Old School Transportation

I've ridden all manner of public transportation over my lifetime - both here and abroad.  On our road trip MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority) served-up a real treat.  

Old school vintage trolley cars.

Some background first.  The Memphis Street Railway was created in 1895 as a consequence of the merger of three other smaller rail systems.  Albert Billings of Chicago, bought the company for over $2,000,000, placed electric power on the roads and the company became a great success.  In its heyday the interurban operated nearly 77 miles of track - most of it double-track.  Memphis, then only 44 square miles, could be traversed easily with frequent service to within blocks of any corner in the city.  Fares included a free transfer.

Similar to the evolution of urban transit in other cities streetcars were phased-out in 1947 to be replaced with electric trolleybuses (trackless trolleys).  By 1960 diesel buses displaced the trackless trolleys and in 1961 the transit authority became publicly-owned.   

Fast-forward to modern times.  

Originally proposed as a line along the Mississippi Riverfront the Memphis City Council voted in January 1990 to build the 2.5-mile $33 million Main Street route.  Construction commenced in 1991 however longer-than-anticipated restoration of the vintage streetcars delayed the opening of the line until spring 1993.  The MATA trolley network nowadays operates three routes (Madison Avenue Line, Riverfront Loop and Main Street Line) on ten miles of track.  

If you're a tourist like me a $2 daily fare includes unlimited transfers and easy access to midtown Memphis.  The Riverfront loop allows you to take-in some spectacular Mississippi views.

About the vintage trolleys.

Just about all of the trolleys in use are restored, vintage streetcars.  The first three cars placed in operation were from Porto, Portugal and are Car 187, circa 1927; Car 194, circa 1935; and Car 204, circa 1940. The cars were restored by Memphis company Kerns-Wilcheck Associates with three additional ex-Porto cars (156, 164 and 180) joining the fleet.  

These trolleys are replete with varnished wood, polished brass and pneumatic controls operated by compressed air right down to the bells and whistles.

The fleet has expanded over the years with reconditioned care sourced from as far as Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Melbourne, Australia. Milwaukee may have The Hop but the Memphis trolleys have real class.  

Memphis wears this style well for a thoughtfully redeveloped old school entertainment district.