Platte Valley Trolley
Encyclopedia
The Platte Valley Trolley is a heritage streetcar
line in Denver, Colorado
. It began service on July 4, 1989.
line begins where the REI
has its Denver flagship store at Confluence Park
, the historic location of the city of Denver at the confluence of the South Platte River
and Cherry Creek
. , tickets are priced at $4 for adults and $2 for children, and may be purchased from the trolley motorman
at any of the trolley's stops. The trolley operates Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between April 16 and October 31 each year.
The line runs south (upriver) on the west side of the Platte River to Lakewood Gulch
. Prior to 2007, the line continued west along Lakewood Gulch (approximately West 13th Avenue) and ran on the old interurban shortline tracks of the Denver and Intermountain Railroad to Sheridan Boulevard. The line currently stops where RTD
is building their new west corridor of the FasTracks
light rail project. An end of the line trolley stop is planned to be adjacent Decatur light rail station.
The line passes a number of historic and tourist attractions, including the Children's Museum, the Downtown Aquarium, Invesco Field at Mile High
(home of the Denver Broncos) and Elitch Gardens
. It also runs for a number of special events including all home games of the Denver Broncos
and the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown
between Colorado State University
and the University of Colorado
.
The Platte Valley Trolley recalls the open car streetcars of an earlier era in Denver. In circa 1920, there were a group of six "Seeing Denver" streetcars that traversed the rails. The Trolley is available for charters upon request. Web site is Denver trolley
, Australia streetcar
. The car was made by the Gomaco Trolley Company
in Ida Grove, Iowa. An on-board Cummins
6BT diesel electric generator
provides the 600 volts d.c. for the four Metropolitan-Vickers
traction motor
s and other accessories.
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
line in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It began service on July 4, 1989.
Route and operation
The trolleyTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line begins where the REI
Rei
-People:*Rei, the Biblical term for those who retained their allegiance to King David when Adonijah rebelled, as mentioned in 1 Kings 1:8*Rei Hiroe*Rei Igarashi*Rei Kawakubo*Rei Kikukawa*Rei Mikamoto*Rei Munakata*Rei Okamoto*Rei Omishi...
has its Denver flagship store at Confluence Park
Confluence Park
Confluence Park is an urban park encompassing the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River in Denver's Lower Downtown , a bustling neighborhood of 19th-century brick warehouses and storefronts that has been redeveloped since the late 1980s....
, the historic location of the city of Denver at the confluence of the South Platte River
South Platte River
The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/Mountain West, located in the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska...
and Cherry Creek
Cherry Creek (Colorado)
Cherry Creek is a tributary of the South Platte River, long, in Colorado in the United States.-Location:Cherry Creek rises in the high plateau, east of the Front Range, in northwestern El Paso County...
. , tickets are priced at $4 for adults and $2 for children, and may be purchased from the trolley motorman
Motorman
A motorman is the person who operates an electrified trolley car, tram, light rail, or rapid transit train.The term refers to the person who is in charge of the motor in the same sense as a railroad engineer is in charge of the engine. The term was gender-neutral...
at any of the trolley's stops. The trolley operates Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between April 16 and October 31 each year.
The line runs south (upriver) on the west side of the Platte River to Lakewood Gulch
Lakewood Gulch
Lakewood Gulch drains a section of Lakewood and west Denver, Colorado into the South Platte River. It is the historic location of the old Interurban Shortline Railway and, in 2008, is a greenbelt that includes Rude Park, Sanchez Park and Lakewood Gulch Park. The gulch passes through Lakewood from...
. Prior to 2007, the line continued west along Lakewood Gulch (approximately West 13th Avenue) and ran on the old interurban shortline tracks of the Denver and Intermountain Railroad to Sheridan Boulevard. The line currently stops where RTD
Regional Transportation District
The Regional Transportation District, or RTD, was organized in 1969 and is the regional authority operating public transit services in eight of the twelve counties in the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area in Colorado. RTD is governed by a 15-member, publicly elected Board of...
is building their new west corridor of the FasTracks
FasTracks
FasTracks is a twelve-year, $6.5 billion public transportation expansion plan for the Denver-Aurora and Boulder metropolitan areas in Colorado, USA, developed by the Regional Transportation District...
light rail project. An end of the line trolley stop is planned to be adjacent Decatur light rail station.
The line passes a number of historic and tourist attractions, including the Children's Museum, the Downtown Aquarium, Invesco Field at Mile High
INVESCO Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001...
(home of the Denver Broncos) and Elitch Gardens
Six Flags Elitch Gardens
Elitch Gardens Theme Park, locally known as "Elitch's", is an amusement park in Denver, Colorado. It is owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties and operated by Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation...
. It also runs for a number of special events including all home games of the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown
Rocky Mountain Showdown
The Rocky Mountain Showdown is an an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Colorado Buffaloes football team of the University of Colorado and the Colorado State Rams football team of Colorado State University. The winner of the game receives the Centennial Cup. The series...
between Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
and the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
.
The Platte Valley Trolley recalls the open car streetcars of an earlier era in Denver. In circa 1920, there were a group of six "Seeing Denver" streetcars that traversed the rails. The Trolley is available for charters upon request. Web site is Denver trolley
Rolling stock
The Platte Valley Trolley operates a 1986 replica of a 1903 Brill open streetcar. The frame and steel components of the car used in the construction are from a 1924 MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia streetcar
Trams in Melbourne
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. , the network consisted of of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stops. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the...
. The car was made by the Gomaco Trolley Company
Gomaco Trolley Company
The Gomaco Trolley Company is a manufacturer of vintage-style streetcars , located in Ida Grove, Iowa, United States...
in Ida Grove, Iowa. An on-board Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
6BT diesel electric generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
provides the 600 volts d.c. for the four Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
traction motor
Traction motor
Traction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s and other accessories.
See also
- List of Colorado historic railroads
External links
- Platte Valley Trolley official site