Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > New Orleans > St. Charles

New Orleans, Louisiana:
St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line

Description and History

The St. Charles line is the last remnant of New Orleans's original streetcar network. It was built as the New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad, which began service in 1835, making it the oldest (almost) continuously operating street railway in the world. (Service was suspended due to extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and restored in sections during 2006-08.) It was originally operated using steam power, then converted to horse- and mule-power, and finally electrified in 1893.

In 1964, the original Canal Street line was converted to buses, leaving the St. Charles as the only surviving streetcar line. Its 1920s vintage cars made it a tourist landmark like San Francisco's cable cars, while still being heavily used by residents.

The line extends southwestward from Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, using a single-track loop along St. Charles Avenue and Carondelet Street. At Lee Circle, the two tracks meet and run in the median strip (neutral ground in New Orleans parlance) of St. Charles as it traverses the Garden District in a gradual 120-degree curve to the west and then northwest. At Carrollton Avenue the line turns northeast for a straight-line run to the terminal at Claiborne Avenue. The end-to-end distance is about 6.5 miles, with a one-way travel time of about 45 minutes.

The distinctive green cars were built by Perley A. Thomas Car Works of High Point, North Carolina in 1923-24. About half of the fleet of 73 is currently in operation.

From 1900 to 1950, the St. Charles line was through-routed with the Tulane line as a two-way belt line. Outbound St. Charles cars continued on Carrollton past the present terminal at Claiborne to Tulane Avenue, via which they returned downtown. Outbound Tulane cars likewise returned downtown via St. Charles.

New Orleans streetcar lines on an aerial view of the city, from Google Maps.

See Also

Other Sites

Pictures

These pictures are from a visit on 15 May 2010.

[picture] A line of passengers boards at the corner of Carondelet and Canal Streets, the main downtown stop for this line.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] The car in the preceding picture turns onto Canal Street, then onto St. Charles Avenue a block later. It does not share tracks with the Canal Street line, but there is a track connection between the two lines here.

The elevated base of the statue of Robert E. Lee at the center of Lee Circle is a good place to watch streetcars. One can watch outbound cars:

[picture] Inbound cars enter Lee Circle from the direction of the preceding picture, then make a three-quarter turn around the circle and leave it going north on Howard Street. A block later, they turn right onto Carondelet for the one-way section to Canal Street.

[picture] The neutral ground of St. Charles Avenue (seen here at Short Street) is used not only by streetcars but also by pedestrians and, apparently, horses.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] At the intersection of St. Charles and Carrollton Avenues, an outbound and an inbound car make the turn.

[picture] Sometimes cars bunch up because of traffic delays. Here's a four-car "parade" heading outbound on Carrollton at Maple Street.

[picture] An inbound car on Carrollton at Freret Street.

[picture] The carbarn (Carrollton Station) is a block west of Carrollton, on Willow Street.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] | [picture #3] The outer terminal at Carrollton and Claiborne.

[picture] Interior of a car.

[picture] The operator's seat and controls.

[front] | [rear] Day pass valid on all New Orleans streetcars and buses.

This page was last updated on 18 July 2010.

Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > New Orleans > St. Charles

This page is © 2010 by Jon Bell (jbell at presby.edu), who is solely responsible for its content. If you're interested in using these pictures, please read my terms of usage.