McKinney Avenue Transit Authority facts for kids
| Dallas Area Rapid Transit | |
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M-line streetcar Matilda in Bowen Ave outside the car barn.
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| Operation | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Dallas, Texas |
| Open | July 22, 1989 |
| Routes | M-line Trolley |
| Owner(s) | MATA |
| Operator(s) | MATA DART |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Propulsion system(s) | Electric |
| Electrification | 600 V DC Overhead lines |
| Depot(s) | 3153 Oak Grove, Dallas |
| Stock | Various (see below) |
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 4.6 mi (7.4 km) |
| Stops | 40 |
| Website | McKinney Avenue Transit Authority |
The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA) is a special group. It runs the M-Line Trolley in Dallas, Texas, USA. This group is non-profit, which means they don't try to make money. Their offices and a place where they keep the trolleys are in Dallas.
The M-Line Trolley started running in 1989. It's a great example of a heritage streetcar system. This means it uses old, historic trolleys. The main part of the line goes along McKinney Avenue in a part of Dallas called Uptown. Even though its official name became "M-Line" in 2002, many people still call it the "McKinney Avenue trolley."
Since 2002, riding the M-line Trolley has been completely free! This is possible because Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and the Uptown Improvement District help pay for it. DART even calls the trolley "route 825" at its stops. The M-line Trolley connects with the DART light rail system. You can catch it at Cityplace/Uptown station in the north and St. Paul station in the south.
Contents
History of the M-Line Trolley
Dallas used to have many streetcar lines a long time ago. This was from the late 1800s until the 1930s. The last streetcar in Dallas stopped running in the mid-1950s. You can find old maps of these trolley routes online.
In the 1980s, people wanted to bring streetcars back to Dallas's Uptown area. This idea grew after some of the old tracks were found on McKinney Avenue. On January 14, 1986, MATA got a lease for the Bowen Avenue car barn. This was exactly 30 years after the last Dallas streetcars ran.
New tracks were first put down in September 1988. This was near Hall Street. The main parts of the system were ready by the summer of 1989. On July 22, 1989, streetcars returned to Dallas! Car 122 broke a special banner to celebrate.
In 1995, MATA had to fix a problem on Cole Avenue. The ground was sinking, causing a dip in the tracks. About 200 feet of track had to be replaced.
By the late 1990s, the old brick road on McKinney Avenue was wearing out. It couldn't handle all the cars, trucks, and buses anymore. Repairs started in July 1999 and finished in December 2000. The street was repaved with concrete bricks. Most of the old bricks were saved for sidewalks. Workers fixed one lane of the street at a time. Sometimes, the streetcars had to take different routes.
First Expansion: Connecting to DART
The M-Line system grew for the first time in 2002. Both DART and MATA wanted the streetcar to connect with DART's Cityplace subway station. This station was just a few blocks from the trolley route.
New tracks for this extension were laid in June 2001. While building in 2002, crews found old Dallas Railway and Terminal tracks. These were from the middle of the street! The new extension opened to the public on May 6, 2002. Now, you can ride the DART Light Rail and switch to the M-Line trolley to get to Uptown. When this extension opened, all rides on the M-Line became free. This expansion made the line 3.8 miles (6.1 km) long. At this time, the line was officially named "the M-Line."
Second Expansion: Into Downtown
The City of Dallas and MATA worked together to make the streetcar system even bigger. They planned to extend the line further into downtown Dallas. The idea was for a line to split off near McKinney and Olive Streets. It would then go down Olive Street to the light rail area downtown.
To help pay for this, people in Dallas voted on a bond. On November 7, 2006, voters approved Proposition One. This allowed the city to use money for street and transportation improvements. The bond passed with a large majority. Engineering for the project was planned for 2010.
On July 8, 2010, the government announced more money for the M-Line project. They gave an extra $5 million. This money helped finish the downtown loop. It also allowed the line to run faster, more modern cars deeper into downtown.
On May 4, 2015, MATA started running trolleys on the new downtown extension. The line went past Ross Avenue. It made a loop along Federal Street and Olive Street. Then it reconnected to the line on McKinney Avenue. The new line officially opened on June 5, 2015. A public party was held on June 6, 2015. People were encouraged to ride the free trolley and share pictures online. Many local businesses offered free samples and discounts.
Future Plans
There are plans to connect the M-Line rails to the newer Dallas Streetcar line.
Historic Trolleys in Service
The M-Line Trolley uses many different historic cars. Here are some of the ones you might see running today:
- 122 - Crescent Rose or Rosie
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Car 122 was built in 1909 by the J. G. Brill Company. It was made for use in Porto, Portugal. Rosie looks a lot like the early streetcars that used to run in Dallas. It stopped service in Porto in 1978. It came to the U.S. in the early 1980s. It was even used in a trolley festival in San Francisco in 1983. MATA bought car 122 in 1984. It needed only small fixes to start running for MATA. Later, it got a bigger restoration. After some motor problems, it's now fixed. Car 122 is the oldest streetcar in daily service in North America!
- 186 - Green Dragon
Car 186 was built in 1913 by the St. Louis Car Co. It served Dallas for 43 years. It stopped running in 1956 when the streetcar system closed. Car 186 was sold and used as a hay barn! Ed Landrum, one of MATA's founders, got the car in 1979. He made it look good again. The Green Dragon was shown in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. When the museum closed, Landrum gave 186 to MATA. MATA fixed it up, and it started running in 1989.
