New Orleans — Rebuilt Streetcars Return

Rail Transit Online, December 2008

Six of the 24 hurricane-damaged replica heritage streetcars built for the restored Canal Street Line returned to service on Dec. 12 following dedication ceremonies attended by local politicians. Cars 2008, 2004 and 2009 complete with holiday decorations made the inaugural run down the historic line; New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) also reintroduced cars 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Brookville Equipment Corp. is a major subcontractor to the program, remanufacturing its soft-ride trucks and building all-new electrical cabinets and propulsion systems for the cars. The rebuilding costs approximately
$1 million per unit and is being carried out by NORTA employees at the Carrollton Station maintenance facility, where the replica cars were manufactured in 2002-2003.

When Hurricane Katrina hit, little more than a year after the Canal Street Line opened, the entire fleet was inundated up to windshield height. Until now, Canal service was being operated with 1923 Perley-Thomas cars borrowed from the St. Charles Line.

The remaining 18 replicas will be completed by Carrollton shop forces at the rate of one per month. Also being rebuilt are seven Riverfront Line heritage replicas for a total of 31.