern California RR Club. Car 1235 is about to leave the San Mateo terminal late in the evening of January 15, 1949. The car operated back to San Francisco and directly to the Funston Ave. scrap yard. For the rail fans that rode the car that night, they had to find their own way home from the scrap yard in the early hours of Sunday January 16^th.

Another fan trip on September 13, 1943 using 1241 in San Francisco with the City Hall in the background. The car is on Larkin Street (#19 line).

Car 1242 being scrapped at the Funston Ave yard.

Car 1244, the last car of the series, never made it to the last day of service. It burned in August of 1947 and was scrapped at the Elkton yard.

Here are some more views of these cars from the editor's collection.