Hi,
I am in the middle of scanning my old L&RP magazines to save them and have them take up less room. In the September 1992 L&RP, there is a very interesting article about saving/rebuilding the Fort Collins street cars (even including mention of the disinformation sperad by the NIMBYs).
Is there a web site where information about this is more up to date? I'm curious about the line and how far (if any) the line has been lengthened. I am also interested int he equipment. I think I'd liek to visit my next trip out to the C&TS/D&SNG/GTL narrow gauge environs.
Thanks..
DOug

Their web site: http://www.fortnet.org/trolley/

It will be well worth your time to visit, though it is in the opposite direction from the narrow gauge. It is an original car operating on an original right of way. The car was a sad derelict for decades before it was rebuilt. If I recall correctly, there are three other Fort Collins Birneys extant (elsewhere), none operable at the moment. I haven't been back to the area for quite a few years now, but there used to be a lot of rail visible in the median of the wide streets downtown. I imagine it is still there, but possibly paved over. The median has been used for parking since the trolleys quit in 1951. The city has also retained the original carbarn, which the group hopes to utilize eventually. It is just a couple of blocks off the Mountain Avenue route.

Fort Collins is a nice town, that has restored its city center, now called Old Town, quite nicely. Unfortunately, the group cannot easily access downtown due to the BNSF crossing near the east end of the track. BNSF isn't interested in putting a diamond back and today's high cars would require a different kind of electrical pickup (telescoping trolley pole?) at the crossing than what used to be there. The city has nearly doubled in size since I lived out there, probably because it is a nice place to live...

In the late-1950s, Fort Collins was a steam mecca, as the Colorado & Southern ran steam into 1959, but there is little of that left, the old wooden enginehouse having been torn down in the 1980s. Back then, one could have never imagined that trolley car would ever run again.. Be sure to look up the Boulder group on your way up and Cheyenne is only about 50 miles north of Fort Collins on I-25.

Here are some old photos from 1947:

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10010996+X-10996
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10011004+X-11004
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10011006+X-11006
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10010992+X-10992
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10010980+X-10980
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10010989+X-10989
http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?10011009+X-11009 (1942)

Today's BNSF still runs down Mason Street and through the CSU campus. In late-1958, it looked like this:

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?m ... O11_58.jpg

I rode the Fort Collins streetcar on its last day of the operating season last fall, and it is an absolutely delightful trip back into time.

Car #21 was stored servicable for the winter here in Fort Collins and after my spring inspection and the replacement of all of the brake shoes it will be ready for it's first run of the season the first weekend in May. I will have it out for a shakedown run and our spring motorman requalifications before that.

There are plans afoot to build the line down to the old trolley barn at Cherry and Howes Streets from the currrent end of track at Mountian and Howes. A grant has been applied for for the project.

Car #21 has been exceptionally reliable and in the now 19 years I have been maintaining it, I have experienced less than 4 hours of unscheduled down time.

Roger Mitchell
Master Mechanic Fort Collins Municipal Railway
www.fortnet.org/trolley

Hi,
The L&RP article mentioned something about a 3-way meet. What was that? Maybe three Birney's coming together at a specific intersection?
Thanks.
Doug

I think one of the photos shows the place where the three lines came together.

Les

Every 20 minutes all 3 cars met at the intersection of Mountain and College Avenues in downtown Fort Collins. That was the hub of the operation. In those days the motorman really had to hussle to make the loop in 20 minutes. Today it takes us 30 minutes to make a round trip from City Park to downtown and back on the Mountain Avenue line.
Roger Mitchell
Master Mechanic
Fort Collins Municipal Railway

Roger - Is the photo Bob Yarger published above (the one from 1942) of the Mountain and College Avenue meeting point? Or was that at some other point?

Les

Hi Les
Yes that is College and Mountain. Car 26 is pointed north but about ready to turn east onto East Mountain Ave. The other car in the picture is about to head west on West Mountain Ave to City Park. The Trolley from City Park is out of site but will head south on College Avenue. The car going to City Park will return here where the other two will meet and pass each other at Pitkin Street. The system operated a loop that went east on East Mountian Ave to Peterson Street where it went south to go east on Magnolia Street and then south on Whedby Street to Pitkin and west back to College Ave and then north to Mountain again. 2 of the cars went in opposite directions around this loop and the other went to City Park, turned around and returned to College Ave on Mountain Ave. In any event, all 3 meet at College and Mountain before any of them continue on their routes.
Roger Mitchell

[quote="Roger Mitchell"]Car #21 has been exceptionally reliable and in the now 19 years I have been maintaining it, I have experienced less than 4 hours of unscheduled down time.[/quote]

It is a remarkable testament to the resiliency of these cars [as well as the care that Roger and the FCMRS give #21] that all six still exist. They could also vie for the most travelled since the historic system ended operations.

Roger, is the notion of acquiring a second car still under discussion/research? I've felt that FCMRS could go after Car #22 in Colorado Springs. With all the equipment they've got down there, they really don't need #22. I think #22 would be better served by its repatriation to Fort Collins...

It is my current understanding that the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club has chosen to sell car #22 to the Colorado Springs group. It would be nice for us to get it up here in Fort Collins but, I doubt if that will ever happen. The Colorado Springs group has some major plans to build a street railway in down town Colorado Springs but I have never seen anything done other than on paper. In the 20 + years of their existance I have only known them to operate a PCC car over the about 300 feet of track they have out of the old Rock Island engine house. If we are ever to get anothr car, I believe that our best option is to scrounge around for parts and build a new one from the ground up. Another advantage to doing that is you don't have to take the old one apart first.

As far as our car #21 goes, It is in better shape now than when we first restored it and I expect with proper care it will continue to operate far longer than I will.

Also, there are only 5 Fort Collins cars left, #s 20, 21, 22, 25, and 26

Roger Mitchell
Master Mechanic
Fort Collins Municipal Railway

I am not sure which number it is but the one at the Pioneer Village in Mindin, Nebraska is in a storage barn last I knew. It is not even on display.

How about getting that one back to fort Collins?

ted Miles

Hi Ted
Number 20 is at Warp's Pioneer Village Museum in Minden Ne. Last time I saw it, it was in the main exhibit hall and one of the rotary converters that powered it was next to it. I tried to talk Harry out of it over 20 years ago with no luck. Of all of the unrestored cars, 20 is in the best condition. With a little cleaning up it could be just dropped on the tracks and run. The only car that was in worse shape than our 21 when we started on it was the #22 when it was at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Like the 21 it was stored out side for over 25 years. It is now under restoration in Colorado Springs. It has been under restoration now for over 7 years. It only took us 7 years to do a museum grade operational restoration to our #21. On the first weekend of May of this year we will begin our 23rd season of operation of #21.

Roger Mitchell

Mr. Mitchell,

I'm asking this because I'm curious to find out if your organization would be interested in a non-Fort Collins streetcar and/or a streetcar that isn't a Birney?

Tim
Detroit, MI