historic street car lines

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings

Over the last two weeks I have followed My EMail about building
a historic streetcar line in Pittsburgh.  There are many good
suggestions and it should be noted thats how a community moves
forward.  There are lots of questions about funding and operation
which must be answered realistically.

First, what is a historic streetcar line?  Many of the suggestions
seemed to be based on a rigid line between transit and historic.
As John Swindler has pointed out, the Feds dont make that
distinction.  Such a project must be funded within the community's
capital program and will require local share as well.  It will be
in competition with other projects not only in Pittsburgh but
also in the entire nation.

Lets look at some of the socalled historic or tourist lines.  I have
visited most of them and thay are quite diverse.  Here goes:
- Seattle: The waterfront trolley  is a regular transit line which
   serves tourists while using ex-Melbourne cars.Operated by Metro.
- San Francisco: Ditto the F Line including the Fisherman's
   Wharf extension except that PP cars and historic cars are used.
- New Orleans: The Riverside Line serves the Convention
  Center and the French Quarter with new replica cars.
  Operated by RTA. The entire St Charles line is historic.
- Tampa: The new line from the Convention Center to Ybor
  City will use replica light weight cars. Operated by HART.
- Memphis: The loop and the Riverline used by historic cars
  (ex Melbourne and Porto) will be the base of future light
  rail lines starting with the Hospital line.  Operated by MATA.
- Dallas: The McKinney Ave line is operated by a separate
  authority with volunnter labor,
- Portland, San Jose, and soon, Sacramento, operate historic
  cars on midday loops over LRT tracks.
- Detroit had a city owned downtown historic line.  I dont
  know if is operating at present.
- Vancouver: a museum line using two restored interurban
  cars near downtown.
- Nelson, BC: a city owned line in a park with one car.
- Calgary: A city owned line in their historic park.
- Minneapolis: a museum line in a park.
- Portland: a volunteer tourist line on an old rr line using
  two cars with diesel generators.
- Denver: a volunteer tourist line with diesel generators.
- Tuscon: a volunteer tourist line downtown with
  city support,
- Scranton: a volunteer historic restoration at Steamtown.
- Philadelphia: SEPTA has operated historic PCC's downtown
  and in Germantown on occasion.  The Buckingham Valley
  Group had operated historic cars at the riverfront.  These
  are now in Scranton.
- Galveston: Diesel powered new historic cars made in New
  Castle, Pa. between downtown, the beach and the
  Convention Center.  Can be converted to full electric.
  A city project with federal funding.
- San Diego: Has two old cars from Austria for possible
  historic line over LRT.

In short, there are many different examples. Most have transit
system or government participation,  Others are smaller and
use volunteer staff with extensive corporate sponsorship.

In Pittsburgh, the Arden Trolley Museum and the Duquesne
Heights Incline have progressed making good use of volunteer
help, corporate sponsors and limited government assistance.
These are labor of love.

IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO STRIP EITHER TO SUPPORT
A COMPETING PROJECT.  IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT
THAT A HISTORIC LINE FIT INTO THE OVERALL
TRANSPORTATION PLAN OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE FEDERAL MONEY IS LIMITED AS IS THE
LOCAL SHARE.

Joe Greta, a Pittsburgh Post Gazette staff writer reporting
on the PCC extension to Fisherman's Wharf in his March
19 column "Getting Around" suggested a line in Pittsburgh
between downtown, the Convention Center and the Strip
as a tourist line and a practical transit service. Such a service
would probably be under the control of the Port Authority.
Outside of Alleghency County it would be under PUC
control.

Other important considerations involve safety regulation,
insurance, possible union conflicts and community
representation.

Its a big project that affects many others.  Certainly Arden
and the Incline need to be protected.  And it cant work
without PAT's support. Money is limited for new projects.

Harold H Geissenheimer, March 20, 2000.


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