Retired BART cars getting a second life, from a baseball concession stand to a vacation rental

OAKLAND, Calif. - Few would argue that BART is embedded into Bay Area’s history, and now efforts are under way to preserve some of that history with opportunities for the public to enjoy the transit agency’s legacy train cars that have been retired. 

What we know:

Last month, the Oakland Ballers received its very own legacy BART car, with a giant flatbed truck hauling it to a temporary home near the team’s Oakland home field, Raimondi Park.

BART gave the Ballers the car, as part of its legacy car decommissioning program. 

Under the program, recipients receive the car for free. They just need to pay for the costs of transporting the vehicle.

The Ballers "stepped up to the plate" and was awarded the train after the then Oakland Athletics, back in November 2023, backed out of plans to take a car, transit officials said.

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What they're saying:

"It was disappointing when the Athletics notified us by email that they no longer wanted this car," BART Chief Communications Officer Alicia Trost was quoted as saying in a news release about the Baller’s newly possessed BART artifact. "So, we asked Oakland’s newest professional sports team if they’d like to have it, and they responded with an immediate, ‘Yes!’ We are grateful to the team for saving this piece of Bay Area history so that Oakland baseball fans will be able to enjoy it." 

Train car turned concession stand

The Ballers said it planned to turn the car into a concession stand for fans, noting it feeds into its vision and mission to celebrate the Bay Area community and its roots.

The repurposed car is expected to be unveiled next season, the team said.  

A train house 

Another legacy car that is being revamped for reuse is one that’s reached its new home in the Sierra Foothills, so the car can be renovated into a vacation rental property.

The rental will be in the historic Gold Rush-era community of Jamestown, with plans to incorporate its surroundings as part of the stay experience.

"Our house sits along the railroad where the CA State Park Railtown 1897 runs their steam train excursions, so we'll be able to wave hi to them!" legacy car recipient Michael Lin told KTVU in an email correspondence.  

In addition to renovating the car, Lin said that the rental, being called the Sierra Train House, will have an added extension.

"We are building a small house alongside the train. It will have fun amenities like a hot tub, outdoor movie screen and a deck that connects the house to the train," Lin shared.

The project also seeks to play up the "retro-space age modern design" of the legacy car.

Dig deeper:

Lin said his team has acquired throw-back items like a giant retro gumball machine and a table top Atari Pong arcade machine, noting Pong, the first commercial video game, came out in 1972, the BART began operating.  

Lin studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, though he noted that he is not an architect by profession.  

He said beyond creating something that preserves a part of Bay Area history, he wants his vacation home to be a fun, comfortable space that can house about eight people.

"We've always enjoyed camping and vacation rental trips with our friends, so we wanted it to be able to accommodate 2 families," Lin said.

He said since word got out about his project, he’s received lots of feedback, including interest from retired BART workers, as well as some whose parents worked for BART.

Lin also joked, "There have also been a lot of comments about us needing to give it a thorough cleaning, which is fair!"

The project leader said that the vacation home is on track to be complete by the end of the year, with hopes to begin renting the property early next year.

Other BART legacy car projects

Oakland’s Arthur Mac’s Tap & Snack was chosen to receive a legacy car. The restaurant has plans to use the BART artifact at a new restaurant site in downtown Hayward. It wants to refurbish the vehicle to make it a "retro videogame arcade and kids play area, as well as extra seating for weatherproof dining," BART said.

Bay Area Electric Railroad Association in Suisun City was awarded three retired cars to create a new "Rapid Transit History Center." The center seeks to educate visitors about rail transit.

"The museum will include various displays, a small theater, BART artifacts, and a history of the transit system," BART said, noting that the association received the first of the three cars in August.  

The Hayward Fire Department has been using its legacy car as a training prop for years.

The car has been placed on an elevated track platform and used for "station familiarization, vehicle rescue simulations and safety of the track and third rail system," the agency said.

Hayward fire received its vehicle back in Dec. 2022.

The Original Scraper Bike Team, a non-profit supporting youth in East Oakland, will use its car for bicycle skill training, mentorship programs, and projects promoting creativity and art.

The car will be divided into two sections: one to be used as a bike shop and another that will be renovated into a clubhouse for community events and mentorship programs, according to BART.

The outside of the car will be decorated with murals created by local artists, the agency added.

Shake Alert/UC Berkeley has been awarded a car to help with research on earthquake safety on BART trains. 

Research teams plan to "perform a full scale shaketable test" on its legacy car in an effort to study the seismic stability of BART trains during an earthquake. 

A ‘second life’

The backstory:

Last year, after more than 50 years in service, a fleet of almost 700 heritage BART cars rode off into the sunset and onto the transit agency’s Hayward yard.

Most of the cars are being scrapped and recycled, but through its legacy fleet decommissioning program, BART wanted to give the public a chance to hold on to a piece of Bay Area history. 

"BART’s legacy cars have a tremendous sentimental value with passengers in the greater San Francisco Bay Area," the agency said, "and we wanted to ensure the historic vehicles would have a second life." 

 

BARTUC BerkeleyOaklandSuisun CityHayward