These 12 cars were known locally as "Big Subs", and began life as part of an order of 22 cars for the Philadelphia and Western Railway. The order was placed with St Louis Car in 1905 and was completed in 1906. The 22 cars were to be numbered 1 to 22 and would have been P&W’s initial order of passenger cars, but fate would have it otherwise. The San Francisco fire and earthquake of April 18, 1906 left the United Railroads short of cars. President Pat Calhoun of the URR went east to several car builders looking for any available cars. Sixteen cars (12 motors and 4 trailers) went to the URR of San Francisco. The other six cars were sent to Erie RR's Rochester Division where they became 3100 to 3105. While the cars were en route to San Francisco, the 4 trailers were sold to the Northern Electric (predecessor of the Sacramento Northern).

The 12 URR cars operated on the San Mateo line from 1906 until the autumn of 1923 and then were placed in storage. Six cars were scrapped in 1933 and the other 6 in 1935.

The four trailers that went to the Northern Electric were numbered 250 to 253 and used as trailers until 1912. They were then rebuilt in the Chico shops as combination passenger/baggage motor cars and were renumbered 106 to 109. One car (#107) was later rebuilt as a one man car and run backward (baggage section to the rear) as a shuttle car on the Oroville branch.

The Erie electrified the Mount Morris branch at 11,000 volts AC in 1907 and was the first such installation in America. Eight motor cars and four trailers provided the service. Six of the cars were the remaining P&W cars. Freight trains and through passenger trains were steam powered. On November 29, 1934, the electrification was replaced with a gas-electric motor car. On September 30, 1941, all passenger service ended, and the line was cut back to Avon.

AMDG

4/14/2000