Fort Collins Municipal Railway
Encyclopedia
The Fort Collins Municipal Railway operated streetcars in Fort Collins
, Colorado
, from 1919 until 1951. Since 1984, a section of one of the former routes has been in operation as a seasonal heritage streetcar
service, under the same name, running mainly on spring and summer weekends. The heritage service is operated by volunteers from the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society (FCMRS).
service in Fort Collins began operating on December 29, 1907. The first local street railway service had actually begun on August 8, 1907, temporarily using a steam locomotive
borrowed from the Colorado and Southern Railway, hauling four elderly passenger coaches, on a newly constructed single-track line along Mountain Avenue. True electric trolley/streetcar
service was inaugurated with the formal dedication of the new street railway system, on December 29 of the same year. Its owner and operator was the Denver and Interurban Railroad (D&I), a subsidiary of Colorado & Southern Railway.
Fort Collins was reportedly one of the smallest cities in the United States to operate streetcars. The system struggled financially, its light ridership making it no longer economically viable as a private venture, and not long after D&I itself went into receivership it abruptly ceased operation of its Fort Collins trolley
system, on the night of July 10, 1918. This left the town without any public transport
ation service at all, and it was proposed that the city purchase the system and restore service. This was approved by the city council and, in January 1919, in a vote by the citizens, and the Fort Collins Municipal Railway (FCMR) was formed. Rolling stock was not part of the deal, so four new Birney
-type streetcars were purchased from the American Car Company
, numbered 20–23, arriving on May 24, 1919. Within one to two weeks of that date, streetcar service in Fort Collins had been restored. A fifth Birney car, No. 24, was purchased in 1920 from the Cincinnati Car Company
, and in 1924 two secondhand Birneys (built in 1922 by American Car) were acquired from the Cheyenne
Electric Railway Company, becoming Fort Collins cars 25–26. In the mid-1940s, cars 24 and 25 were replaced by two other Birneys, bought used from the Virginia Electric Power Company. The system operated three routes and ran on a 20-minute schedule. During its period of municipal ownership, 1919–1951, Birney-type cars made up the entire fleet, with a total of just five to seven cars (numbered in the range 20–26) on the active roster at any time. It was the last all-Birney streetcar system in North America.
By the end of service in 1951, the Fort Collins Municipal Railway was the last streetcar system in the United States to be using any Birney
cars, and had among the lowest fare (5 cents) of any public transport system in the nation.
Operation came to an end on June 30, 1951, after several unprofitable years. Fort Collins was the last city in Colorado to operate streetcars. Other streetcar systems in the state included the service in Pueblo
, which ended in 1948, and the Denver Tramway
, which terminated streetcar service in 1950.
At least five of the seven cars were preserved after the closure by individuals or groups. Car 21 was the only one to remain in Fort Collins, where it was placed on display outside the Pioneer Museum, predecessor of the Fort Collins Museum
.
. With this goal, the non-profit
Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society (FCMRS) was formed, on March 31, 1980. A new carbarn was built at the west end of Mountain Avenue in 1982–1983, and car 21 was moved into it on August 21, 1983, following which volunteers from FCMRS began work restoring car 21. Under an agreement signed in 1981, the city permitted FCMRS to restore a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) section of track along West Mountain Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue and eventually operate the streetcar along it. The section of route chosen for restoration was part of the city's very first streetcar line, opened in 1907. A substation to provide 600V
dc electric power was purchased, and overhead wires were reinstalled along the route.
Restoration of the section of track and of 1919 Birney
car 21 was completed in 1984, and the first public trips on the new heritage streetcar
line took place on December 29, 1984 – the 77th anniversary of the original introduction of electric streetcar service in Fort Collins. However, regular heritage service would operate only seasonally, in spring and summer months, not year-round.
The heritage line normally operates from May through September, on weekends only, from Noon to 5 p.m., half-hourly.
As of 2010, car 21 is still the only streetcar that has been restored to serve the heritage line. However, since at least 1992 the society has been working to add a second car. After some setbacks and delays, in 2007 FCMRS succeeded in acquiring a second streetcar, another Birney car which previously operated in Fort Collins. Number 25 was purchased by FCMRS in 2007 and was returned to Fort Collins in 2008, where work to restore it for service then began. Car 25 was originally purchased for use on the Fort Collins system in 1946, having previously been Virginia Electric Power Company (Richmond, Virginia
) car 1520. After the 1951 system closure car 25 had been sold to a private individual in Woodland Park, Colorado. It was sold again in the early 1990s and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and later to Charlotte, North Carolina before being acquired by FCMRS.
s broke on July 25, 2010, and service was indefinitely suspended, for the rest of 2010. Replacement parts were obtained, and repair work and testing were completed in April 2011. Car 21 was scheduled to return to service on May 1, 2011, to start the line's 2011 season.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, from 1919 until 1951. Since 1984, a section of one of the former routes has been in operation as a seasonal heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
service, under the same name, running mainly on spring and summer weekends. The heritage service is operated by volunteers from the Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society (FCMRS).
History of original system
Electric streetcarTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service in Fort Collins began operating on December 29, 1907. The first local street railway service had actually begun on August 8, 1907, temporarily using a steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
borrowed from the Colorado and Southern Railway, hauling four elderly passenger coaches, on a newly constructed single-track line along Mountain Avenue. True electric trolley/streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service was inaugurated with the formal dedication of the new street railway system, on December 29 of the same year. Its owner and operator was the Denver and Interurban Railroad (D&I), a subsidiary of Colorado & Southern Railway.
