Savannah's River Street Streetcar #756. Photo by Richard Panse, May 2009.

Overview

Along River Street on the Savannah waterfront, a new tourist streetcar operation began service on February 11, 2009. The line consists of a piece of old freight trackage along the waterfront, an area that now contains all sorts of tourist-oriented shops, restaurants, etc. The tracks were once owned by the Southern Railway and were in active freight operation until about a decade ago. River Street is both narrow and one-way; traffic signals have been installed to hold traffic while the car is operating against the flow of automotive traffic.

Savannah acquired an ex-Melbourne W Type streetcar. It's been equipped with a pair of "clean diesel" engines for operation in Savannah. The car's electric propulsion remains in place and it is hoped that someday service can be extended from River Street to a visitor's center that's located in the old Central of Georgia passenger terminal using overhead wires.

Plans call for a second car to be added to the operation. Old PCCs were considered but the work necessary to convert these to double-ended operation was excessive, so Plan B is to rehabilitate a Birney Safety Car that's currently rotting away at the Savannah Railroad Museum. (I pointed out to one of the techs I spoke to that Seashore Trolley Museum has long had a number of ex-MBTA double-ended PCC's for sale.)

Like the IRT No. 1 Line, the new Savannah Riverfront Trolley will allow passengers to transfer to a free ferry service. Not one that links Whitehall Street and Saint George, of course, but rather one that crosses the Savannah River.

Photo Gallery

Five Random Images
Image 100999 (246k, 1044x701) Photo by: Richard Panse	Image 101005 (244k, 1044x701) Photo by: Richard Panse	Image 101010 (163k, 1044x702) Photo by: Richard Panse	Image 101013 (274k, 1044x788) Photo by: Brian J. Cudahy	Image 101016 (337k, 1044x788) Photo by: Brian J. Cudahy