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CHAPTER VI - VEHICLE SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED VEHICLES The centerpiece of the Eureka Springs trolley system will be its vehicles. They must be reliable, meet all current safety and accessibility requirements for such vehicles, have an authentic historical presence, and offer an attractive and fun experience for the passengers. The recommended fleet should be made up of two replica cars. These should be double-truck, double-ended, electrically propelled units, approximately 40' in length and seating approximately 40 passengers. They should be fully accessible, and should conform to all applicable standards. The appearance should be that of typical trolleys of the 1900-1910 era. While top speed need not be greater than 15-20 mph, acceleration and deceleration should be such that they can make the run from one end of the line to the other in 10-12 minutes, including stops. Table 6-1 summarizes the characteristics of the recommended vehicle.
In considering the streetcars available and in service on similar vintage trolley lines around the country, there are a number of options which should be considered before arriving at a specific recommendation. Purchase of the vehicle fleet for Eureka Springs will not occur until the system engineering has been completed and the implementation of the line has been approved and funding obtained. During that time an old Citizens Electric Railway car body might be found, cars suitable for rehabilitation for service in Eureka may become available, and new designs of replica cars may be offered. Thus, while the recommendation is considered best for today's circumstances, it should be reviewed and changed as necessary at the time of actual vehicle procurement. DESIGN OPTIONS "Double-end" versus "Single-end" A "double-end" trolley is one which can be operated in either direction without the need for a loop at each end of the line. In this type of car, full sets of controls are provided at both ends of the car. Two trolley poles are provided to collect current from the overhead wire, one used for each direction of operation. At the end of the line, the operator reverses direction, or "changes ends", by simply moving the operating handles to the other end of the car and switches trolley poles by first raising one, then lowering and securing the other. A single-end car, on the other hand, has only one set of controls and one trolley pole, and requires a loop or wye at each end of the line. A double-ended car can, of course, operate around a loop as well. Given the lack of space for a loop at the Harmon Park end of the line, the consultant recommends the use of double-ended cars. Two-axle versus four-axle (Single-truck vs. double-truck) Most trolleys built before the turn of the century were of the two-axle variety. That means that they had four wheels, and two motors, one driving each axle. All of the cars owned by the Citizens Electric Railway in Eureka Springs were of this type. They were typically 22' to 28' in length and could seat 35-40 in an open configuration and 24-30 in a closed configuration. (See below for discussion regarding the relative merits of open versus closed carbodies) Four-axle cars, which became by far the most common type, ride on two "trucks"; each of which has two axles. This gives a total of four motors per car. A double-truck car is usually between 42' and 46' long and seats 40-48 in a closed configuration and 60-75 as an open car. To visualize the relative sizes of the two types of vehicle, one can compare the single-truck car to the present rubber-tire trolley operating in Eureka Springs, while the double-truck vehicle is approximately the size of a tour bus. The double-truck car can negotiate sharp curves more easily than a single-truck car. This is because the wheelbase of a single- truck car is longer than the wheelbase of the individual trucks of a double-truck car. Similarly, the larger car with double the motors is better suited to climb steep grades. Further, the adhesion of eight wheels, rather than four, gives the larger car somewhat better braking ability descending hills. Finally, handicapped accessibility is generally much better with the larger vehicle. The greater capacity of the double-truck car, plus its better performance on the grades and curves of the Spring Street alignment, and the better accommodation for the handicapped all lead to the recommendation for double-truck cars for the Eureka Springs system. Open versus closed cars Although there were many varieties of carbody design in use on the trolley lines of the United States, two general types are most representative. The open car, as its name implies, has no side walls, much like the present Eureka Springs trams. Passengers sit on transverse benches which span the entire width of the car, and board directly to their seats via long running boards along the side. This results in a vehicle which can seat up to 75, at five riders per bench. On the other hand, there is no space for standees. The Citizens Electric Railway operated a number of small, single-truck open cars with 7 or 8 benches, which carried 35 to 40 passengers. While the breezy open feel of this design is an attraction, and while the view is unrivalled, the open car has several severe drawbacks which led to its withdrawal from use in most cities by the 1920's. First, the completely open sides and the random boarding constitute an obvious safety hazard. This is probably more important today than 80 years ago because of the increasingly litigious nature of our society. Secondly, because of its design, the operator cannot collect fares. This means that a second crewperson must perform this task, which doubles operating cost. Third, although open cars are usually equipped with curtains that can be rolled down in case of inclement weather,the cars are not pleasant to ride in during rainy weather. (Nor is operating such a vehicle from the unenclosed front platform a delightful job, as the consultant can personally attest) Fourth, handicapped accessibility is much more difficult to design into an open car. The closed car has large windows along the side, but has solid walls for the lower portion. Windows can be raised in good weather, or lowered in bad. Modern replica streetcars can, in fact, be air-conditioned, although none of the present vintage trolley operations around the country do so. Seating arrangements vary, but generally consist of seven or eight rows of transverse seats, with two persons sitting on each side of the aisle. Longitudinal seats at each corner provide additional seating. This results in a seating capacity of 40-48 passengers, for a double-truck closed car. In periods of peak demand, another 20 to 30 people can be handled as standees. A single-truck closed car typically seats 20-28, with space for 10-15 standees. All boarding and alighting is done through doors controlled by, and under the supervision of, the operator. Fare collection is also handled by the operator. The Citizens Electric Railway operated single-truck closed cars, primarily during the period from late fall until late spring. Finally, handicapped access is under the direct