Feature Photo: November 2005 Archives

In the late-1990s, the plan to return streetcars to Canal Street was kicking into gear. The team at Carrollton Station was tasked with fabricating a series of LRVs in the style of the 900-series Perley A. Thomas cars. One of the possibilities they considered was to use the trucks and propulsion system of the PCC-style cars from CKD/Tatra of the Czech Republic. This photo is of the demo car that CKD sent over for Elmer Von Dullen's crew to evaluate, parked in the Carrollton barn. The car made a number of runs out of Carrollton Station, down St. Charles to Canal Street.

While it was only a few demo runs, the CKD car marked the first time a (sort-of) PCC streetcar ever ran on Canal Street. RTA acquired several PCC cars in the mid-1990s, when they were planning the 400-series Riverfront streetcars. They didn't go in that direction, however, choosing to use CKD trucks for the first update the Perley Thomas streetcars since the 1000-series was built. One of the PCCs was taken out for a couple of runs from the Carrollton barn to Lee Circle and back, but that was the extend of their use in New Orleans. The acquisition of the 800, 900, and 1000-series streetcars was

Even in their heyday, NOPSI never considered using PCC streetcars. The primary reason was the company's financial committment to the Perley Thomas cars. They were viewed as a 50-year investment when purchased, and by the 1950s, the company was pushing to discontinue the use of streetcars altogether. Additionally, most PCCs are single-ended, which meant that a number of modifications to the existing track system would have to be made to allow them to turn around. While researching the book I found a diagram of some of those changes that NOPSI included in a presentation to the City Council to convince them that the best course was discontinuing streetcar operations.

One of the things that that's happening in the aftermath of the storm is the thought streetcar fans are giving to possibilities for streetcars in New Orleans. Rest assured that there are folks from RTA that read this newsletter and our website, as well as monitor the various trolley/streetcar mailing lists out there. Keep the ideas and discussion coming!

Perley A. Thomas streetcars 910 and 928, waiting to depart on the outbound leg of their current run on the Canal Street line, one afternoon in the early 1950s. These two cars have circled around Liberty Place and are now queued up in the 100 block of Canal. The billboard clock dominating the background reads 4:35. It's peak time for streetcar operation, as you can see three additional streetcars waiting behind these two. Canal Street had four-track operation. Streetcar 910 is on the outside, outbound track, which was normally used by the various lines that terminated their runs on Canal. Lines such as Desire, St. Charles and Magazine would run inbound to Canal Street via a one-way street. They would discharge passengers, turn onto Canal, run for a block or two on Canal, then turn back onto a side street to pick up passengers and begin their outbound run. 910 will merge onto the same track as 928 for the trip to the Cemeteries.

Four of the Union Metal Company light poles that line Canal Street in the CBD are visible behind the streetcars. These poles and their distinctive three lamps are still on Canal Street today, having survived a number of hurricanes since their installation in 1931. The long covered walkway in the right background of the photo is the pedestrian walkway that leads to the ferry landing. The railroad tracks of the New Orleans Public Belt RR Co. are right under that walkway, and it wasn't safe for pedestrians hurrying to catch the ferry across the river to be running across them.

The numbers on the right-hand side of the route sign indicate the order in which the streetcars left the barn that day. Streetcar 910 was the sixteenth that day, and 928 was the fifteenth. The streetcars used two-man operation at this time, employing both a motorman and a conductor. Passengers boarded at the rear and paid their fare to the conductor, exiting at the front. Since the conductor handled the money and could make change, exact change was not required. The fare at this time to ride a NOPSI bus or streetcar was seven cents.

The buildings on the left-hand side of the photo have all been torn down over the years, and now they are the location of One Canal Place, which is an office building, hotel, and shopping mall. Note the "JAX" sign in the left foreground, marking the entrance to a local watering hole and advertising Jax Beer. Jax Beer was made around the corner, at their brewery on Decatur Street. That building was empty for most of the 1970s, and was subsequently converted into a shopping area along the lines of Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco.

(Clicking the image takes you to a much higher-res version of the photo.)

From 2003: Von Dullen car 2015, on Jeanette Street, behind Carrollton Station. The streetcar has painted and detailed, and now is being moved into the main car barn, where the interior and electrical system will be installed.

This scene will no doubt be repeated before the Von Dullen cars are returned to service on the Canal Line. With the car barn on Canal Street taking up to 2' of water, the trucks and motors were flooded, and the paint jobs on all the 2000-series and 400-series streetcars were damaged. It's unclear yet whether or not the motors were permanently damaged; they're built to get wet, of course, from rain and standing water on the tracks, but being totally immersed for days is not what the designers had in mind.

If the streetcars can return to Carrollton Station under their own power, they still have obstacles to hurdle--literally. The damage to catenary and electrical poles on St. Charles and Carrollton Avenues is extensive. That may mean the "red ladies" will have to be trucked back to Carrollton Station for repairs and a fresh coat of paint.

Photo shot with a Nikon EM and a 35-75mm lens.

"Palace" car 012, parked on one of the outside storage tracks at Canal Station. Made by the American Car Company of St. Louis, the luxurious "Palace" cars ran on the Canal and West End lines, as well as the Canal Belt and Esplanade Belt lines. 012's route sign indicates that it's running on the Canal Belt, dating this picture at somewhere between 1915 and 1925.

The "Palace" cars were roomier than the 800/900-series Perley Thomas streetcars that replaced them. The broad monitor deck on the roof also provided excellent airflow throughout the streetcar. The "Palace" cars were acquired by the New Orleans City RR Co., and were merged into the NOPSI fleet when that company was created in 1922. They continued in service until 1935.