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When Are Memphis Street Cars Starting Again

Written By Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Add Comment Edit

This article is about Memphis Expanse Transit Authority heritage streetcar. For the heritage streetcar in Dallas, Texas, encounter McKinney Artery Transit Authority.

MATA Trolley
MemphisTrolley.jpg

Former Porto trolley on the Main Street line in 2002 or 2003; its trolley pole was replaced by a pantograph shortly after.
Operation
Locale Memphis, Tennessee
Open April 29, 1993[ane]
Status Operational
Routes three (2 temporarily suspended, i.east. bus-operated)
Operator(s) MATA
Infrastructure
Track gauge 1,435 mm (iv ft8+ one⁄two  in) standard estimate
Propulsion arrangement(s) Electric
Electrification 600 5 DC,[2] overhead line
Statistics
Track length (total) x mi (16.1 km)[1]
Road length 6.iii mi (10.1 km)[ citation needed ]
Stops 25
2011-2012 1.34 millionIncrease 23.1%
Website MATA - Trolleys

The MATA Trolley is a heritage streetcar transit system operating in Memphis in the U.Southward. state of Tennessee. Information technology began operating on April 29, 1993.[1] Service was suspended in June 2014, following fires on ii cars.[3] After nearly four years and repeated postponements, the reopening of the Master Street Line took place on April 30, 2018.[4]

The last line of Memphis' original streetcar network closed on June 15, 1947.[2]

Since opening the system has been extended twice and at present consists of three lines, operated by the Memphis Area Transit Potency (MATA). These lines are the Primary Street Line, the Riverfront Loop and the Madison Artery Line; nonetheless, service on the last two lines remains indefinitely suspended in 2021.[five] [six] In the 2011–12 fiscal yr, 1.34 million trips were made on the system, a 23.1% yr-on-yr growth – the highest of any light rail system in the contiguous U.s..[vii]

History [edit]

Ex-Porto car 180 on Chief St in 2010

Originally proposed every bit a 4.9-mile (vii.9 km) line forth the Mississippi River, the Memphis Metropolis Council voted 9-iv in Jan 1990 to build the 2.5-mile (4 km), $33 one thousand thousand Principal Street road.[8] Afterward multiple delays, construction of the line commenced in February 1991 for completion by Dec 1992.[ix] Still, due to the longer-than-anticipated restoration of the vintage streetcars, the opening of the line was delayed until jump 1993.[10] After further delay, testing of the outset of the restored cars began on March 10, 1993,[11] and the organisation opened to the public on April 29, 1993.[two] [8] [1]

On October 1, 1997, the Riverfront line opened.[12] The system's third line, running east from Primary Street forth Madison Avenue for about ii miles (3.2 km), opened on March 15, 2004. It was completed at a cost of about $56 million, which was approximately 25 per centum below the original budget forecast for the project.[xiii]

On Nov 3, 2021, MATA announced a program to test a modern streetcar from San Diego on the Madison Avenue Line, on which rail service has been suspended since 2014.[14] The vehicle is light rail car 1035 from the San Diego Trolley light rails system. MATA acquired the 1988-built Siemens–Duewag U2 from San Diego in fall 2020, and the car arrived in Memphis in April 2021.[15]

Rolling stock [edit]

Ex-Melbourne trolley in the South Main St Historic District

The trolleys used are nigh all restored, vintage streetcars.[viii] The original three cars in performance on opening twenty-four hours were all formerly used in Porto, Portugal, and are Car 187, circa 1927; Automobile 194, circa 1935; and Automobile 204, circa 1940.[eight] These cars are each xxx feet half dozen inches (9.3 thou) long, 7 feet x inches (2.39 one thousand) wide and weigh 25,820 pounds (11,710 kg) without passengers. The cars were restored by Kerns-Wilcheck Associates of Memphis.[8] Three additional ex-Porto cars (156, 164 and 180) joined them within weeks, and the armada had vi cars (all ex-Porto single-truckers) by May 1993.[16]

