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October 22, 2007

Feature Photo: NORTA 29 restoration

From 2003, this Earl Hampton photo shows NORTA being fully restored in 2003. The metal covering has been mostly removed, exposing the wooden frame. The wood of the 1899-vintage Ford, Bacon & Davis single-truck streetcar was replaced from top to bottom. Car 29 was restored in the shops at Carrollton Station uptown, under the supervision of Elmer Von Dullen.

This photo is a great illustration of just what we want to accomplish with the New Orleans Street Railway Association. While NORTA had the funds back in 2003 to fix up 29, there simply isn't any money to restore the three additional streetcars in storage at Carrollton Station. Even if NORTA could get funding to restore the two Perley A. Thomas streetcars (ex-NOPSI 919 and 924), there's no possibility of getting money to restore 453. Like 29, 453 has a wood-frame, and would not be suitable for regular revenue use, so it wouldn't meet FTA's requirements.

One of the things we'll be looking at doing with NOSRA is holding a conference on the "craft of streetcar construction" at some point. New Orleans has a long tradition of streetcar construction and restoration, and we want to show that off.

www.nosra.org

Posted by YatPundit at October 22, 2007 6:57 AM

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