A. Philip Randolph SIS Facility

When Canal Station was demolished in 1992, NORTA constructed a massive bus facility on the site. It was named for civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph.

The above aerial photo, courtesy of Bob Rabito of Langniappe Photography, shows the main bus garage and office complex which fronts Canal, the coin processing and tire shop in the right rear, and the new streetcar barn in the left rear. Unlike Carrollton Station uptown, the streetcar tracks leading into Randolph are all on RTA property rather than on N, Gayoso Street. As the track diagram below shows, RTA decided to build the tracks off-street and construct a wall between the edge of the property and N. Gayoso St. The main reason for this is the large building just to the left of Randolph, which is Warren Easton High School. 

The main building of the Randolph SIS is the bus Storage, Inspection and Service facility.

The Streetcar Barn

Streetcars enter Randolph via the wye trackage just before N. Gayoso St.  They then turn right after the bus storage lot and enter the barn from the rear, exiting through the front. There is a traffic light at the wye tracks to stop automobiles when streetcars enter/exit Randolph. Unlike Willow and Jeanette Streets uptown (the front and back streets by Carrollton Station, Canal is three lanes wide and full of traffic, so operations are a bit more complex.

Track and overhead wiring for the streetcar barn, view from the front.

View of the rear of the barn.

Another Google Earth shot of the streetcar barn at the rear of the Randolph facility. The barn was constructed in 2002-2003 to house the 2000-series Von Dullen and 400-series Riverfront streetcars.

Two shots of the rear of the streetcar barn, taken on 26-October-2005. Note the discoloration on the bottom of the buses--that's the water line indicating how high the flood waters came up on 30-August-2005. The Von Dullen streetcars are still in the barn at this time. They were later taken by truck up to Carrollton Station, where they are currently awaiting repair. The Canal barn currently houses the 900-series Perley A. Thomas streetcars operating on the Canal line.