Everyone has heard the story of the little engine that could. Well, it turns out that St. Louis has a little engine of its own, and we can all agree that it’s off to a rough start.
The adventures and misadventures began on the trolley’s first real day of operation on Nov. 16, 2018, after multiple delays spanning a few months. It was unable to enter University City, as the Loop Trolley Co. allegedly owed money that would enable the city to restore the streets to their former condition – as a backup plan – should the operation fail. The trolley was able to complete the other portions of its route, but not for long.
Later that day, around 3 p.m., at DeBaliviere Avenue and Forest Park Parkway, two vehicles collided, and police say shots were fired between them. One vehicle remained at the scene with its uninjured driver, but the other vehicle disappeared. The trolley could not continue its route without passing through the crime scene, so service was halted.
Fast forward around three weeks later to Dec. 9, when one of the two trolley cars broke down as a result of mechanical issues. That trolley was not able to continue that day, leaving only one to do the job.
Things were going smoothly at the Loop Trolley Co. for a short while, until Dec. 28, when executive director Kevin Barbeau sent out an email notifying people about the need to shut down service until the following Thursday, as a result of electrical and mechanical issues, including braking.
The resumption of service on Thursday, Jan. 10 did not go so well either, as one of the trolley cars had to be shut down when it was struck by an oncoming vehicle. It was not a simple accident, as the vehicle that struck the trolley lost the entire door on the driver’s side and sustained damage.
It looks like the city took the trolley for quite a ride in its first few months of operation, not the other way around. Despite all of these obstacles, Barbeau is still determined to make the project a hit, providing trolley service to the bustling Delmar Loop. Successful trolley cars exist in many other cities, including San Francisco, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Toronto, Dallas and many others.
Despite all that the company has been through so far, things are looking up as of Tuesday, Jan. 29, as its third trolley car arrived in St. Louis. After passing tests to ensure it is safe and functions properly, the third car will join rotation with the others, and the company will expand service to more days of the week than Thursday through Sunday.
The streetcar is coming back into popularity, and everyone wants to jump in on the action. St. Louis has always been a place for new trends to flourish, and hopefully, the return of this additional mode of transportation will be among those trends.
Keep on chugging Loop Trolley!
