Streetcars in Washington, D.C.

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Abandonment

As part of the deal selling Capital Transit to O. Roy Chalk, he was required to replace the system with buses by 1963. Chalk fought the retirement of the streetcars but was unsuccessful, and the final abandonment of the streetcar system began on September 7, 1958, with the end of the North Capitol Street (Route 80) and Maryland (Route 82) lines. On January 3, 1960, the Glen Echo (Route 20), Friendship Heights (Route 30) & Georgia Avenue (Routes 70, 72, 74) streetcar lines were abandoned and the Southern Division (Maine Avenue) Car Barn was closed. This technically ended "trolley" cars in D.C. as only conduit operations remained. On December 3, 1961, the streetcar lines to Mount Pleasant (Routes 40, 42) and 11th Street (Route 60) were abandoned.

The remaining system, including lines to the Navy Yard, the Colorado Avenue terminal, and the Bureau of Engraving (Routes 50, 54) and to the Calvert Street Loop, Barney Circle, and Union Station (Routes 90, 92) was shut down in January 1962. Early on the morning of Sunday, January 28, 1962, preceded by cars 1101 and 1053, car 766 entered the Navy Yard Car Barn for the last time, and Washington's streetcars became history. The last scheduled run, filled with enthusiasts and drunken college students, left 14th and Colorado at 2:17 am and arrived at Navy Yard ten minutes late at 3:05 am. One last special trip, carrying organized groups of trolley enthusiasts, set out after that and returned at 4:45 am. By the afternoon of the 28th, workers began tearing out the streetcar tracks and platforms along 14th Street.

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DC Transit
12,005 views Apr 3, 2019

fmnut
15.3K subscribers

I've assembled this video from all the material I have on DC Transit from the films of John Hand and Walter Schopp. This system was unique having the trolley wire buried in the streets within the city limits, due to a D. C. law banning overhead wires. Most of the films were taken on excursions, some using the older trolley seen in the video. Also shown is the "Silver Sightseer", an air conditioned PCC with a unique paint scheme and stainless steel trim.

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