Restored Streetcars from 1946 begin weekend and select holiday service
San Diego, CA – MTS opens the San Diego Vintage Trolley to the public on Saturday, August 27th. For the first two weekends of service, August 27th & 28th and September 3rd, 4th, and 5th, riders will receive Commemorative Tickets (while supplies last). And just for these weekends, riders will board San Diego Vintage
Trolley trips only at the 12 & Imperial Transit Center.
Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Sundays and Labor Day. Departures are every half hour, on the hour and half-hour and the travel time is approximately 25 minutes.
Advance purchase of Commemorative Tickets is recommended because space is limited to 50 riders per trip. To purchase tickets in advance, go to The Transit Store, 102 Broadway in downtown San Diego. Commemorative Tickets are $2 for adults and $1 for seniors and people with disabilities. Vintage Trolley Commemorative tickets will be also on sale on weekends during the Silver Line operating hours at a red Trolley Ticket Booth at the 12th & Imperial Transit Center during the first two weekends. Vintage Trolley Tickets are a special fare and regular MTS passes are not accepted.
Starting Saturday, September 10th, people can board the Vintage Trolley from any one of the stations along the Silver Line and pay the fare in cash (no change given) when boarding the trolley. The Silver Line stations are: Gaslamp Quarter, Convention Center, Seaport Village, America Plaza, Civic Center, Fifth Avenue, City College and Park & Market. The vehicle has 50 seats and there is one dedicated space for a person in a wheelchair. The wheelchair lift is located at the door nearest the operator.
Eight years ago, the rusted relic of a once proud circa-1946 streetcar sat neglected under pine trees in South Lake Tahoe. On August 18, 2011, after six years of loving restoration by a team of volunteers, that same car made its first official circle of downtown San Diego and launched the beginning of Vintage Trolley service on the Silver Line.
“The San Diego Vintage Trolley car is in many respects better than it was when it left the factory in 1946,” said Harry Mathis, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transit System and the man who first dreamed of bringing back streetcars to San Diego. “This beautiful vehicle is like a time machine. Riding on it can you take you back to the days when these wonderful streetcars were in service all over San Diego.” This vehicle is a President’s Conference Committee or PCC Car.
In 1929 presidents of various US streetcar companies met to develop a new vehicle design to reinvigorate streetcar popularity. The vehicle became the state-of-the art streetcar. Thousands of these streetcars were produced in the 1930s and 1940s and their name was shortened to PCC. San Diego operated 28 of these cars up until 1949 when the last PCC streetcar was retired.
Since 2006, San Diego Vintage Trolley, Inc. (SDVTI) a wholly owned non-profit subsidiary of MTS, has raised funds and managed the restoration process. No public funds were spent to restore the trolley. Led by restoration manager Dave Slater, over 3,000 volunteer hours and $850,000 were spent restoring the first car, Streetcar # 529 to its original glory and adapting it for service on the current light rail system.
Harry Mathis added, “Thanks to our volunteers and sponsors, restoration of PCC car # 529 is just the first step to bring back a fleet of PCC cars to our city. We have five more cars in the process of restoration and I hope this wonderful first car shows our region the opportunity to expand streetcar operations in our region.”
For information on San Diego Vintage Trolley and San Diego’s streetcar history, visit www.sdvintagetrolley.com.
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