State-of-the-Art Car

The State-of-the-Art Car (SOAC) was a pioneering heavy rail mass transit demonstrator vehicle, produced in 1972 by the St. Louis Car Company for the U.S. Department of Transportation. This unique two-car set was designed to showcase the latest transit technologies, featuring innovations like adjustable floor heights and varying passenger capacities to meet different system needs. Between May 1974 and January 1977, the SOAC operated in intermittent revenue service, touring six rapid transit systems in five major American cities, including New York City and Boston. Its development was part of a larger effort to create more comfortable, safe, and quiet vehicles, though an earlier testing collision in August 1973 tragically killed an operator, drawing attention to safety. Since 1989, the SOAC cars have been preserved and are on display at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.