Cars such as 401 were the logical evolution of the single truck open car. Double truck cars allowed for a more comfortable ride. These open cars were used to take passengers to summer recreation areas like beaches and amusement parks. This car was originally built with only one running board, but was rebuilt with the “Narragansett” style of running boards in order to comply with new regulations from the Public Utilities Commission that forced all open cars to have their first running board no higher than 12½ inches above the street.

While the open trolleys disappeared across the country during the 1920s & 1930s, the Connecticut Company kept a fleet of 80 open cars in New Haven in order to handle the crowds of people attending the Yale Bowl football games. The open bench cars could load and unload passengers very quickly and were used through the fall of 1947.