Perley A. Thomas streetcar #952 makes its way through the "storm city" display at Lakeside Mall in Metairie. The display, created by Mr. Frank Evans of Gretna, has been a component of the mall's holiday decorations for 13 years, but this year, he's added some post-Katrina touches, such as blue tarps on the roofs of the model homes. Mr. Evans' additions this year stirred some controversy up, causing the mall to take the display down temporarily. Within days, however, the display was back up and the trains and streetcars once again circled the center of the mall.
The streetcar is a LGB model of the 900-series streetcars that run on the city's St. Charles Line. These 80-year old streetcars were safe in their barn at Carrollton Station during the storm. Mr. Evans' LGB streetcars are the same models that run in City Park's "Train Garden."
Here are some more photos of the Lakeside Mall display:
