Those Stupid Fake Trolleys? Let's Go Backward's!
"Potato-Chip-Trucks-Thinks-It's-A-Trolley," well y'all have sure heard that line long enough to know my feelings on fake trolleys. Somewhere between cardboard cut-outs of the Jacksonville Jaguars and rubber chicken, neither is very likely to attract a single tourist.
So what would the big mouth do besides finish the skyway, and add REAL trolleys in the downtown core? Well for starters, if we couldn't sell the fake trolley's they would all make great artificial reefs off shore someplace. Only trouble is, any self respecting any fish that floundered into one, would have to clam up, or his whole school would accuse him of having blown a seal. The only way he could save his dignity would be to act like a cod, or to be a real muscle, and warn them what is coming down the pike, if he got steamed. (okay, enough fishy jokes).
The next project would be to lace the downtown Skyway and Trolley network together with something NO OTHER CITY HAS THOUGHT OF! At least not yet anyway. Between us, now that this is public, and as slow to move on anything original as JTA has been (come to think of it, have they EVER done anything original?) The following photo essay speaks for itself. Imagine these completely rebuilt, new engine, drive, a museum like restoration. God knows JTA garage has the talent, let's use it for something unique. Ask yourself, which you had rather ride, a plywood bus that plays trolley or a 1932 White Bus?
(http://www.2fords.net/johnspages/WonderfulWoodies/images/38International-Wagon.jpg)
1938 International Wagon
(http://static.flickr.com/143/368139540_ca72ac6f20_m.jpg)
1924 Reo Speedwagon Bus
(http://www.fp.stlcc.cc.mo.us/jangert/Photographs/AntiqueBus.jpg)
(http://www.sanjuan.edu/news/images/CitrusHeightsFunDay05-sm.JPG)
(http://static.flickr.com/97/239969002_d36b23e4cb_m.jpg)
1930's vintage White Bus at Seaside, Oregon (collector)
(http://www.stovebolt.com/features/movies/1934SchoolBus.jpg)
1934 School or Transit Bus
(http://static.flickr.com/24/46432183_e524b3b3fc_m.jpg)
(http://www.kururin.jp/models/okrr/img/photo0512.jpg)
(http://static.flickr.com/94/248460859_ffe561df52_m.jpg)
1937 White Touring Bus
(http://static.flickr.com/117/306312721_3f87866c55_m.jpg)
1913 White Bus
(http://www.trolleystop.com/images/techemackbus.jpg)
Mack Bus
(http://www.kcff.net/photography/bus/1_bus_500.jpg)
And finally This image for the nay sayers! This old gal is now far from her original home, she has seen thousands of miles in Transit service and has been completely rebuilt and reconditioned. In case you think this another pipe dream... She is a 1984 model, built or rebuilt by Walt Disney World and auctioned off. Amazing.
This is more then Transit, JTA this is a TOURIST ATTRACTION and a claim to fame!
Mix this with JAZZ, TROLLEYS and a finished SKYWAY and we would be un-stoppable.
Think BOLD Jacksonville.
Ocklawaha
On the other hand, Austin is growing...shhh..don't tell anybody A-town is awesome with old hippies, and LRT? http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_lrt_aus.htm
But who wants to be seen in this thing...looks like a bug to me...wait, I love bugs, specially on my hotdogs!
(//)
Speaking of Austin, that system they're getting is actually commuter rail. 31 miles of it and 11 stations for only $90 million. Try and build BRT (on its own 2" ROW) at the same length for the same price......impossible.
Btw, I'm in Orlando right now. There's an article in today's paper about the $615 million 61 mile commuter rail system being almost ready to go. They anticipate that trains will be running by 2010.
The real point here is how to replace the BUS (fakes) that thinks-its-a-trolley. (http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/ModernStreetcar.jpg)
This is the image of a true modern streetcar, nice thing is, they can mix with historic cars on the same trackage. Ocklawaha(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/JaxTractionTrolleyDrawing.jpg)
looks expensive I love it. But let's face it, in this post Sandra Day O'Connor era, we'll have to get the public on our side and that's not going to happen until the climate changes...oh wait, the climate is changing.