A prototype of the 24
heritage replica streetcars the New Orleans RTA wants to build for the
proposed Canal Street trolley line was rolled out during a public ceremony on
June 13. The bright red vehicle, was manufactured at the agency’s Carrolton
Shops but equipped with new running gear from veteran streetcar manufacturer
CKD Dopravni Systemy of the Czech Republic. Also on display was a brand new
T6C5 streetcar from CKD which the company is hoping to market in North
America. The Czech ambassador to the United States, Alexandr Vondra, was on
hand for the ceremony, indicating the importance his country has placed on the
export of its transit technology. The New Orleans-CKD car is supposed to
resemble the city’s classic 1923 Perley-Thomas trolleys. But a clerestory roof
has been added to hide the air conditioning equipment, making purists shudder
at its mongrelized appearance. The Canal Street project remains stalled over
the lack of a local match for promised federal funds. The state legislature
failed to include any money for the project before adjourning for the year,
putting the RTD’s hope of beginning construction next year in doubt.
