Streetcar on St. Charles - what a beautiful sight

[arminnie]

On Sunday there were bulldozers out in front of my building. Today I heard sirens that seemed to be very close and when I went out on my balcony, I saw a wonderful sight - a streetcar going down St. Charles.

It was being pulled by a truck as the power lines are down, but it was going pretty fast. Later I saw it come back the other direction. So it looks like the tracks are clear.

The overhead power supply is heavily damaged on St. Charles, but the St. Charles streetcars were not damaged. The Canal streetcars were heavily damaged, but their tracks and power are in much better shape. They may use some of the St. Charles cars on the Canal and Riverfront lines temporarily.

 

[cajunmommy]

Saw a picture of the test-runs in the BR paper this morning. I agree- it's a wonderful thing!

The streetcars provide a fond memory of my grandmother. She'd take us for a ride after our annual summer trip to the Audubon Zoo.

 

[Zurealsoon]

Saw that pic in the Advocate also.

 

[snappy]

I too love the streetcars. I went to Ben Franklin HS back when it was on S. Carollton. We passed by it the old building Sunday before last and it looked pretty good. Closer to the river should fared better.

 

[arminnie]

I went to Ben Franklin HS back when it was on S. Carollton.

Another one of those smart Franklin students. My high school is very well known but not for good reasons - Little Rock Central.

I saw 3 round trips of the streetcar yesterday. The tracks on the river side were the only ones being used. The tracks on the lake side of St. Charles are still covered a little bit in mud, but it doesn't look like it would take much to clean them up.

The paper today (Times Picayune) says that limited streetcar service will begin SUNDAY on the Canal and Riverfront lines. Still no date on starting the repairs to the St. Charles power lines, but it is encouraging that they were testing the tracks yesterday.

 

[arminnie]

It just went by again - Wed.

 

[3for Me]

O.K., as much as I love the streetcars, I have to cross the tracks twice to get to my children's schools and it has been a blessing not to have to worry about getting hit!

One of those crazy silver linings you look for while living here in these times!

Of course, in reality, I'll be glad to see them come back.

 

[Planogirl]

The street cars are so cool! We like to take one to the zoo and then on down to the shops. This makes me wonder though what kind of shape Magazine Street is in.

 

[arminnie]

The street cars are so cool! We like to take one to the zoo and then on down to the shops. This makes me wonder though what kind of shape Magazine Street is in.

Magazine is in FABULOUS shape. Honestly you can hardly tell that anything has happened there. The shops and restaurants are open but are starved for customers.

Well actually the restaurants are pretty full, but some of the higher end specialty shops are really hurting and could use a big dose of tourists.

 

[Planogirl]

I wish that we could go! But it'll be a while.

It's good news that the area is in good shape. Hopefully, if they can just hang on, the tourists will be back in the Spring. This is such a slow time every year anyway or at least it used to be.

 

[seashoreCM]

Apparently the last thing holding up the operation of the green streetcars on the waterfront and part of Canal St. was some law requiring that the Canal St. operation be wheelchair accessible. In short, if handicapped persons could not ride, then nobody could ride.

Still, the New Orleans streetcar system seems to be more of an amusement ride as opposed to transit, it just does not go very fast in normal operation.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[arminnie]

Still, the New Orleans streetcar system seems to be more of an amusement ride as opposed to transit, it just does not go very fast in normal operation.

Actually I knew a lot of Uptown folks who used the St. Charles line to go to work and school.

I lived in the San Francisco area for the past 15 years and always felt that the St. Charles Streetcars (as opposed to the Riverfront and Canal lines) were really still used by locals as opposed to the San Francisco cable cars which are totally for tourists.