Charlotte Trolley

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Charlotte Trolley
Info
Type Heritage Streetcar
System Charlotte Area Transit System
Locale Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina
Terminals Atherton Mill (south)
9th Street (north)
No. of stations 11
Operation
Opened 1996[1]
Owner Charlotte Area Transit System
Operator(s) Charlotte Area Transit System
Technical
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge)
Electrification Overhead catenary
Line map
uHSTa
9th Street Handicapped/disabled access
uBHF
7th Street Handicapped/disabled access
uBHF
Charlotte Transportation Center/Arena Handicapped/disabled access
uBHF
3rd Street Handicapped/disabled access
uBHF
Stonewall Handicapped/disabled access
uAKRZu
Interstate 277
uHST
Morehead
uBHF
Carson Handicapped/disabled access
uBHF
Bland Street Handicapped/disabled access
uBHF
East/West Handicapped/disabled access
uHST
Tremont Handicapped/disabled access
uHST
Atherton Mill Handicapped/disabled access
uENDEe
LYNX continues

The Charlotte Trolley is a heritage streetcar which operates in Charlotte in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The line runs along the former Norfolk Southern right of way between Tremont Avenue in the Historic South End in a northerly direction to its terminus at 9th Street Uptown. It runs on tracks shared with the Charlotte LYNX light rail system.

Contents

[edit] History

The Charlotte Trolley represented the return of streetcar service to the city of Charlotte since the closure of its original network on March 14, 1938, which had been in operation since May 18, 1891.[2] The return of the trolley came on August 30, 1996, running in the evenings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons for an initial six month trial period. The trial period occurred on a 1.8-mile rail line between the Atherton Mill trolley barn and Stonewall Street.[3]

Through the initial six months of operation ending on February 28, 1997, the trolley saw a ridership of 25,000.[4] As a result of the success of the trial run of the trolley, Norfolk-Southern awarded the trolley a one-year extension of the agreement to use its track.[4]

After a new bridge was completed over Stonewall Street, 7-day a week service commenced between Atherton Mill in the South End and 9th Street Uptown on June 28, 2004.[5]

Service was temporarily halted on February 5, 2006, when a new track system began construction for the Charlotte LYNX light rail system.[6] Initially service was to only be halted for a year, with the trolley running approximately a year before light rail service commenced.[7] However, by November 2006 CATS determined it would be unfeasible to run the trolley service with the corridor still under construction.[7] Service resumed on April 20, 2008, and the vintage trolley cars now run on the same tracks as the LYNX trams.[8]

[edit] Rolling stock

There are three replica trolleys that operate on the streetcar line. They were delivered to Charlotte Trolley from Gomaco in the fall of 1994. They are numbered 91, 92, and 93.

[edit] Non-operating stock

[edit] Streetcar #1

Trolley No. 1 was originally built in Philadelphia by J.G. Brill in 1907 and originally used in Athens, Greece.[9] The trolley's restoration was complete in 1989 by trolley restorer Bruce Thain of Guilford, Connecticut.[9]

[edit] Streetcar #85

This historic significance of Car 85 was that it was the final electric streetcar to run in Charlotte on March 14, 1938. Following its final journey, the city would rely solely on bus transit to serve its citizens.[10] Following its final journey, it was sold for $100, along with all the reaming cars, and lost into obscurity for nearly 50 years before its discovery in a Huntersville neighborhood in November 1987.[10]

Upon its discovery, the Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission led the charge in its restoration. Its restoration commenced at SpringFest `89, and was completed in 1991 at a cost of just over $100,000.[10]

Beginning service again in 1996, this served riders through 2006 when service was temporally halted.[1] In March 2007, it was announced that due to safety concerns, Car 85 would not be utilized as part of the historic trolley network at its reopening in 2007. The car will be placed as an exhibit in a proposed trolley museum to be constructed in the South End.[1]

[edit] Streetcar #407

Trolley No. 407 was originally built in Philadelphia by J.G. Brill and originally used in Richmond, Virginia from 1922-1945 before being used in Fort Collins, Colorado from 1947-1951 before being retired.[11] No. 407 was purchased in 1999 by the non-profit Charlotte Trolley Inc. for $120,000.[11]

[edit] Streetcar #117

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Whitacre, Dianne. "Trolley Ho! Vintage car will roll between Uptown and Dilworth.", The Charlotte Observer, July 10, 1996. 
  2. ^ Del Pino, Oscar. "Clang, clang go the trolleys", The Charlotte Observer, August 16, 1995, pp. 1C. 
  3. ^ Whitacre, Dianne. "Clang! Clang! Clang! - Trolley back on track starting Friday", The Charlotte Observer, August 28, 1996, pp. 1C. 
  4. ^ a b Smith, Doug. "Trolley gets a one-year extension", The Charlotte Observer, March 1, 1997, pp. 1D. 
  5. ^ Whitacre, Dianne. "Why one track? and other trolley trivia - 7-day-a-week service, costing $1, officially begins on Monday", The Charlotte Observer, June 27, 2004, pp. 2B. 
  6. ^ Coto, DaNica. "History on Hiatus: Trolley makes last run for a year", The Charlotte Observer, February 6, 2006, pp. 3B. 
  7. ^ a b Rubin, Richard. "Trolley running late on restart", The Charlotte Observer, November 15, 2006, pp. 1B. 
  8. ^ Harrison, Steve. "Trolley joining Lynx on light-rail tracks", The Charlotte Observer, April 16, 2008, pp. 1B. 
  9. ^ a b Whitacre, Dianne. "Trolley time! Blowout gala to accompany streetcar's return.", The Charlotte Observer, August 23, 1989. 
  10. ^ a b c Gubbins, Pat Borden. "Ol' No. 85, last trolley to roll, leads way back to track.", The Charlotte Observer, March 4, 1990. 
  11. ^ a b Whitacre, Dianne. "For $120,000, Charlotte acquires a desirable streetcar", The Charlotte Observer, March 9, 1999, pp. 3C. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Currently operating light rail and streetcar systems in the United States
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LYNX Rapid Transit Services · Charlotte Trolley