Between the mid-1990s and 2003, the fleet expanded considerably in both number and capacity with the arrival of ten reconditioned Melbourne, Australia W2-class cars, all simply 1 (Auto 417) supplied by Gomaco Trolley Company.[17] Other additions were unmarried-truck Automobile 1979 that was built new by Gomaco in 1993, as a demonstrator;[18] double-truck Machine 1794 that was originally an open-sided car from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but was heavily rebuilt and enclosed before entering service in Memphis, and, in early on 2004, a replica Birney Safety Car – again, manufactured by Gomaco,[xix] similar to those used on the TECO Line Streetcar in Tampa, Florida, and the Metro Streetcar in Petty Rock, Arkansas.

The fleet and overhead wires were converted from trolley pole to pantograph current collection in early 2003, during a three-month suspension of service which started on January 5, 2003.[twenty]

An eleventh reconditioned Melbourne auto, W5-form 799, was purchased in 2006 by MATA with a view toward eventual restarting of trolley service.[21] [22]

In late 2020, MATA acquired three more than Gomaco-built replica Birney streetcars, secondhand from the Charlotte Area Transit System, which had used them from 2004 to 2019 on its Charlotte Trolley System and CityLynx Gold Line.[15] Later on a planned refurbishment, they are projected to enter service by late 2022.[xv]

Lines [edit]

The MATA Trolley network consists of three lines. There are stations at 24 locations (inbound and outbound stations are counted every bit a unmarried location), and 35 of the stations are sheltered and ADA-accessible.[23]

Line Opened Stations Length[24] Termini
█ Main Street Line 1993 13 two.5 mi (four.0 km) Butler Avenue - N Cease Terminal
█ Riverfront Loop 1997 19 iv.5 mi (seven.2 km) none
█ Madison Avenue Line 2004 6 ii.v mi (4.0 km) Tertiary Street - Cleveland Station

Accidents and incidents [edit]

On June 1, 2011, ii trolleys – a Melbourne W2-grade and Porto number 194 – traveling on Master Street collided due to a ability failure.[25]

Two of the Melbourne cars defenseless fire, in Dec 2013 and April 2014. Both incidents occurred along the Madison Artery line. In May 2014, the line was shut down in order to conduct an investigation, since the speeds along it are college. On June 10, the interruption was expanded to include all MATA trolley lines afterward it was determined that much of the fleet would need to be renovated. At that time, the suspension was expected to final at least six months until a feasible solution could be found. Options included restoring the existing armada at a cost of $6 million, or replacing them with new heritage streetcars at a cost of $40 1000000.[3] After thorough inspection of the fleet, MATA decided to overhaul several cars rather than purchase new ones, and to somewhen reinstate service using simply overhauled cars.[26] In December 2014, MATA announced that it was not notwithstanding able to requite an estimated engagement for the resumption of service.[27] In March 2015, it was announced that limited trolley service might be possible in May or June, but there was however no timetable for total restoration of service.[28] In Oct 2016, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said trolleys would not be dorsum in service before 2017.[29]

Reopening [edit]

Service on the Chief Street Line restarted April 30, 2018.[4] At that fourth dimension, the other 2 lines were forecast to reopen within two years,[5] only as of 2021 they both remained indefinitely suspended (routes served past buses).[six] As of September 2021, the Riverfront Loop was planned to reopen when iii used Birney-replica cars caused from Memphis in late 2020 were ready to enter service, circa belatedly 2022.[fifteen]

See too [edit]

  • Memphis Surface area Transit Authority
  • Memphis Intermission Railway
  • Memphis Street Railway Visitor
  • List of heritage railroads in the United States
  • List of rail transit systems in the The states
  • Streetcars in Due north America

