TAN: Memphis, Tennessee operations

Hi, gang!

I've been reading the messages about Memphis, Tennessee and have to set the record straight about that system, which does use a number of W2s and has four more being renovated by Gomaco of Ida Grove, Iowa.

Memphis, which began its "Main Street Trolley" in 1993, now consists of two lines.  The carbarn is located on the north end of the line.  Just south of the carbarn, which is reached by a single track lead at the north end of Main Street, is the turnoff to reach the Riverfront Line.  This line crosses the Illinois Central without a switch connecting the two tracks, then it runs parallel to it the entire length of the Riverfront embankment down to where the railroad track curves inward to reach Central Station.  As I mentioned, there is no track connection between the railroad main line and the Riverfront trolleys, therefore there is overhead wires only on the trolley tracks.

The mainline track handles the twice-a-day Amtrak City of New Orleans, and a few local freights.  Through freight trains utilize a mainline which is further inland.

The Riverfront Line, which opened in 1997, is operated southbound only, and has five stations serving a number of Riverfront attractions.  Southbound cars alternate with those traveling along Main Street.  Both lines' cars run north along Main Street.  Headways are every 5 minutes northbound and 10 minutes southbound along either line.

Operated by MATA (Memphis Area Transit Authority), service is 7 days a week--6:00am to midnight on Monday-Thursday, 6:00am-1:00am Friday, 9:00am-1:00am Saturday, and 10:00am-6:00pm Sunday.  6 cars are ex-Oporto, Portugal single-truckers; one car is a Gomaco single-truck demonstrator; one car is a converted Rio De Janeiro, Brazil open car; and 7 cars are ex-Melbourne W2s.  Their numbers:

234     417     539     540     545     553     1978 (ex-353)

Four cars are undergoing renovation by Gomaco:

452 (ex-New Orleans, ex-626)
454 (ex-New Orleans, ex-478)
455 (ex-New Orleans, ex-331)
503 (ex-Green Bay Transportation Museum)

For more info, go to the MATA web site at:
   http://www.matatransit.com/mainstreettrolley.html
For more pictures of Memphis Melbourne W2s, go to my site at:
   http://community.webshots.com/user/milantram , and then click on the Peter's Pix-Memphis--Double Truck Cars, Buses link.

Milantram

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