Podcast 48 discusses the early electric streetcars of New Orleans.

Early Electric Streetcars in New Orleans

Podcast 48 continues our four-part series on early New Orleans street railways. We’re talking about streetcars that pre-date our iconic arch roof streetcars from 1923, and the red streetcars from 2004. As commercial electrification expanded in the 1890s, street railway operators took notice. They installed overhead electric wires and purchased electric-powered streetcars.

PDF here.

The Pod

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First Electrics

Plans for a New Orleans Carrollton & Light RR Company “1894 Brill” streetcar. Courtesy NOPSI.

New Orleans’ first electrics were from St. Louis Car Company. Unfortunately, there are no known photos of these streetcars. New Orleans Traction Company expanded the fleet with “1894 Brill” streetcars. The 1894s originally had 7 windows and used two pairs of 22-E trucks. The Brill modified the design, selling 8-window cars to NOTC. They replaced the 22-E trucks with a single suspension truck.

1894 Brill running on the Clio line in 1902

As Uptown expanded, residents complained about the smoke and noise of the train. NO&CRR switched from steam railroad operations to mule-drawn streetcars in the 1840s. They used Stephenson Co. “bobtail” streetcars pulled by mules.

Ford, Bacon, & Davis

FB&D plans for the Canal Street terminal at Liberty Place

The city brought in engineers from Ford, Bacon & Davis in 1894, to consult on improvements to street railways. Those engineers designed a streetcar specifically for use in New Orleans.

Books

Stretcars of New Orleans by Hennick and Charlton

The Streetcars of New Orleans: 1964–Present

New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line

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