River Rail Streetcar

The River Rail Streetcar is a predominantly tourist tram in Little Rock and North Little Rock in the U.S. state of Arkansas.

Prehistory

A horse tramway existed in Little Rock from 1876 to 1895, in the years 1888 and 1889 also drove steam-powered railcars. On December 23, 1891, the first electric tram, on September 1, 1947 ended the tram traffic.

History

On 1 November 2004, the operation of the River Rail streetcars began, the track was four kilometers long. On 16 February 2007, a 1.4 km long extension was opened. Is operated by the Central Arkansas Transit Authority, the largest operation of public transport in Arkansas.

Route

The route connects, in the form of two large loops on both sides of a short central section over the Arkansas River across the two cities Little Rock and North Little Rock. It is largely single track, only opened in 2007 branch line to the Presidential Library in Little Rock was performed two tracks.

In both cities, the track runs in a loop. In Little Rock, the loop in, in North Little Rock is traversed counterclockwise. They are connected by a single-track line over the river on the east side of the Main Street Bridge. The depot is located in North Little Rock.

All branches are created as track triangles, so that even an isolated operation is possible on both loops. The duality of the new line ends immediately before the terminus Presidential Library.

Operation

It operate two lines. The daily circulating Blue Line goes across the whole distance in an approximately 25 -minute intervals. The Green Line runs only in Little Rock, Monday to Saturday to 17:45 clock, about every 23 minutes. Both lines operate to 17:45 clock the branch line to the Presidential Library, then there ends the total traffic.

Rolling stock

First wrong three replicas of the type Birney Safety Car, as part of the route extension, two other procured. They were built all at the Gomaco Trolley Company in Ida Grove. Birney cars, numbers 400-407, wrong already at the former tram. The numbers 408-412 of the replicas close to the former numbering.

Technology

The supply of vehicles with direct current of 600 volts via a catenary. Unlike usual nowadays, the current - historicizing - taken on rod current collector from the contact line. The railcar having for each direction of travel, a current bar, which is used for the current sampling, respectively rear, the front one is subtracted from the contact wire. At the terminal Presidential Library, the power rods must be withdrawn or applied for the change of direction.

View

Discussed an extension of the line four miles to Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. In this connection, the conversion is considered in a light rail system.

Gallery

Railcars with Christmas decoration in Little Rock

Railway in North Little Rock