Fort Collins Municipal Railway facts for kids
The Fort Collins Municipal Railway used to run special electric trains called streetcars in Fort Collins, Colorado. They operated from 1919 until 1951. Today, a part of one of their old routes is still used! Since 1984, a special heritage streetcar service runs on weekends, mostly in spring and summer. This service is run by volunteers from the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society (FCMRS). The streetcar they use, called Birney "Safety" Streetcar No. 21, is very important. It is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
The First Streetcars in Fort Collins
Electric streetcars started running in Fort Collins on December 29, 1907. Before that, on August 8, 1907, a temporary service used a steam locomotive. It pulled four old passenger cars on a new track along Mountain Avenue. The real electric trolley service began later that year.
The first owner was the Denver and Interurban Railroad (D&I). This company was part of the Colorado & Southern Railway. The D&I struggled to make money. Not enough people rode the streetcars. So, on July 10, 1918, the D&I suddenly stopped its Fort Collins trolley service.
The City Takes Over
After the D&I stopped service, Fort Collins had no public transportation. People suggested that the city should buy the system. The city council agreed. In January 1919, citizens voted to approve the idea. This is how the Fort Collins Municipal Railway (FCMR) was created.
The city did not get the old streetcars in the deal. So, they bought four new Birney-type streetcars. These cars came from the American Car Company. They were numbered 20 to 23 and arrived on May 24, 1919. Within two weeks, streetcar service in Fort Collins was back!
The Birney Streetcar Fleet
In 1920, a fifth Birney car, No. 24, was bought. It came from the Cincinnati Car Company. In 1924, two more Birney cars (built in 1922) were bought. These were used cars from the Cheyenne Electric Railway Company. They became Fort Collins cars 25 and 26.
In the mid-1940s, cars 24 and 25 were replaced. Two other Birney cars were bought used from the Virginia Electric Power Company. The system had three routes. Streetcars ran every 20 minutes. From 1919 to 1951, the FCMR only used Birney-type cars. They usually had five to seven cars (numbered 20–26) running at any time. It was the last streetcar system in North America to use only Birney cars.
The End of Original Service
By 1951, the Fort Collins Municipal Railway was the last streetcar system in the U.S. to use any Birney cars. Service ended on June 30, 1951. The system had not made money for several years. Fort Collins was the last city in Colorado to have streetcars. Other cities like Pueblo stopped streetcar service in 1948. The Denver Tramway stopped in 1950.
At least five of the seven cars were saved after the railway closed. Car 20 is now on display in Minden, Nebraska. Car 21 was the only one that stayed in Fort Collins. It was shown outside the Pioneer Museum, which is now the Fort Collins Museum.
Bringing Streetcars Back: Heritage Service
In 1977, a local club suggested fixing up streetcar 21. The car looked bad after many years outside. This idea grew into a bigger plan. The goal was to fix car 21 so it could run again. They also wanted to fix a part of the old streetcar system.
To do this, a non-profit group was formed. It was called the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society (FCMRS). This happened on March 31, 1980. A new building for the streetcars, called a carbarn, was built. It was finished in 1982–1983. Car 21 was moved there on August 21, 1983. Volunteers from FCMRS then started to restore car 21.
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In 1981, the city agreed to let FCMRS restore a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) section of track. This track is along West Mountain Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue. It was part of the city's first streetcar line from 1907. A power station was bought to provide electricity. Overhead wires were put back up along the route.
The Heritage Line Opens
The restoration of the track and Birney car 21 was finished in 1984. The first public rides on the heritage streetcar line happened on December 29, 1984. This was 77 years after electric streetcar service first started in Fort Collins. The heritage service runs regularly in spring and summer, but not all year.
The heritage line usually runs from May through September. It operates on weekends from Noon to 5 p.m., with a streetcar every half-hour.
As of 2010, car 21 was the only streetcar running on the heritage line. Since 1992, the society has been working to add a second car. In 2007, FCMRS bought another Birney car that had been in Fort Collins before. This was car number 25. It came back to Fort Collins in 2008, and restoration work began. Car 25 was first used in Fort Collins in 1946. It had been car 1520 for the Virginia Electric Power Company. After the system closed in 1951, car 25 was sold. It moved to several places before FCMRS bought it.
The 2010s and Later
On July 25, 2010, one of car 21's axles broke. Service stopped for the rest of 2010. New parts were found, and repairs were finished in April 2011. Car 21 returned to service on May 1, 2011. The line is still running as of 2016. On July 4, 2020, car 25 also returned to service after its restoration.
Images for kids
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Fort Collins Birney car 21 on the 1984-opened heritage streetcar line.
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Car 21 leaving City Park
See also
In Spanish: Tranvía de Fort Collins para niños
