One could get goosebumps, watching it go along the rails, looking just like what dad (or grand-dad) used to ride.
We saw how much you all were excited about the prospect of a couple of historic trolleys being up for auction. Being history buffs, we searched around and found this. What you see is not a streetcar that was in service in Detroit, but it’s of the exact same vintage as ones that were and restored to look like they did back in the day here in the D. It also, being that they were purchased near the end of the rail lines existence here, an example of the last iteration of streetcar here in Detroit.
San Francisco has tribute cars to various systems around the world in its transportation system. So there’s reason number 9873450 to visit what was once called “The Paris of the West” (funny how we were called “The Paris of the Midwest,” isn’t it?).
According to Streetcar.org, these are meant as “museums in motion” but are in regular service.
These “museums in motion” are the real deal: not replicas or rubber-tired imitations, but vintage vehicles that operate every day as part of San Francisco’s public transportation system, the Municipal Railway (Muni).
Continued is the description of the cars, and Detroit’s is 1079.
Single-end streetcars built 1946-48 for Twin City Rapid Transit Company, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Sold to Public Service Coordinated Transportation, Newark, NJ, 1953. Acquired by Muni from successor New Jersey Transit, 2004. Modified for San Francisco service and restored in three phases, 2004-11.
So check it out.. we know the cars for the new M1 Rail are going to be all high-tech but one can’t help but have nostalgia.
And we’re not done. You’ll find a video below going down memory lane (or memory rail?) with great historic footage and some interviews about Detroit’s old streetcars. Wish we hadn’t of torn up those tracks.