Trolleys, streetcars and trams

These fun and historical methods of transportation are making a big come-back

by Anthony and Marguerite Breda — August 16, 2011

tram passing over a mountain — The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a must-see. — Marc Dorsett photo

Some RVers may be old enough to remember riding a trolley or a streetcar to get to work. Marguerite’s great-grandfather was a conductor on a trolley in New York City in the early 1900s. Marguerite also remembers riding one to visit her grandmother in the Bronx in the early 1950s. Electric cars in a few major US cities are making a comeback, especially in Baltimore, Maryland. Cable cars are still in use in San Francisco, California. For those of you who no longer have the opportunity to ride one of these early forms of mass transportation, you may want to follow us on a brief tour of places dedicated to the preservation of trolleys, streetcars, electric cars and trams. And where else would you find these but in sunny California.

As you head south this fall to your favourite RV resort or park, stop at a few of these interesting places.

Our first stop is just before you come to San Francisco, where you will find the home of the Western Railway Museum in Suisun, California.

Visitors can actually ride streetcars and interurban electric trains that once carried passengers throughout California. A streetcar will take you around the shaded picnic grounds, while the interurban cars run over the restored main line of the old Sacramento Northern Railroad. The museum also has a display of over 50 cars, the Streetcar Theater, a museum bookstore and gift shop.

If you need an excuse to go to San Francisco, here are two:

The Market Street Railway Museum

Historic transit vehicles in San Francisco are the theme of this museum—vintage streetcars, buses and cable cars have been purchased and donated to the San Francisco Municipal Railway.

San Francisco Cable Car Museum

The cable car was first introduced in San Francisco in August of 1873 and is still in use today. This museum provides a historical insight into the early cars, along with an understanding of modern day operations. There is a collection of cars, photos, mechanical displays and a gift shop. Admission is free. Adults can ride a cable car for US$5 one-way or obtain a full-day pass for US$13.

If you want to ride a trolley in San Francisco, you can do so for 25 cents, every day on two different routes. The trolley operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Sorry, no trolley rides on US holidays.

South of San Francisco in San Jose, CA, you will find:

The California Trolley and Railroad Corporation (CTRC)

The CTRC was formed by the merger of the Santa Clara County Railroad Museum and the San Jose Trolley Corporation. This organization has restored and placed back into service a number of historic trolley cars including a one horse drawn street car. They are presently in the process of restoring the former Southern Pacific 2479 Baldwin P-10 Heavy Pacific engine, with a 4-6-2 configuration. They are also creating the San Jose Railroad Museum, which will include a six-stall Lenzen roundhouse and turntable.

Heading further south, we come to:

The Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA.

This is a large mainline, interurban and streetcar museum located in Riverside County. It has a large collection of streetcars from the San Diego Electric Railway, the Los Angeles (narrow gauge) Railway and the San Francisco Municipal Railway. The collection includes a MUNI car 1039 and the second-to-last Pullman Coach Car made in the USA. There is also a tramway layout and considerable tramway equipment on display.

Last but not least is an opportunity to actually ride a tram just outside of Palm Springs. The word “tram” comes from Scotland, and originally meant trolley or streetcar.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Company, Palm Springs, CA

This ride takes you up the mountain and lets you off to hike or camp in San Jacinto State Park where there is still snow on the ground, then back down while you view what you missed going up. We took this ride in 2010 and it was fabulous!

The tram rises 8,500 feet (2.6 kilometres) above the desert floor. This is the world’s largest rotating tramcar and offers a panoramic view of the Palm Springs area. Once on top, take out your sweater or jacket, for it is 30 degrees cooler here.

Hungry? Well, you can dine in the Pine Café, or have a more formal meal at the Peak Restaurant where lunch or dinner
is offered. Hikers can obtain info on trail conditions and weather conditions before going up by checking online. There are 54 miles (34 kilometres) of hiking trails including a 5.5-mile trail that takes you to the second highest peak in Southern California, San Jacinto, at an elevation of 10,834 feet. There are also guided nature walks in the summer, so there is something from everyone to do once you arrive on top.

If you are heading further south to San Diego, you can ride a smaller tram based in Balboa Park. Balboa Park is the largest cultural urban park in the USA. Tram service runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is free and although it is not an aerial tramway like the one in Palm Springs, it does take you around this magnificent park and has access to the 15 museums in the park. These museums are run by non-profit organizations, so there is a small fee.

A taste of the past

For those of you who want to relive the past and just take a trolley ride, hop on a trolley in San Diego. The fare is US$2 for a one-way ticket. A full-day pass costs US$5, and even goes to Mexico. The trolley runs from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Taking the Old Town Trolley Tours of San Diego is the easiest and least expensive way to tour this city. The tours are narrated, take about two hours and cost US$30 a day. There are eight off-and-on stops so you can wander around, get on and off and make a day of it. Tours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the summer and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the winter (Is there a winter in San Diego? Natives will say, “No way”). There is free parking in a large lot, and RVers are welcomed, but spaces fill up quickly, so plan on arriving early.

So, in a relatively short area, we have trams, trolleys and streetcars which can help you relive the past or provide transportation, albeit at a slower pace. We hope you enjoyed our short journey. If you missed any of these attractions on your way south, perhaps you will catch them when you are heading home next year.