March 2007: Dispatches
CLACKAMAS
The City of Portland an-nounced at the end of January that a
local company would join the ranks of well-known rail vehicle
manufacturers such as the European firm Skoda. Oregon Iron Works will produce a
streetcar prototype for the city similar to the current models
that were created in the Czech Republic. Oregon Iron Works
formed a new subsidiary, United Streetcar, to handle the
production. An additional 20 workers will be added to the staff
to produce the nation’s first U.S.-made modern streetcar.
The prototype will hit the rails in 2008. If the vehicle is a
success, Oregon Iron Works vice president Chandra Brown
believes, production could begin on streetcars for other
cities. About 80 cities from Miami to Albuquerque have
expressed interest in a U.S.-made streetcar for their own
transportation systems.
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