Tucson, AZ
In Tucson, the opening of a volunteer-run heritage trolley line in 1993 became the inspiration for
a much longer modern streetcar to serve the university and downtown areas. The new line, named SunLink, began carrying
passengers on July 25, 2014. The heritage line
was shut down during construction of the modern line, but may resume operation once construction is complete and
once heritage streetcars that can run reliably with the modern cars are available.
Follow this link for an Overview of
Tucson's former heritage trolley operation, when it was in full operation.
The following references a New Electric Railway Journal article (reproduced
in this site's Articles section) describing Tucson's
heritage trolley:
Click on the thumbnail images below to enlarge views of Tucson's Old Pueblo
trolley:
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| All service on the Tucson heritage line was for a time provided by this Japanese streetcar, shown at one end of the line. |
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| The line enjoyed great support from residents of the city historic residential district shown here. Asphalt covering this original track was removed. |
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| The motorman's view of the uncovered original Tucson streetcar track used for this part of the route. |
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| The track to the right lead to the line's carbarn. The one to the left was the beginning of the planned extension to downtown Tucson. |
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| Track on this stretch along a popular restaurant and shopping street was laid by Old Pueblo volunteers. |
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| This former Brussels tram was being restored to join the Japanese car in service. |
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Follow this link for an article published by the Community Transportation Association of America in 2012 about Tucson's streetcar plans:
The Tucson Modern Streetcar.
The following news notes further describe streetcar developments in Tucson:
Click on this link to visit the Tucson line's site:
For more on the Tucson heritage line click on:
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