28 July, 2009-a Historic Day for Tucson, Arizona
Today was a historic day for the City of Tucson, Arizona. At approximately 7:00 P.M., Old Pueblo Trolley, Inc. towed streetcar No. 869 through the new 4th Avenue Underpass and around the 5th Avenue Loop. Car 869 became the second car to pass under the old Southern Pacific main line and the first streetcar to make a trip through downtown Tucson proper since the end of streetcar operations by Tucson Rapid Transit Co. on 31 December, 1930.
This is the new 4th Avenue Underpass, as seen from 4th Avenue looking south towards downtown. This underpass has has a maximum clearance of 13 feet, 9 inches and has widened pedestrian sidewalks-minimum width is 12 feet. The grade on each side of the underpass is steeper than it appears-6%. That may not be much for a car, but for a 38,000 lb streetcar with steel wheels on steel rails, it's steep enough.
Here we see Car No. 869 standing on North 4th Avenue, coupled to the tow truck that will pull it unpowered through the underpass and around the loop. We've stepped away to sign the release of liability waivers and go over final details before making our trip into history. The tow truck operator was Richard Guthrie, President of Old Pueblo Trolley, Inc. Charles Krause (one of our maintenance and restoration volunteers) acted as the spotter for the tow truck operator. I was the Special Duty Motorman-I arrived at the car barn around 6:00 P.M to inspect the car and prepare it for the testing. For safety reasons, we charged the air brake system on the car and it was decided that the car should be motored from the car barn to the end of the powered track-easier to couple out there. Once we were in position, I coupled the tow bar to the streetcar and the spotter then guided the tow vehicle back and coupled it to the tow bar. Once we determined that the coupling was good, we headed down into the underpass. For safety and comfort, we had the truck work against the resistance of the streetcar's' braking. I maintained a light brake application, requiring the truck to pull us downgrade. This conserved air pressure in the braking system and allowed us to stop the car precisely where we needed to do so to check clearances and measurements. It was important that we coordinate our actions to prevent accidental movement-on the grade I held my brake applications until the tow vehicle signaled that he was pulling on the car by giving two short blasts of the horn. Only then would I release my brakes, signalling the action with two taps on the gong. Once he heard the gong, the tow vehicle would dig in and start really pulling.
Here we've stopped in the underpass to inspect those clearances overhead and the wire alignment. You can see how nice and wide the underpass is. The 1915 underpass had a clearance height of only 9 feet! Getting up the southbound grade was trying as I could hear the drive wheels on the tow truck slipping-despite the extra ballast in the truck's bed.
Here we are westbound on Congress Street and in Downtown proper. The motorists sure got a surprise-getting stopped by the Tucson Police and seeing a tow truck pulling the streetcar out of the underpass and into downtown! Since I didn't have to worry about braking on the loop, I got my camera out to snap this picture.
Here we've made the turn from Congress Street onto 5th Avenue. Yes, the police car in the picture is following us with his lights on-those guys were our traffic officers and stopped traffic as needed for our moves.
Once the return trip through the underpass was completed, I powered up the car and motored it back into the car barn. It was a long, hot (103) day but well worth it. We did allow some other Old Pueblo Trolley volunteers to ride as observers since none of them will be allowed to ride the first ceremonial car into downtown on the official opening day of August 20. On the 20th, the only Old Pueblo Trolley staff on the car will be myself, a conductor and perhaps Mr. Guthrie and Mr. Caywood-our CEO. Everyone else will be government invitees. I will be the assigned motorman and assist the Mayor with motoring the first car into downtown.
Next week is a bigger test-we'll be testing the overhear line and doing performance testing with both cars. That'll be the big challenge.
Too tired to post more. Will say more later.
This is the new 4th Avenue Underpass, as seen from 4th Avenue looking south towards downtown. This underpass has has a maximum clearance of 13 feet, 9 inches and has widened pedestrian sidewalks-minimum width is 12 feet. The grade on each side of the underpass is steeper than it appears-6%. That may not be much for a car, but for a 38,000 lb streetcar with steel wheels on steel rails, it's steep enough.
Here we see Car No. 869 standing on North 4th Avenue, coupled to the tow truck that will pull it unpowered through the underpass and around the loop. We've stepped away to sign the release of liability waivers and go over final details before making our trip into history. The tow truck operator was Richard Guthrie, President of Old Pueblo Trolley, Inc. Charles Krause (one of our maintenance and restoration volunteers) acted as the spotter for the tow truck operator. I was the Special Duty Motorman-I arrived at the car barn around 6:00 P.M to inspect the car and prepare it for the testing. For safety reasons, we charged the air brake system on the car and it was decided that the car should be motored from the car barn to the end of the powered track-easier to couple out there. Once we were in position, I coupled the tow bar to the streetcar and the spotter then guided the tow vehicle back and coupled it to the tow bar. Once we determined that the coupling was good, we headed down into the underpass. For safety and comfort, we had the truck work against the resistance of the streetcar's' braking. I maintained a light brake application, requiring the truck to pull us downgrade. This conserved air pressure in the braking system and allowed us to stop the car precisely where we needed to do so to check clearances and measurements. It was important that we coordinate our actions to prevent accidental movement-on the grade I held my brake applications until the tow vehicle signaled that he was pulling on the car by giving two short blasts of the horn. Only then would I release my brakes, signalling the action with two taps on the gong. Once he heard the gong, the tow vehicle would dig in and start really pulling.
Here we've stopped in the underpass to inspect those clearances overhead and the wire alignment. You can see how nice and wide the underpass is. The 1915 underpass had a clearance height of only 9 feet! Getting up the southbound grade was trying as I could hear the drive wheels on the tow truck slipping-despite the extra ballast in the truck's bed.
Here we are westbound on Congress Street and in Downtown proper. The motorists sure got a surprise-getting stopped by the Tucson Police and seeing a tow truck pulling the streetcar out of the underpass and into downtown! Since I didn't have to worry about braking on the loop, I got my camera out to snap this picture.
Here we've made the turn from Congress Street onto 5th Avenue. Yes, the police car in the picture is following us with his lights on-those guys were our traffic officers and stopped traffic as needed for our moves.
Once the return trip through the underpass was completed, I powered up the car and motored it back into the car barn. It was a long, hot (103) day but well worth it. We did allow some other Old Pueblo Trolley volunteers to ride as observers since none of them will be allowed to ride the first ceremonial car into downtown on the official opening day of August 20. On the 20th, the only Old Pueblo Trolley staff on the car will be myself, a conductor and perhaps Mr. Guthrie and Mr. Caywood-our CEO. Everyone else will be government invitees. I will be the assigned motorman and assist the Mayor with motoring the first car into downtown.
Next week is a bigger test-we'll be testing the overhear line and doing performance testing with both cars. That'll be the big challenge.
Too tired to post more. Will say more later.