Astoria Riverfront Trolley

Astoria Riverfront Trolley
Red streetcar with creamy-white windowpanes on trolley tracks in narrow Astoria street, with green, forested hills in the background
Car 300 passing through the north end
of downtown Astoria in 2012
Overview
StatusOperating
LocaleAstoria, Oregon, United States
Termini
  • West End Mooring Basin/Astoria Riverwalk Inn
  • East End Mooring Basin (39th Street)
Service
TypeHeritage streetcar (tram); seasonal operation
Operator(s)Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association
RidershipApprox. 35,000–40,000 per season[1]
History
Opened1999
Technical
Line length3 miles (5 km)
Number of tracks1
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
ElectrificationNone; electricity supplied by portable diesel generator
Route map

Legend
to Portland
 39th Street
36th Street
Columbia River
Maritime Museum
 14th Street
11th Street
6th Street
3rd Street
US 101.svg
US 101
Astoria–Megler
Bridge
 Maritime Memorial
Astoria Riverwalk Inn
Trolley Barn
to Warrenton

All stops are request

This diagram:
The streetcar passing over a low wooden trestle connected to a dock on the Columbia River
The line includes a few short trestles over minor inlets of the Columbia River.

The Astoria Riverfront Trolley is a 3-mile (4.8 km) heritage streetcar line that operates in Astoria, Oregon, United States, using former freight railroad tracks along or near the south bank of the Columbia River, with no overhead line. The service began operating in 1999, using a 1913-built streetcar from San Antonio, Texas.[2] As of 2012, the service was reported as carrying 35,000 to 40,000 passengers per year and has been called a "symbol"[1] and "icon"[3] of Astoria. The line's operation is seasonal, normally during spring break and from May through September.

Volunteers from the non-profit Astoria Riverfront Trolley Association (ARTA) operate the service and maintain the streetcar and tracks, but the city of Astoria has provided some funds for certain purchases, including a new carbarn in 2001 and a contribution to the cost of purchasing the streetcar. The car was on loan from San Antonio for the first seven years, but was purchased by ARTA in August 2005. By 2004, the Trolley had become "one of Astoria's most popular features"[4] and "a main attraction in the city of Astoria".[1]

  1. ^ a b c Gorrow, Chelsea (May 25, 2012). "Trolley board seeks cash to keep Old 300 on track". The Daily Astorian. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012.
  2. ^ Morgan, Steve (October 1999). "New tramway opened on the Oregon coast". Tramways & Urban Transit. Ian Allan Publishing/Light Rail Transit Association (UK). p. 389. ISSN 1460-8324.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference fresh colors was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Adams, Andrew (January 14, 2004). "Astoria Trolley out of service while motor gets repaired". The Daily Astorian.