Tampa & Ybor City Street Railway Society
The Tampa & Ybor City Street Railway Society is
registered as a 501 C.3 non-profit organization, “Dedicated to the
preservation and restoration of a colorful part of Tampa’s transportation
history – the electric Streetcar”. Since 1984, the T&YCSR has been promoting
the re-establishment of electric streetcar service to Tampa, as well as acting
as locator, curator and restorer of original Tampa Streetcar artifacts and
history. The Society works with the City of Tampa and HARTline to promote and
support the new heritage streetcar line, and acts as a historical resource for
the system and equipment.
The group's other major focus has been retrieval and
restoration of original TECO streetcar equipment (Birney Streetcars) mainly from
the period of 1920 through 1946. They are currently in the last year of a nine
year program to restore a 1923 28-foot single truck Birney number 163, and have
recently retrieved a 1920 45-foot double truck Birney body number 402 which they
hope to start restoring as soon as number 163 is completed.
Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge the Society's
photos below:
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| Birney 163 operating on Tampa's original system. |
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| The car in its subsequent life as a dwelling. |
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| The car being retrieved by Society volunteers. |
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| No. 163 being rebuilt by Society members. |
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| The body in its yellow final colors as it nears completion. |
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| The interior features glistening varnished woodwork. |
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| No. 163 is rolled out after completion of restoration in April 2000. |
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| No. 163 is loaded for display prior as part of the 2001 Superbowl festivities. |
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| No. 163 poses on street with the first of Tampa's replica trolleys. |
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| A profile view shows the single truck built from a truck bought from the Seashore Trolley Museum. |
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| A 400-series car running in Tampa in 1945. |
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| The interior of a 400-series car when in operation. |
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| Car 402 as it was when the Society's members found it. |
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| Number 402's interior, complete with bed frame. |
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| Cranes prepare to lift no. 402 in April, 2000. |
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| No. 402 ready to move to the Society for eventual restoration. |
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Historical notes about Tampa streetcars
In its heyday of operation
from the early 1920’s through mid-1946, the electric streetcar network was
Tampa’s primary mode of cheap, reliable and convenient transportation. Tampa’s
streetcar system was the most extensive in Florida comprising over 53 miles of
track served by eleven major routes covering virtually every growing
neighborhood in the city. A fleet of over 130 Birney style safety streetcars
operated from before dawn till after 2 AM seven days a week, traveling a total
of 9,000 miles each day (the distance from Tampa to Tokyo). Ridership exceeded
21 million passengers per year prior to and during World War II.
As the War ended, and
diesel buses took precedence on the streets across the cities of America, Tampa
too found itself succumbing to the guise of modernization. August 3, 1946 saw
the last full day of operation in Tampa, and the following day, buses replaced
the steel-wheeled electric streetcar. Part of Tampa’s fleet of yellow Birney
cars was sold for subsequent operation in South America, while others were
stripped of operating gear and relegated to cottages or storage sheds across
Florida. The rest were stacked in a field and burned.
Very few components of the
original Tampa Streetcar System remain today. The Tampa & Ybor City Street
Railway Society is fortunate to have acquired two original Tampa streetcar
bodies, and one St. Petersburg work car body, and since 1991 an all-volunteer
effort has been underway to restore the first car, Single Truck Birney No. 163.
Found in late 1991, Birney
163 had been sitting for 45 years on the ground in the backyard of a small home
in the Sulphur Springs area. Relegated to use as a storage shed, it had earlier
served as a small apartment, complete with utilities and living amenities. An
agreement was negotiated with the owner to transfer the car body to the
Streetcar Society, and the car was moved to it’s current temporary home at “The
Carbarn” for restoration and rebirth.
Since acquisition, a
dedicated group of craftsmen and streetcar enthusiasts have been painstakingly
removing parts, repairing and replacing damaged segments, and rebuilding the
mechanical components to return the car to it’s original 1920’s running
condition. When restoration is complete, this car will be the first and
only original Florida streetcar returned to fully operational status.
Work on the streetcar
restoration takes place every Tuesday night, and visitors and volunteers are
always welcome to see the progress, and lend a hand. An aggressive goal is
under way to complete the restoration in the year 2001 so that Birney 163 can be
included as one of the first operating streetcars on Tampa’s new street railway
system.
For information contact
Stephen J. McGee, Restoration Chairman phone 813-623-2675, Ext. 49 or e-mail:
sjmcgee@gte.net.
