Heritage Line History
When Twin City Rapid Transit ceased streetcar operations in 1954 they donated two of their old wooden streetcars to railfan groups. One of the groups receiving a streetcar (TCRT No. 1300) was the Minnesota Railfans Association, which organized railfan trips from the 1940s-1960s. TCRT No. 1300 was stored outside until it was acquired by the Minnesota Transportation Museum in 1962 and restoration began. By 1963 the car had been restored to operational status. It originally made only some short trips along track at a roundhouse in St. Paul owned by the Minnesota Transfer Railway. Because there were no overhead electric lines at this location the streetcar had to be powered by an electric generator towed behind the car. Despite these shortcomings the car was extremely popular with the public.
Since public interest was so high, the museum examined options for regular operation of No. 1300. The City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board had acquired the original streetcar right-of-way between Lake Harriet and Lakewood Cemetery near Lake Calhoun and in 1970, the Minnesota Transportation Museum leased the land.
On August 28, 1971 after track had been laid and a small carbarn constructed under the Queen Avenue Bridge, which passed over the original right-of-way, public operations began. Because no overhead wires had been strung to provide electricity the trailer mounted electrical generator continued to be used until the overhead electrical system was completed in 1973.
Continued popularity of the heritage line allowed the museum to expand from about one city block of track in 1971 to more than one mile of track in operation today. By 2005 continual use had taken its toll on the track and a rebuilding project funded by a federal TEA-21 grant took place. Over time more streetcars were acquired and restored by the museum and today three different streetcars which can be seen in operation on the Como-Harriet line, although only one or two are run at any given time. The line itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Read more about this topic: Como-Harriet Streetcar Line
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