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Heritage Trolley Site
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New Orleans, LA
 		   

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New Orleans, Louisiana

When Hurricane Katrina breached the levees in New Orleans on August 29, 2005, it devastated the city's streetcar lines along with a large percentage of the city. The historic St. Charles line stayed mostly above water but the storm's winds knocked over trees damaging trolley wire and tracks, meaning the line would be out of service for an extended period. The Riverfront and Canal lines saw less track and wire damage, but the power rectifiers and cars were severely flooded at the Randolph SIS, meaning substantial overhaul will be required. Partial service was restored just before Christmas 2005 using undamaged historic Perley-Thomas cars from the St. Charles line. The service was restored to the rest of Canal in April 2006 using Perley-Thomas cars and a portable power substation borrowed from Boston. The first stretch of the St. Charles line--from Canal to Lee Circle--resumed service just before Christmas 2006. On November 10, 2007 service resumed on St. Charles as far as Napolean Avenue, then was extended to the end of St. Charles Avenue at South Carrollton in December. The rest of the line is due to see service in Spring 2008.

Click on the photos below to enlarge these views taken in March 2008 showing streetcar service in New Orleans using the classic Perley-Thomas cars, with all lines except for the outer portion of St. Charles in service:

In an image that could have been taken before 1964, Perley Thomas cars run on Canal.

St. Charles service temporarily ending at Riverbend, the intersection of St. Charles and S. Carrolton.

In a scene once unthinkable, car 972 returns to Canal. It was the very last Canal car in May 1964.

Two generations of Carrollton leadership: superintendent Will Mullett confers with his retired predecessor, the legenday Elmer von Dullen.

The first step in rehabbing the Canal cars is repainting (then covering in plastic as protection from pigeons).
 

Click on the photos below to enlarge these views taken in May 2007 showing interim streetcar service in New Orleans:

[photogallery/photo11319/real_p.htm]

Click on the link below for an article from the Times Picayune describing the St. Charles restoration:
bullet St. Charles Streetcars to Resume Partial Service

See news notes below from November 2005 and later for more detail about recovery from Katrina.

In late April, 2006 subcommittee member Jim Schantz visited New Orleans and filed this report on status of the city and the streetcar system:
bullet April 2006 visit impressions

On April 18, 2004 the New Orleans streetcar system marked a milestone as streetcars returned to Canal Street after an absence of 40 years.  Click on the link below for photos of the Canal line opening:
bullet April 2004 Canal Line opening

Follow this link for an Overview of the New Orleans streetcar system, including the classic St. Charles line, the newer Riverfront line, the newly  built Canal line, and the planned Desire line.

The following news notes from Rail Transit Online provide an overview of developments in New Orleans' streetcar system:
bullet April 1999
bullet June 1999 
bullet July 1999 
bullet September 1999 
bullet November 1999 
bullet January 2000 
bullet February 2000 
bullet March 2000 
bullet June 2000 
bullet July 2000 
bullet September 2000 
bullet November 2000 
bullet March 2001 
bullet June 2001 
bullet August 2001 
bullet November 2001
bullet January 2002 
bullet June 2002 
bullet October 2002 
bullet December 2002 
bullet February 2003 
bullet March 2003 
bullet May 2003 
bullet October 2003
bullet November 2003 
bullet December 2003 
bullet March 2004 
bullet May 2004 
bullet September 2004 
bullet June 2005 

The notes below deal with post-Katrina developments in New Orleans:
bullet October 2005
bullet December 2005 
bullet January 2006 
bullet February 2006 
bullet March 2006 
bullet May 2006 
bullet July 2006 
bullet October 2006 
bullet December 2006 
bullet January 2007 
bullet August 2007
bullet October 2007
bullet November 2007
bullet December 2007
bullet January 2008
bullet April 2008
bullet June 2008
bullet August 2008
bullet November 2008

The following links reference New Electric Railway Journal articles (reproduced in this site's Articles section):
bullet New Orleans Prepares for the Past, Spring 1992
bullet New Orleans Joys, Fall 1996
bullet The New Ladies in Red, Vol X No.1 - 1997

Click below for the system's web site:
bullet New Orleans Regional Transit Authority Website

For more on the New Orleans system click on:
bullet Railway Preservation Resources - New Orleans page
 
   

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