Tampa — Asbestos Removal

Rail Transit Online, October 2008

An asbestos removal program for nine TECOline streetcars has been approved by Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. Asbestos was found in some electrical components, including the controllers, by maintenance workers.

Eight cars are replicas of historic Birney trolleys manufactured by Gomaco and the other is a restored original Birney from 1923. All are fitted with electrical equipment salvaged from 80-year-old Peter Witt cars scrapped by the transit system in Milan, Italy.

Officials said the asbestos is located inside sealed ceramic insulators and would probably not pose a health threat unless disturbed. However, HART and Tampa Historic Streetcar, Inc. have decided to replace the components just to be safe.

Specification and sourcing of replacement components is underway, with installation work to be performed by qualified HART staff within the next six to eight months. Replacement controllers will be purchased with possible off-site installation to be completed one car at a time within the next 18 months.

The 2.4-mi. (3.9 km) TECOline streetcar, which connects downtown with Ybor City, celebrated six years of operation on Oct. 11.

www.tecolinestreetcar.org