Metro’s vintage Australian streetcars are loaded on flatbed trucks Wednesday on Sixth Avenue South in preparation for shipment to St. Louis. (Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times)
By Mike Siegel
Seattle Times staff photographer
Metro’s vintage Australian streetcars are headed to St. Louis. The streetcars can no longer be used here because Seattle's modern streetcars run on a lower profile using electronic controls.
The streetcars were once used on the George Benson Waterfront Streetcar Line, a corridor that was destroyed to make room for the Olympic Sculpture Park.
Metro can no longer use the Melbourne trolleys because Seattle’s modern streetcars run on a lower profile using electronic controls.
The cars are to be used on the Delmar Loop Trolley, a 2.2-mile heritage trolley line in St. Louis.
The an old small high school has been gutted and will become the new trolley barn for the Delmar Loop trolleys.
Three trolleys from Seattle arrived in St. Louis two weeks ago. One has been sent off to Iowa for refurbishment/livery treatment along with two others from Portland.
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Update:
-Testing/cleanup will be starting by year's end.
-Wire poles are most complete. Locals have been pre-warned about the "live" voltage.
-The overhead wires are being hung (in stages) along the line.
-Work continues on the Trolley Barn/Shed.
-Switching tracks are almost complete.
-Some landscaping has been completed along the line. A lot more to do.
-Sidewalk remediation is under way.
-Station canopies are being installed.
-Retro acorn lighting has been installed on the DeBaliviere corridor of the line.
-Spring 2017 is the target for the inaugural trip/grand-opening.
Oh the old Broad Street trolley station/barn in Seattle. A metal shed. I like how they've kept the old destination sign to taunt us Seattleites. Not that the line was very useful. It went along the central waterfront for a mile in the shadow of the Highway 99 Viaduct, then headed inland for a half mile through Pioneer Square. These are touristy areas and have ferry and cruise ship crowds but the line was slow and infrequent, so not great as transit. Now we're leaning toward building a similar line but up the hill on First Avenue where more people are. They'll be a cool feature of the new line in St. Louis.
I personally think this is going to be a fine line when it gets going.
Little-by-little and inch-by-inch, we are almost there.
I can wait a little longer - even though I am anxious too. Below are photos of the trolley maintenance barn. It had been a vacant special needs high school.
What's the explanation again for why these mock trolleys and the Melbourne trams are being used instead of refurbishing the old Peter Witt cars that was part of the original plans?
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What's the explanation again for why these mock trolleys and the Melbourne trams are being used instead of refurbishing the old Peter Witt cars that was part of the original plans?
Also, what's the explanation for not using modern streetcars? It's 2017.