- 369 - Matilda
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Car 369 was built in 1925 in Melbourne, Australia. It's a W2-class car. Matilda ran in Melbourne for 60 years! MATA bought her in 1986. She arrived in Dallas by truck. Matilda was already in good shape. She just needed some changes to look more like a North American trolley. In 2008, Matilda got air-conditioning. This makes rides more comfortable!
- 636 - Petunia
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Car 636 was one of 25 streetcars ordered for Dallas Railway Co. It was built by the J. G. Brill Company. Petunia is a "Birney Safety Car." It's named after its designer, Charles O. Birney. These cars were designed to be run by one person. This helped companies save money. Birneys were known for a bumpy ride. Car 636 ran in Dallas until 1947. MATA volunteers built its current wheels. MATA later added shock absorbers to make the ride smoother.
Car 636 was the first M-Line car to get air-conditioning. A test unit was installed in 2007. Later, three more units were added for full cooling. In 2013, 636 was in a crash. It was out of service for several months. One end of the car was completely rebuilt. It also got new wheels, a new roof, and updated wiring.
- 754 - Betty
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Car 754 was built in 1926 by American Car Company. It was made for Dallas Railway and Terminal Co. It was a Peter Witt streetcar. These cars originally had a door in the middle. The company later removed this door. Car 754 was used until the system closed in 1956. After that, a man named Ben Carpenter moved 754 to his family's ranch. It became a playhouse for his children and grandchildren! When they grew up, Mr. Carpenter gave the trolley to MATA.
Car 754 was partly fixed up. In 2009, it came to the MATA barn. It got new wheels and special motors. This car is the first at MATA with modern AC motors and computer controls. After some work on its electronics, car 754 started regular service in March 2014.
- 4614 - Margaret
Toronto used to have the most PCCs (a type of streetcar) in the world. They had 745 of them! By 1995, only 19 were left. MATA bought two of these cars, 4613 and 4614. Car 4614 was changed to have a door on the left side. It started service in 2019. Car 4613 is still waiting to be fixed up.
- 7169 - Emma
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Car 7169 is a PCC trolley built in Brussels. MATA bought it in 2013. This type of tram was built between 1951 and 1971. MATA changed the car for their use, including adding new left-side doors. The car started regular service in mid-2015.
- Miss Daisy (no number)
Miss Daisy was built around 1900. It was made by the Fairmont Company. Cars like this were used by railways to check the tracks. A volunteer named Richard Fowler gave Miss Daisy to MATA. She was complete but not working. Miss Daisy can be used with a welder and a rail grinder. This helps MATA workers fix the tracks.
Trolleys Waiting for Restoration
MATA also has some trolleys that are waiting to be fixed up and put back into service.
- 143 - Winnie
Winnie was built in 1945. It was a PCC streetcar for DC Transit. It was later bought by Fort Worth. It was rebuilt to run in both directions. It was also given a more "modern" look. Winnie ran as a Tandy Center Subway car until that line closed in 2002. Because of its shape, it was nicknamed "Winnie," like a Winnebago RV.
Around 2005-2006, people tried to get Winnie running. But it had many problems with its air-conditioning, mechanics, and electricity. It was decided that fixing Winnie was too hard. So, it was moved off-site.
- 183 and 189
Cars 183 and 189 were built in 1913 for Dallas Railways. They are similar to the Green Dragon (car 186). In 1991, John Landrum found these two cars built into a house! The house was about to be torn down. So, in 1994, MATA volunteers went to Lewisville. They took down the warehouse to get the cars.
- 323
Car 323 was built in 1915. It's a special "turtleback" type streetcar. It's the only known example of this "stretch" streetcar still existing.
- 4613 (ex-Toronto PCC)
This car is a sister to car 4614, Margaret. Car 4614 is running, but 4613 is still in storage. It needs to be fixed up.
Former Trolleys
Some trolleys that were once part of MATA's collection are no longer there.
- 332 - The Morning Star
Car 332 was built in 1912. It was used on an interurban railway. When that railway stopped in 1934, a farmer bought 332. He used it to store grain. John Landrum bought the car in 1986. Volunteers worked on restoring it for many years. But the restoration stopped to make space for the 2015 expansion. The car was later given to the Museum of the American Railroad. Its restoration is continuing there.
- 3334 (ex-MBTA 3334, Dallas 612)
MATA got this PCC car in 2009. It had run in Dallas before as #612. Then it was sold to Boston. After checking the car carefully, it was found to be too damaged to fix. It had been used for many years in Boston. MATA decided to scrap the body of the car in 2017. But they saved most of its electrical parts and wheels. These parts can be used to fix other PCC cars in the future.
MATA bought car 122 and another similar car to have two trolleys running. The second car was almost ready. But it was stored behind a restaurant while the car barn was being made taller. In the winter of 1985, two children broke into the trolley and set it on fire. Luckily, the main parts of the car were okay. But the electronics and wooden body were too damaged. The good parts were saved and used for car 122. Car 369, Matilda, arrived on January 23, 1978, as a replacement.
Find Your Trolley!
In late 2014, a special GPS system was put into the trolleys. This system lets you see where each trolley is in real-time!
Images for kids
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M-line streetcar Matilda in Bowen Ave outside the car barn.
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M-Line Trolley logo.
See also
In Spanish: McKinney Avenue Transit Authority para niños
