SKU: T22

The oldest surviving street railway in America is the famous St. Charles trolley line in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dating back to 1835, it was originally a horsecar line, which later gave way to steam-powered cars. They were later replaced by electric trolleys. The St. Charles line currently operates a fleet of ?standard? heavyweight cars built in the 1920s by the Perley A. Thomas Car Works of High Point, North Carolina. These cars were never replaced by the modern streamlined PCC cars and are the last operating examples of their type in the United States ? a tribute to the great days of the trolley!

New Orleans once had a trolley system with 225 miles of track and more than 625 cars; by 1964, only the St. Charles line remained in service. This program features onboard and trackside sequences of the colorful St. Charles and Canal ? Cemeteries lines. There is also a section featuring dramatic contemporary night video views of the St. Charles line, taken by producer Marc Balkin in August 2000.

Beginning in 1988, New Orleans began to expand the trolley system and bring back some of the abandoned lines. The new Riverside trolley was the first to open, and the Canal Street line is scheduled to re-open in 2004 after extensive rebuilding. Preliminary work has also begun on creating a new Desire line. Already a mecca for traction fans, New Orleans promises even more delights in the near future!