It was beastly hot—over 100—today at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum; nevertheless, "Dave" was on duty. Despite a Monday morning during a heat wave, there were about a dozen passengers, but Dave multi-tasked extremely well. He was docent, motorman, and gift shop operator because no other volunteers were on site.

Inside the car barn, work has begun stripping and priming the ex-Vera Cruz open car from the Brookins collection. Work continues—going on ten years- on the Hot Springs car which looks spiffy in its lustrous new paint. Motors need "some work" and cane seats need installation. All trolleys have barn space (three tracks?). A steam engine, a passenger car, a couple of cabooses, and a section car sit outside.

The "gift shop" displays merchandise in steel cabinets with glass fronts. Dave unlocked a cabinet to sell me a baseball hat.

The trolley route looks like a square route symbol. The ride begins in the crux, but passengers can and did board at stops along the way.

Myself and a woman got operating privileges on Fort Smith Birney # 224. I took the first turn. I put up the pole and the air compressor pumped up up quicker than I expected. After two bells, I notched the controller to what I though was first point, but the handle was loose so the car jerked forward as I inadvertently went to second point. Then the car stopped since I wasn't holding the handle tightly. This car requires strong pressure to prevent dumping the air. Brake application is very smooth, however.

Once I got the hang of the Birney's peculiarities, I took it around a U turn, clattered over a diamond and then coasted to a stop next a veterans' cemetery. Dave gave a short history of the cemetery and then gave me the go-ahead to proceed to a major street intersection where a red light in the form of a trolley told me to stop. Dave took over when the light turned green and crossed the street to a plaza where track ended. I changed ends.

Once across the street, the woman passenger had her turn at the controls. After the car stopped at the museum platform. I went back up front and ran the car on a grass-covered right of way—similar to New Orleans. I took 224 across two minor streets and then stopped at a parking lot. Dave took over. Flanges squealed loudly as the Birney rounded a tight curve onto a paved right-of-way that parallels Ft. Smith's main street, Garrison Ave. The line ends at a stub-end two track terminal on an embankment overlooking the majestic Arkansas River. Only one track of the stub-end has wire, however.

Once past the curve and the parking lot, the woman passenger took her turn, and then everybody alighted at the museum.

It was a nice experience and the work that the volunteers are doing at Fort Smith is really terrific. I recommend trolley fans visit Fort Smith which is a little less than 2.5 hours drive from Little Rock.

The downtown are has undergone considerable restoration, and there are lots of restaurants and riverfront attractions along with friendly people.

Thanks, Dave, for your hospitality. May the good work at FSTM continue.

Sloan

My daughter and I visited in January on a cross country drive... I was impressed... small town feel, I love Birneys... theirs is a true safety car, not a body on a truck with whatever controls presented themselves (this is a hot point for me, to be a preservation project I expect a Birney Safety car to have "Safety car" controls) lots of work going on... The Hot Springs car is special... The Vera Cruz car was under a tarp, awaiting its turn...

The railroad equipment outside was clean, tarped as needed... much was a work in progress without being a junk yard.

The trolley line compliments the downtown and the historic district...

Defiantly worth a visit.

I've done that exact same thing with MATA 636, a single truck Birney in Dallas. I wonder if it has something to do with the design of the controller.