Sacramento streetcar bodies on the move in 2009

o anderson · **Posted:** Tue Nov 03, 2009 1:12 am

Four Sacramento area streetcars, owned by the Friends of Light Rail, moved in September of this year. They went from outside storage at Granite Regional Park, to inside storage at the former McClellan military base. Hopefully restoration of cars will continue at a greater pace. At this time, a "double-truck Birney" body has been reconditioned.
http://www.friendsoflightrail.org/projects-events/historic-streetcar/

Quote:

“The move to an indoor facility is better for the long term storage
of the vehicles. The car bodies are already in pretty rough shape,
and they will be better protected under a roof, versus under tarps.
These are four of only a few cars still in existence, and although
we don’t know what the future holds for them, they will be safe
indoors until we are able to put together a plan.”
-Dain Domich, President, Friends of Light Rail & Transit

Photos:
http://www.friendsoflightrail.org/projects-events/historic-streetcar/images/DSC00208.JPG
http://www.friendsoflightrail.org/projects-events/historic-streetcar/images/Trolley%20unloaded%20into%20B655%20003.jpg
http://www.friendsoflightrail.org/projects-events/historic-streetcar/images/Trolley%20unloaded%20into%20B655%20004.jpg
http://www.friendsoflightrail.org/projects-events/historic-streetcar/images/Trolley%20unloaded%20into%20B655%20010.jpg
http://www.friendsoflightrail.org/projects-events/historic-streetcar/images/Trolley%20unloaded%20into%20B655%20014.jpg

An operating car, PG&E #35, is kept on the regional light rail system. Because of voltage differences, it is not allowed out of series when in operation.

Up until recently there has been talk of extending a line to West Sacramento using the grassy median of the Capitol Mall, and then across the Sacramento River on the Tower Bridge. The bridge was once a route of Sacramento Northern interurban cars. Given the economic climate (unless stimulus funding arrives) I would think the vision might need to be scaled back. On a simplified route to the baseball stadium, vintage PCCs and the historic trolley cars could be installed for a bit cheaper than the Euro low-floor system shown in this simulation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEkKs88RqnA