Charlotte Trolley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charlotte Trolley |
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| Overview | |
| Status | Ceased operation |
| Owner | Charlotte Area Transit System |
| Locale | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Termini | Atherton Mill (south) 9th Street (north) |
| Stations | 11 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heritage Streetcar |
| System | Charlotte Area Transit System |
| Operator(s) | Charlotte Area Transit System |
| History | |
| Opened | August 30, 1996 |
| Completed | June 28, 2004 |
| Closed | June 28, 2010 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 2.1 mi (3.4 km) |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Character | Grade-separated |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Electrification | Overhead catenary |
| Highest elevation | 742 ft (226 m) |
The Charlotte Trolley was a special type of train called a heritage streetcar. It ran in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the U.S.. This trolley line followed old train tracks. It went from Tremont Avenue in the Historic South End up to 9th Street in Uptown Charlotte. The trolley often shared its tracks with the LYNX Blue Line, which is a modern light rail train.
Contents
History of the Charlotte Trolley
The Charlotte Trolley brought streetcar service back to Charlotte. The city's original streetcar system had stopped running on March 14, 1938. That first system had been operating since May 18, 1891.
The new trolley service began on August 30, 1996. It ran in the evenings on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It also ran on Sunday afternoons. This was a trial period for six months. The trolley ran on a 1.8-mile track. This track went between the Atherton Mill trolley barn and Stonewall Street.
Early Success and Expansion
During its first six months, the trolley was very popular. About 25,000 people rode it by February 28, 1997. Because it was so successful, the Norfolk Southern railway company let the trolley use its tracks for another year.
A new bridge was finished over Stonewall Street. After this, the trolley started running seven days a week. This full service began on June 28, 2004. The route went from Atherton Mill in the South End to 9th Street Uptown. Before this date, volunteers, including some retired people, ran the trolley. After June 2004, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) took over. CATS hired some of the volunteers. CATS also bought three new trolleys that looked like the old ones.
When the Trolley Service Stopped
The trolley service stopped for a while on February 5, 2006. This was because construction began to turn the trolley route into a light rail line. At first, they thought the trolley would only stop for a year. They planned for it to run again for about a year before the light rail started. However, by November 2006, CATS realized it was too difficult to run the trolley while construction was still happening.
The trolley service started again on April 20, 2008. The old-style trolley cars ran on the same tracks as the new LYNX light rail trains. When the LYNX Blue Line fully opened, the Charlotte Trolley stopped its daily service. It continued to run only on weekends. The trolley service completely ended on June 28, 2010. However, the Charlotte Trolley still has a museum. It is just outside the East/West station.
Trolleys That Were Used (Service Stock)
The Charlotte Trolley line used three special replica streetcars. They were numbered 91, 92, and 93. These trolleys were delivered in the fall of 2004 from the Gomaco Trolley Company. Later, starting in July 2015, these same trolleys were used for the first part of the CityLynx Gold Line. They ran between the Charlotte Transportation Center and Hawthorne & 5th station. They stopped running in June 2019. This was so that the second part of the Gold Line could be finished.
Trolleys That Were Not Used (Non-Operating Stock)
Some trolleys were part of the Charlotte Trolley collection but did not run regularly.
Trolley Number 1
Trolley No. 1 was built in 1907 in Philadelphia. It was made by J.G. Brill for use in Athens, Greece. This trolley was fully restored in 1989 by a restorer named Bruce Thain.
Trolley Number 85
Car 85 was built in 1927. It was the very last electric streetcar to run in Charlotte. Its final trip was on March 14, 1938. Alexander Garfield Collie, Sr. was in charge of the drivers when the streetcars were retired. His son, Alexander Garfield Collie, Jr., was driving Car 85 on its last run. Collie Sr. wrote in his diary that he took the controls for the car's final trip into the barn. After the streetcar system closed, Car 85 and all the other cars were sold for $100 each. Charlotte then used only buses for public transportation until the Blue Line opened in 2007.
Car 85 was sold and its parts like motors and seats were removed. It was used as an office space by the N.C. Air National Guard at the Charlotte airport. Later, it was sold again and turned into a diner or snack stand. This was in use until the early 1950s. Around 1951, a resident named Daisy Mae Trapp Moore bought it. She moved it to her backyard and turned it into a mobile home for her relatives. Different people lived in it over the years. The last person, Clay Thompson, lived in it until late 1987. The town then said the makeshift home was unsafe because it didn't have indoor plumbing. Moore planned to use it for storage, but she sold it for $1,000 on April 12, 1988.
After the streetcar was found, the Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission worked to restore it. On May 6, 1988, the streetcar was brought back to Charlotte by road. It was stored behind the Discovery Place Museum to be preserved and restored. Original driver's stools and an old trolley bell were found and given to the project. By the end of 1989, the streetcar was moved to an old city bus barn. Its restoration continued there. Motors, wheels, and electrical parts were found from retired streetcars in Melbourne, Australia. The car was first called "Trolley Car No. 2" but was known as "Car 85." In 1990, during restoration, hidden numbers inside showed it was definitely Car 85. Its restoration was finished in 1991. It cost a little over $100,000. When Car 85 ran again in 1991, some of Collie Sr.'s family rode on its first public trip.
Car 85 returned to service in 1996. It carried riders until 2006 when service stopped for a short time. In March 2007, it was announced that Car 85 would not be used in the historic trolley network again due to safety concerns. Charlotte Trolley, Inc., which owns the car, made an agreement in 2008. This allowed special trips for Car 85 up to twice a year. Car 85 was kept at CATS' light rail maintenance building. In 2014, it was loaned to the N.C. Transportation Museum for four years. This was to make room for three new trolleys for the CityLynx Gold Line. In June 2018, a Charlotte group called Lakewood Trolley got a 10-year lease for Car 85. They plan to use it on an old trolley line. This line is along the Stewart Creek Greenway, west of Uptown Charlotte. Car 85 returned to Charlotte in July 2018. Work is still ongoing to restore the trolley line and build what is needed for it.
Trolley Number 117
Asheville 117 was made in 1927 by J.G. Brill. It is known as a Birney Safety Car. In the fall of 1927, the Carolina Power & Light Company bought ten of these cars. They were used in Asheville, North Carolina. This trolley is currently waiting to be restored at the Charlotte Trolley Car Barn.
