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August 8, 2004

The Morris Cars

This week, we’re kicking off a new section of CanalStreetCar (dot com), “The Streetcars of the Canal Line.” We’re starting with the Morris Cars because they were the first streetcars built here in New Orleans. The craftsmen and mechanics who worked for the New Orleans City Railroad company at Canal Station had experience with building trailer cars (essentially non-powered streetcars), and the Morris Cars were the next logical step for them. The cars are named after E. J. Morris, who was Master Mechanic of the shops at Canal Station. The cars are listed as being built by the New Orleans Railways Company, because The NOCRR merged into the NO Rys. Co. in 1902. The design of the Morris cars was based on the Barney & Smith cars in use by the New Orleans City R.R. on the West End line.

The Morris cars were 52 feet long and just over 8 feet wide. They seated 64 riders. Originally they were built with open platforms on either end. They were numbered 046 to 057, following in sequence behind the original “Palace” cars.

This photo of car 055 shows it running on the Canal Belt line. The open platform indicates that the photo was shot before the Morris Cars were re-fitted with closed platforms in 1904. The Morris Cars were renumbered 513 to 524 in 1917. Cars 519-524 had their motors removed in 1918 and pulled by powered cars as trailers on the Canal-Cemeteries line. The motorized cars were removed from service and scrapped from 1921-24, with 518 being kept on until 1931. The trailers were scrapped from 1930-32.

Posted by Edward J. Branley at August 8, 2004 7:10 PM

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