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How about a historic trolley


Coleco

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That's right Detroit's historic trolleys are for sale.

http://www.freep.com/news/locway/trol31_20031031.htm

Detroit's problem is they served no practical purpose. GR could use them to replace/supplement its

DASH buses and as a tourist thing -- keeping an important piece of Michigan history in the state and serving a practical purpose.

Expensive? Yes.

But cooler, more envrironmentally friendly and in line with GR's history.

Plus, its a project philathropists would get behind because it's no ordinary bus or light-rail system.

Here's more background:

http://www.railwaypreservation.com/vintage...ley/detroit.htm

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That's right Detroit's historic trolleys are for sale.

http://www.freep.com/news/locway/trol31_20031031.htm

Detroit's problem is they served no practical purpose. GR could use them to replace/supplement its

DASH buses and as a tourist thing -- keeping an important piece of Michigan history in the state and serving a practical purpose.

Expensive? Yes.

But cooler, more envrironmentally friendly and in line with GR's history.

Plus, its a project philathropists would get behind because it's no ordinary bus or light-rail system.

Here's more background:

http://www.railwaypreservation.com/vintage...ley/detroit.htm

If GR didn't have a history of being oppressively corny, boring and behind the times AND if we had already hugely overcome such a terrible past and were today a truly "cool" city, then sure, the historic trolley thing might be cool for the downtown area. However, to have convention visitors land at Ford Airport and have an old-style trolley pull up into the terminal instead of a more world-class modern version, we risk having folks' first impression of GR still being, " . . . . uh, yeah right".

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If GR didn't have a history of being oppressively corny, boring and behind the times AND if we had already hugely overcome such a terrible past and were today a truly "cool" city, then sure, the historic trolley thing might be cool for the downtown area. However, to have convention visitors land at Ford Airport and have an old-style trolley pull up into the terminal instead of a more world-class modern version, we risk having folks' first impression of GR still being, " . . . . uh, yeah right".

No, no. This kind of system would only be a practical substitute for the DASH buses... a short line, not a replacement for a regional transit system. Think downtown area only. 1-2 miles worth of tracks.

Up and down Michigan Hill, Ottawa and maybe Fulton.

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Yes, like all real trolleys they run on tracks. The pictures in the second link show you the track. I believe most of the tracks in Detroit are still in place, although the line no longer functions.

Yes, they could be expensive to install. But so are roads, light rail and car pool lanes. Diesel powered DASH buses, while practical, aren't exactly cheap to operate either these days.

Maybe this idea isn't going to win much support here... that's fine.

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Yes, like all real trolleys they run on tracks. The pictures in the second link show you the track. I believe most of the tracks in Detroit are still in place, although the line no longer functions.

Yes, they could be expensive to install. But so are roads, light rail and car pool lanes. Diesel powered DASH buses, while practical, aren't exactly cheap to operate either these days.

Maybe this idea isn't going to win much support here... that's fine.

Don't give up so easily Coleco. If we had some existing tracks already, people might be more responsive. Keep the ideas coming ;)

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Don't give up so easily Coleco. If we had some existing tracks already, people might be more responsive. Keep the ideas coming ;)

Yeah, I think it's a sweet idea.. I just don't have the money to buy them and put the tracks in. It'd be sweet to get a connection from the west side bar district to the downtown area. Pile everyone on a trolly and go.

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I like the idea of replacing the DASH line with a trolley line.

I think that could work well in connnection with a modern line that ran from the airport to the Rapid terminal.

It would truly be an inter-model system.

You'd have to get trolleys that were capable of being enclosed for the winter months. These don't look like they would fit the bill (unless they have different styles available):

Detroit_247_Sep_01.jpg

But the idea is great!

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You'd have to get trolleys that were capable of being enclosed for the winter months. These don't look like they would fit the bill (unless they have different styles available):

But the idea is great!

Well it looks plenty cold in that picture. I would imagine that if it had a windshield it would be alright, considering wind is blocked by a lot of buildings, plus it's not like they're going 60+ mph... Just my thought

/100th post BTW

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Well it looks plenty cold in that picture. I would imagine that if it had a windshield it would be alright, considering wind is blocked by a lot of buildings, plus it's not like they're going 60+ mph... Just my thought

/100th post BTW

You're right PBJ. It does look cold in that picture. In fact, with those modern buildings in the background, I'm wondering if that is even Detroit :P

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Trolleys being a part of GR history?

Nah.

Not even close.

Yes, GR had a trolley system. And, after the car barn was destroyed by fire in 1925, went out and bought a whole new batch.

But GR was one of the FIRST cities to do away with its trolley system, such that by 1935 -- only ten years after that car barn fire -- all of the trolleys had been replaced with buses.

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