supervision of the operator, and there is more room for maneuvering wheelchairs inside the car than on an open car. After due consideration of the advantages and drawbacks of the two types of body design, the consultant recommends the use of closed cars. Electric versus self-propelled cars Streetcars built and used in American cities and towns after the turn of the century were almost universally propelled by electricity taken through a trolley pole from an overhead wire. This was true in Eureka Springs from 1899 until the end of streetcar service. However, as vintage trolley projects have been implemented in recent years, consideration has been given to self-propelled vehicles. The system in Galveston, Texas, uses such cars, although it is the only significant one to do so. These cars are double-truck closed vehicles, and contain an on-board engine which drives a generator, which in turn provides electric power to the motors. The engine is a Cummins diesel, of the same type used on large buses, and operates continuously at 900 rpm, which is a fast idle. In some other cities, consideration has been given to a CNG or LNG engine, but to date no such car has been designed or built. Performance of the self-propelled car is distinctly inferior to an electrically-driven vehicle, and there is some doubt whether it could climb the Spring Street hill. In addition, the presence of the bus engine effectively cancels the noise and air pollution advantages of the electric car. Further, the need to fuel and maintain the internal combustion engine as well as the electric motors greatly increases maintenance. Finally, there is the unquantifiable but very real preference of riders for the genuine experience of a ride on a real streetcar. Accordingly, the consultant recommends that the vehicles used in Eureka be electrically driven. Accessibility The Eureka Springs trolley will have to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Most of the requirements can be easily provided for, but the need for wheelchair accessibility calls for careful system design. Considerations of adequate maneuvering area and suitable tie-downs on board the car are important, but are fairly straightforward. However, provisions to actually board the car affect both the car and the passenger stop. The basic issue is how best to raise the wheelchair from sidewalk level to the level of the car floor. This can be done in one of three ways. First, a retractable lift can be incorporated on the car itself. A second option is to provide a lift in the stop area, along with a short bridge plate to span the distance from the edge of the raised lift to the car. The third option is to provide a small raised platform at the stop, again with a bridge plate. The preferred choice will require more detailed engineering, but it is recognized that full accessibility must be provided. ALTERNATE VEHICLE SOURCES Over the past 15 years since vintage trolleys have become popular, three categories of sources have been used. Each of these is described below, together with examples of cars and systems on which they serve. Some systems have a uniform fleet, such as Portland, Seattle, and Galveston, although the source may differ. In other cases, such as San Jose and Memphis, several different kinds of car are operated, and are obtained from different sources. Similarly, some lines will use a uniform model of car, but they will be painted in varying liveries to give variety. San Francisco and the proposed Kenosha fleet are examples of this technique. Restored Cars Some cities have been able to locate the remains of streetcars which actually ran in that area. San Jose, for example, located two car bodies which had been turned into migrant worker housing when trolleys were discontinued in 1934. Another such shed was found behind a dry-cleaner's store in nearby Santa Cruz. These cars were painstakingly restored to operating condition, using trucks, motors, and other equipment purchased from many sources. Fort Collins, Colorado, operates a car which had been owned by the streetcar line there. In Ft, Smith, Arkansas, volunteers restored a carbody to operating condition after the expenditure of thousands of hours. Restored cars are obviously a desirable source, but it is doubtful that any of the Citizens Electric Railway cars could be located nearly 80 years after closure of the Eureka Springs system. Still, old streetcar bodies are being found even today, in the disguise of fishing shacks, chicken coops, farm sheds and other mundane uses to which they were put decades ago. Obviously, such a find would be a centerpiece for the restored Eureka Springs streetcar line, and should such a car be located, its restoration should be considered. Rehabilitated Cars In recent years, several cities around the world have been retired streetcars 30 to 50 years old. Some of these vehicles have been rehabilitated and found new homes on vintage trolley systems in America. Melbourne, Australia, for example, provided cars for Seattle, Memphis and San Jose. Oporto, Portugal, was the source of several of the single-truck Memphis vehicles. Toronto and Philadelphia provided PCC streetcars from the late 1940's for the San Francisco "F" line on Market Street. While the initial cost of such cars is generally low, the cost of shipping and the cost of modifications needed to make them suitable for reliable service may be quite high. It is important to remember that such cars are retired by the owner because they are basically obsolete and worn out. To rehabilitate them for another two or three decades of service is a major task. There is also the question of the suitability of the available cars for the system on which they are proposed to operate. The PCC car, for example, is a streamlined single-ended vehicle which would be visually out of context in the Victorian era of Eureka's Historic District. There is also the issue of availability. Melbourne no longer has cars available, nor does Oporto. As planning for the Eureka Springs system moves forward, the availability of suitable cars for rehabilitation should be monitored. In the event such cars become available, their purchase can be considered at the time a vehicle fleet is procured. Table 6-2 provides data on several rehabilitated cars in service today, including availability.
Replica Cars A third source of vintage streetcars is that of replica vehicles. At least two manufacturers have produced such cars, which feature new bodies and rehabilitated electrical and mechanical components. Galveston, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Lowell, Massachusetts, are three systems where such cars are used. Several different designs have been produced, and replica cars have proven to be reliable and attractive performers. Since they are built new, they are available when the customer is ready to order. Similarly, since they are built by American manufacturers, there are service and warranty provisions in the purchase contracts. They can be customized to suit local requirements, although major modifications may require costly design changes. Table 6-3 provides a comparison of several replica cars in service today.
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