Fort Collins, CO — Historic Trolley Ready to Roll

Rail Transit Online, May 2011

Vintage Birney streetcar No. 21 has been repaired and brightened up for the summer season in Fort Collins, and will be operating on its regular 1.5-mi. (2.4 km) route along Mountain Avenue between City Park and Old Town on weekends and holidays through September.

Last July one of No. 21''s two original axles broke and its future was uncertain. But a fund-raising drive generated $15,000 for the fabrication of a new axle and the repair of other damage, such as broken leaf springs, discovered when the wheels were removed. In addition, the motors and air compressor were refurbished, making the trolley quieter and smoother-riding than it has been in many years. "In a lot of ways it may be in better shape than when it was restored 25 years ago," Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society Treasurer John Beckett told The Coloradoan.

The car was one of four purchased by the city in 1919 and it served the community for 32 years. It was then relegated to a local park where it was displayed until the early 1980s, when it was acquired by the railway society and restored. The all-volunteer group is currently refurbishing former Fort Collins trolley No. 25.

www.fortnet.org/trolley