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "MATA - Memphis Area Transit Authorisation - Trolley History". Memphis Area Transit Authority. 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c May, Jack (November 1993). "Memphis: Trolleys Whorl Over again". Rider Railroad train Journal. Interurban Press. pp. forty–48. ISSN 0160-6913.
  3. ^ a b Suriani, Mike (June 12, 2014). "MATA Trolleys off the tracks for expensive rubber overhaul". WREG-Tv . Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Dries, Neb (April 30, 2018). "Trolleys Return to Main Street". The Daily News. The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Dries, Nib (Apr 17, 2018). "Trolleys Return to Main Street at End of April". The Daily News. The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. Retrieved Apr 25, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Flyer Staff (May five, 2021). "The ?s Issue: You had questions. Nosotros found answers. – Will the trolleys e'er return to the Riverfront Loop or Madison Avenue?". Memphis Flyer. Archived from the original on May vi, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  7. ^ Charlier, Tom (November 4, 2012). "Memphis trolleys pb nation in light-rail passenger growth". The Commercial Appeal . Retrieved March xviii, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d east Huston, Jerry (Apr 22, 1993). "Trolley rumbles to life in city – Line readied for comeback downtown". The Commercial Appeal.
  9. ^ Huston, Jerry (October xv, 1992). "Trolley, mall work nearing an stop". The Commercial Entreatment.
  10. ^ Huston, Jerry (November 26, 1992). "Delays in trolley machine restoration move starting date for runway line". The Commercial Entreatment.
  11. ^ Patterson, Patti (March eleven, 1993). "Trolley's examination launch thrills auspicious, wine-sipping fans". The Commercial Appeal.
  12. ^ "MATA offers free trolley rides starting Wednesday". Memphis Business Journal. Apr 4, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  13. ^ "Madison track line to open up March 15". Memphis Business Journal. March eleven, 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  14. ^ Royer, David; Arthur, Shay (November 3, 2021). "MATA to test 'modern streetcar' on Madison line". WREG-TV. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved December ix, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c d "Worldwide Review [regular news department]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association/Mainspring Ltd. September 2021. pp. 389–390. ISSN 1460-8324.
  16. ^ Wilkins, Van (Spring 1996). "Heritage Trolleys in Memphis and Galveston". The New Electrical Railway Journal. Free Congress Foundation. ISSN 1048-3845. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  17. ^ "Reconditioned Melbourne Trolley". Gomaco Trolley Co. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  18. ^ "Unmarried-Truck, Semi-Convertible Enclosed Trolley". Gomaco Trolley Co. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  19. ^ "Replica Birney Trolley - Memphis, Tennessee". Gomaco Trolley Co. Retrieved May i, 2018.
  20. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland: Light Track Transit Association. April 2004. p. 146. ISSN 1460-8324.
  21. ^ Sells, Toby (February 11, 2016). "MATA Plans Trolley Return". Memphis Flyer. Contemporary Media, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  22. ^ "Hybrid Reconditioned Melbourne Trolley". Gomaco Trolley Co. Retrieved May ane, 2018.
  23. ^ "MATA - Memphis Area Transit Say-so - Trolleys". Memphis Area Transit Authority. 2013. Retrieved Baronial 18, 2013.
  24. ^ "U.S. Streetcar Systems- Tennessee". www.railwaypreservation.com. July vi, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  25. ^ Phillips, Bianca (June 1, 2011). "Trolleys Collide at Downtown Intersection". Memphis Flyer . Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  26. ^ "Disquisitional questions about temporary trolley break" (Press release). MATA. September 26, 2014. Archived from the original on Jan fifteen, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  27. ^ "MATA updates on trolley progress" (Press release). MATA. Dec 11, 2014. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved Jan nine, 2015.
  28. ^ Dries, Bill (March 12, 2015). "MATA Head Draws Heat on Trolley Delays". The Daily News. Memphis, Tennessee. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  29. ^ Matthews, Mike (October seven, 2016). "No Memphis Trolleys This Yr". localmemphis.com. Memphis, Tennessee. Retrieved October 12, 2016.

External links [edit]

  • MATA: Trolley Lines
  • A Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan for the Memphis Expanse - MATA
  • Heritagetrolley.org page on Memphis (APTA)
  • Railwaypreservation.com page on Memphis (with many photos)
  • Memphis Main Street Trolley (page by Jon Bell)
  • Map

delatorrepeetruse.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MATA_Trolley

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