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NEW ORLEANS REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY
CANAL STREETCAR LINE
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Page created March 29, 2004. Last updated September 27, 2014. ©2004-2014 Michael Strauch. All rights reserved. | |
THE NEW CANAL STREETCAR LINE:The new Canal Streetcar line was built and implemented over a period of seven years. First step in 1997 was to construct trackage on inner Canal that connected the St. Charles line with the Riverfront line (whose gauge was widened). A new fleet of streetcars was built under the supervision of Elmer Von Dullen (whom they are informally named for) at Carrollton Shops. Number 2001 was the prototype, which ran a shuttle service during the early 2000s from Bourbon Street to Harrah's Casino at the river. The full Canal streetcar line, with Cemeteries and City Park (out North Carrollton) branches, opened for service April 18, 2004. Alternate cars used to continue along the Riverfront line to French Market Station, discontinued by 2010 as all cars terminate at Harrah's. Service was interrupted by Hurricane Katrina, but was temporarily provided by St. Charles cars as the Canal fleet was rebuilt.
PROTOTYPE CAR No. 2001:
CARS UNDER CONSTRUCTION:
Canal car 2008 under construction. From Earl Hampton, Jr.
FIRST DAY, APRIL 18, 2004:
Edward J. Branley at CanalStreetCar.com gave me this scan of the last Canal-Cemeteries bus on the morning of
April 18, 2004. According to Peter Ehrlich, the patrons of the first streetcar (at right) booed the bus.
Route numbers originally assigned were 42 (Cemeteries, the former bus route number) and 45 (City Park).
JoJo the Clown and Magician shot these for me in the late afternoon.
View of car 2017 toward Greenwood Cemetery.
Car 2018 at an unidentified stop. Note some passengers grinning at my brother, who's still in his clown makeup after a show.
Car 2022 under the I-10 overpass at North/South Claiborne. Another passenger hamming it up for the clown.
Car 2022 on Route 45 (City Park/Museum) stopped outside A. Philip Randolph SIS.
HURRICANE KATRINA:After the late August 2005 hurricane and subsequent flooding, the A. Philip Randolph based streetcars were severely damaged. Water went high up the belt rail of the Von Dullen 2000-series trolleys as well as the 400-series Riverfront cars. Major repair or replacement was necessary to get streetcars back on track. On October 31, 2005 RTA reinstated the 42-Canal Cemeteries bus line.
On Sunday, December 18, 2005 the RTA scheduled the return of streetcar service to New
Orleans. The St. Charles cars were spared damage, so one of them ran a test on the
Riverfront and the CBD part of Canal, also spared by the hurricane.
Six cars began operating regular Canal service. Service out to the Cemeteries and to
City Park were eventually restored under new route numbers 47 (Cemeteries) and 48
(City Park). The route 42 bus continued for ADA accessibility not available in the
borrowed St. Charles cars. By 2009 rebuilt Von Dullens replaced the Perleys
on the Canal line.
PERLEY THOMAS CAR SUBSTITUTION:CAR 915:
Car 915 at North Peters, January 2006. Earl Hampton, Jr. photo.
CAR 920:
Car 920 on the Riverfront trackage, January 2006. Earl Hampton, Jr. photo.
CAR 923:
Perley Thomas 923 at Canal and Treme on January 2, 2006. My collection.
Perley Thomas 923 and 947 at Canal and Treme on January 2, 2006. My collection.
Car 923 approaching the river, January 2006. Earl Hampton, Jr. photo.
Car 923 at Carondelet, January 2006. Earl Hampton, Jr. photo.
CAR 930:
Car 930 at the Aquarium, January 2006. Earl Hampton, Jr. photo.
CAR 947:
Perley Thomas 947 at Canal and Treme on January 2, 2006. My collection.
Car 947 at the International Trade Mart, January 2006. Earl Hampton, Jr. photo.
CAR 972:
VARIOUS NUMBER STREETCARS:
Canal and Riverfront cars rest at A. Philip Randolph Station awaiting their
future, January 2, 2006. My collection.
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CAR 2001:
CAR 2002:
CAR 2003:
Car 2003 at the City Park end of the line on October 5, 2011. Five photos added 10/28/11.
CAR 2004:
CAR 2005:Car 2005 on 47 Canal Cemeteries outbound at Canal and N. Rampart Sts. (first four photos) and at Canal and Basin Sts. (fifth photo) on October 5, 2011. Future turnouts to N. Rampart and Basin are visible. Five photos added 10/18/11 and 10/28/11.
CAR 2007:
CAR 2008:
CAR 2009:
CAR 2017:Car 2017 at the foot of Canal Street on October 5, 2011. Five photos added 10/28/11.
CAR 2018:
New Flyer H004 next to Canal streetcar no. 2014 at North Carrollton and Bienville Aves. in a
May 2013 photo by Kurt Hampton. The car is displaying a newly revised center route sign.
One photo added 08/26/13.
Car 2018 outbound at Canal and Broad Sts. on March 3, 2014. Five photos added 09/14/14.
CAR 2019:
CAR 2020:
CAR 2024:
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