Fort Collins was reportedly one of the smallest cities in the United States to operate streetcars. The system struggled financially, its light ridership making it no longer economically viable as a private venture, and not long after D&I itself went into receivership it abruptly ceased operation of its Fort Collins trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system, on the night of July 10, 1918. This left the town without any public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
ation service at all, and it was proposed that the city purchase the system and restore service. This was approved by the city council and, in January 1919, in a vote by the citizens, and the Fort Collins Municipal Railway (FCMR) was formed. Rolling stock was not part of the deal, so four new Birney
Birney
A Birney or Birney Safety Car is a type of streetcar that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower infrastructure and labor cost than conventional streetcars...
-type streetcars were purchased from the American Car Company
American Car Company
American Car Company was a streetcar manufacturing company based in St. Louis, USA. It was founded in 1891 by William Sutton and Emil Alexander, who had previously founded the Laclede Car Company in 1883 also in St. Louis, and had both got their start working in the streetcar business at St...
, numbered 20–23, arriving on May 24, 1919. Within one to two weeks of that date, streetcar service in Fort Collins had been restored. A fifth Birney car, No. 24, was purchased in 1920 from the Cincinnati Car Company
Cincinnati Car Company
Cincinnati Car Company or Cincinnati Car Corporation was a subsidiary of Ohio Traction Company. It designed and constructed interurban cars, streetcars and buses. It was founded in 1902 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1928 it bought the Versare Car Company.The company was among the first to make...
, and in 1924 two secondhand Birneys (built in 1922 by American Car) were acquired from the Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
Electric Railway Company, becoming Fort Collins cars 25–26. In the mid-1940s, cars 24 and 25 were replaced by two other Birneys, bought used from the Virginia Electric Power Company. The system operated three routes and ran on a 20-minute schedule. During its period of municipal ownership, 1919–1951, Birney-type cars made up the entire fleet, with a total of just five to seven cars (numbered in the range 20–26) on the active roster at any time. It was the last all-Birney streetcar system in North America.
By the end of service in 1951, the Fort Collins Municipal Railway was the last streetcar system in the United States to be using any Birney
Birney
A Birney or Birney Safety Car is a type of streetcar that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower infrastructure and labor cost than conventional streetcars...
cars, and had among the lowest fare (5 cents) of any public transport system in the nation.
Operation came to an end on June 30, 1951, after several unprofitable years. Fort Collins was the last city in Colorado to operate streetcars. Other streetcar systems in the state included the service in Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, which ended in 1948, and the Denver Tramway
Denver Tramway
The Denver Tramway, operating in Denver, Colorado was incorporated in 1886. The tramway was unusual for a number of reasons: the term "tramway" is generally not used in the United States, and it is not known why the company was named as such...
, which terminated streetcar service in 1950.
At least five of the seven cars were preserved after the closure by individuals or groups. Car 21 was the only one to remain in Fort Collins, where it was placed on display outside the Pioneer Museum, predecessor of the Fort Collins Museum
Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center
The Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center is a partnership of two educational institutions that merged in 2008 to create a combined science and cultural resource for Fort Collins and northern Colorado.-Fort Collins Museum:...
.
Restoration and heritage service
In 1977, the Fort Collins Junior Women's Club proposed giving 1919-built streetcar 21 a cosmetic restoration, as the car had become dilapidated from years of exposure. This proposal evolved into a more ambitious plan, to restore the car to operating condition and restore a section of the former streetcar system as an operating heritage railwayHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
. With this goal, the non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Fort Collins Municipal Railway Society (FCMRS) was formed, on March 31, 1980. A new carbarn was built at the west end of Mountain Avenue in 1982–1983, and car 21 was moved into it on August 21, 1983, following which volunteers from FCMRS began work restoring car 21. Under an agreement signed in 1981, the city permitted FCMRS to restore a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) section of track along West Mountain Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue and eventually operate the streetcar along it. The section of route chosen for restoration was part of the city's very first streetcar line, opened in 1907. A substation to provide 600V
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
dc electric power was purchased, and overhead wires were reinstalled along the route.
Restoration of the section of track and of 1919 Birney
Birney
A Birney or Birney Safety Car is a type of streetcar that was manufactured in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s. The design was small and light and was intended to be an economical means of providing frequent service at a lower infrastructure and labor cost than conventional streetcars...
car 21 was completed in 1984, and the first public trips on the new heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
line took place on December 29, 1984 – the 77th anniversary of the original introduction of electric streetcar service in Fort Collins. However, regular heritage service would operate only seasonally, in spring and summer months, not year-round.
The heritage line normally operates from May through September, on weekends only, from Noon to 5 p.m., half-hourly.
As of 2010, car 21 is still the only streetcar that has been restored to serve the heritage line. However, since at least 1992 the society has been working to add a second car. After some setbacks and delays, in 2007 FCMRS succeeded in acquiring a second streetcar, another Birney car which previously operated in Fort Collins. Number 25 was purchased by FCMRS in 2007 and was returned to Fort Collins in 2008, where work to restore it for service then began. Car 25 was originally purchased for use on the Fort Collins system in 1946, having previously been Virginia Electric Power Company (Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
) car 1520. After the 1951 system closure car 25 had been sold to a private individual in Woodland Park, Colorado. It was sold again in the early 1990s and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and later to Charlotte, North Carolina before being acquired by FCMRS.
2010 suspension
One of car 21's axleAxle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
s broke on July 25, 2010, and service was indefinitely suspended, for the rest of 2010. Replacement parts were obtained, and repair work and testing were completed in April 2011. Car 21 was scheduled to return to service on May 1, 2011, to start the line's 2011 season.
See also
- List of streetcar systems in the United States (all-time list)
- Streetcars in North AmericaStreetcars in North AmericaElectric streetcars—trams outside North America—once were the chief mode of public transit in scores of North American cities. Most municipal systems were dismantled in the mid-20th century....
- List of Colorado historic railroads