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Vintage Trolleys Populate New Silver Line

A large crowd gathered this morning outside the Metropolitan Transit System’s downtown headquarters to celebrate the launch of its new Silver Line, a loop route around the city’s core. The special weekend/holiday route will be the fourth in addition to existing Blue, Orange, and Green lines, and will feature the use of historic Presidents Class Cars.

The vintage trolleys were produced from 1936-1952. San Diego was the first West Coast city to adopt the trolleys, purchasing 28 of them (numbered 501-528) for use in San Diego until 1949, when the city elected to end its streetcar routes and focus instead on bus service. PCC 529, the first in a fleet of six cars to be restored, made its maiden voyages around the city today, shuttling politicians, press, and volunteers who worked on the restoration project along the course of the new route.

Harry Mathis, Chair of MTS and San Diego Vintage Trolley, gave remarks at the inaugural ceremony, crediting many volunteers who’ve donated time and money for the restoration of the old streetcars, originally found in 2003 near Lake Tahoe, where a local had failed in his bid to install a trolley service. Some volunteers were credited with spending over 1,000 hours for the benefit of Vintage Trolley, with 11,600 hours required just for the restoration of car 529.

“This is really a gift to the people, to remind them of their public heritage,” said Mathis of the group’s work.

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Eddie Herold, 92, signaling the train to burst through a banner and enter the station, local dignitaries began loading for the first ride, serenaded by a trio of a capella singers in uniforms reminiscent of those formerly worn by transit personnel. Herold was at the controls when the last original San Diego PCC car rolled into the depot after its final run.

Pictured: singing performers, passengers boarding for the inaugural ride, MTS-supplied photo of restored trolley

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A large crowd gathered this morning outside the Metropolitan Transit System’s downtown headquarters to celebrate the launch of its new Silver Line, a loop route around the city’s core. The special weekend/holiday route will be the fourth in addition to existing Blue, Orange, and Green lines, and will feature the use of historic Presidents Class Cars.

The vintage trolleys were produced from 1936-1952. San Diego was the first West Coast city to adopt the trolleys, purchasing 28 of them (numbered 501-528) for use in San Diego until 1949, when the city elected to end its streetcar routes and focus instead on bus service. PCC 529, the first in a fleet of six cars to be restored, made its maiden voyages around the city today, shuttling politicians, press, and volunteers who worked on the restoration project along the course of the new route.

Harry Mathis, Chair of MTS and San Diego Vintage Trolley, gave remarks at the inaugural ceremony, crediting many volunteers who’ve donated time and money for the restoration of the old streetcars, originally found in 2003 near Lake Tahoe, where a local had failed in his bid to install a trolley service. Some volunteers were credited with spending over 1,000 hours for the benefit of Vintage Trolley, with 11,600 hours required just for the restoration of car 529.

“This is really a gift to the people, to remind them of their public heritage,” said Mathis of the group’s work.

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Eddie Herold, 92, signaling the train to burst through a banner and enter the station, local dignitaries began loading for the first ride, serenaded by a trio of a capella singers in uniforms reminiscent of those formerly worn by transit personnel. Herold was at the controls when the last original San Diego PCC car rolled into the depot after its final run.

Pictured: singing performers, passengers boarding for the inaugural ride, MTS-supplied photo of restored trolley

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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