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Old Pueblo Trolley Update
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Author:  Alan Walker [ Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Old Pueblo Trolley Update
For those who are following the developments with Old Pueblo Trolley, Inc. and the City of Tucson's SunLink Modern Streetcar, we are continuing to work with the City of Tucson to return volunteer operated streetcars to service by late 2014 or early 2015. There are still many details to be worked out, but SunLink and the City have expressed a great deal of interest in accomplishing this.

Most of the electrical and air brake work has been completed on Car 524, but there is a good bit left to finish. We are in the process of testing the electrical circuits and air brakes and still have to finish the interior of the car.

In the meantime, the Old Pueblo Trolley Motorbus Division has achieved a major milestone for transit preservation in the United States. On Saturday, April 19, 2014, they completed the mechanical restoration of Warren-Bisbee Bus Lines Number 1, our 40 passenger, 1928 Twin Coach Model 40, Serial 264. There was a volunteer recognition presentation at our restoration facility followed by test runs of No. 1 and a screening of a clip from "The Bigamist", featuring Tanner Coach Lines' Arrow Coach No. 100 (currently awaiting restoration).

Warren-Bisbee No. 1 is one of only a handful of Model 40 Twin Coaches that survive and is the only operable Model 40 anywhere. Restoration of the body and interior continue. We do have photographs of the bus as delivered and it will be painted in the livery which it carried in 1928. Once completed, it will join Warren-Bisbee Bus Lines No. 8 in our restored vehicle fleet. Warren-Bisbee No. 8 is our 1938 Yellow Coach. The buses will make occasional public appearances and we hope to be able to offer limited public services at some time in the future.
Author:  wilkinsd [ Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Old Pueblo Trolley Update
Alan,

This is great news! When I was in Tuscon in late 2012, I noticed that your track connection had been severed with the installation of new track in the street.

If the streetcar division gets back to operational, where will you house the cars? I noticed the new carbarn is really close to you all.
Author:  Alan Walker [ Mon Apr 21, 2014 2:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Old Pueblo Trolley Update
Dave,

Based upon the current discussions with the City, the cars will be stored and serviced at the new Maintenance Facility. We do not see the track connection being restored and may eventually vacate the existing restoration facility/former car barn on 8th Street. We do have a temporary turnout that can be used to move the cars out onto the track.

Under our current arrangement, all preliminary restoration work will be done on the cars at our current restoration shop located at South Park Avenue and East Broadway Boulevard. Once the cars are ready for final assembly and testing, they will be trucked to the shop on 8th Street. Our shop at South Park Avenue is co-located with the City of Tucson's Street Department maintenance shop. They occupy 2/3 of the building and we occupy the remaining 1/3 (it's a decent sized building) and all of the fenced outside area. The long term future of that site is uncertain as the City has plans to eventually widen Broadway Boulevard. That would eliminate much of the outside storage. Whether or not the building would remain is not certain. We are currently investigating the possibility of purchasing property so that we will not have to rent or lease space. This is very important as it will alleviate the concern of having to move our large collection of historic transit buses in the future.

Back to the Street Railway Division: one requirement that will determine what type of service we offer is ADA accessibility. Currently, it has been determined that the car must be ADA accessible. This can be accomplished by use of a wheelchair lift similar to the type that Amtrak uses at the Tucson station. Each stop that the streetcar serves will have to be equipped, so at the moment, we are anticipating an excursion type service with no stops other than at the University Medical Center. We hope that we can encourage local businesses and the community to assist with funding addition of future stops. It's not cheap-I think the estimate for a lift similar to Amtrak's was given at $10,000. Mobility challenged passengers would be transported on the rear platform of the car.

We are also investigation various options to obtain additional streetcars for operation on the line. We are primarily looking at double ended cars that are already operational as we do not have the luxury of time or resources to restore a car at present. Also, the cars must be double ended as there is no provision to turn cars at the east end of the line.
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