San Diego Vintage Trolley, Inc.
 Restoring The Magic

Vintage Trolley’s  are Coming Home to San Diego!
It was an era of close knit communities. A time when neighbors greeted each other with a smile and a handshake, and where most working men and women could not afford the luxury of an automobile.  It was the era of the trolley, one of the most efficient form of public transit ever created and certainly the most beloved.

The trolley has been rightly called a “part of America,” their colorful and elegant designs connecting thousands of commuters around almost every large city in the 30's and 40's. And San Diego was no exception.

The American trolley system was a symbol of the country's faith in itself and was the pride of every major municipality. But the trolley gradually succumbed to the realities of the post World War II era: a booming economy, cheap gasoline and the affordable family car.

In San Diego, the trolley line was replaced in 1949 by the ubiquitous bus, but our community's love affair with the beauty and nostalgia of a simpler time embodied in these graceful trolleys, has never waned. Now, three of the most glorious and historic examples are coming home to San Diego. 

San Diego Vintage Trolley, Inc. a non profit organization, has begun the arduous task of restoring three vintage PCC cars. Once restored, two will be placed in active service, (one always in reserve),  making continuous loops around San Diego's historic downtown, enhancing its business climate and enormously adding to its ambiance.  Dubbed the Silver Line and using already available MTS track, these vintage trolleys will provide a new and exciting transportation experience for tourists and residents alike, creating a time machine ride into San Diego's past.

A New & Exciting Dimension to San Diego’s Downtown 

Plans for a Silver Line Vintage Trolley follows the success of other cities. To almost overwhelming popularity, many other cities have put vintage trolleys back into service. These cities include San Francisco, Boston, Portland, Little Rock and Tampa Bay.  Millions of people climb aboard each year to experience the nostalgia of riding in an authentic piece of Americana.

The Silver Line will operate in the heart of a resurgent downtown San Diego, continuously looping by the Convention Center, Petco Park, The Gaslamp Quarter, Seaport Village, the Midway Aircraft Carrier, the Cruise Ship Terminal, City Hall, hundreds of businesses and thousands of new residential units. The Silver Line Vintage Trolleys will be noticed by hundreds of thousands of people every day!

Timeless Popularity

The PCC trolley was developed in the early 1930s in response to the declining ridership that was plaguing transit systems throughout North America.  A group known as the Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) was formed in 1929 by the presidents of North American streetcar systems to design the first truly modern trolley.  The result created from a 1-million dollar budget was The Million Dollar Baby, affectionately referred to as the PCC trolley.

Throughout the War Time era San Diego’s connection to the military pushed the city of San Diego into a booming growth period that required better transportation needs. The street cars were the answer to providing transportation to millions of residents and providing access to the several shipyards and aircraft plants throughout San Diego.

In 1935 San Diego was the first West Coast city to order the new PCC. After World War II, the trolleys featured a smooth ride, quick acceleration, comfortable seating and an appealing streamlined body that made them a great success for San Diego. In fact over a 12 month period in 1945 the San Diego street car system carried more passengers than there were people in the entire United States, 140,564,724 passengers.

Between 1936 and 1952 over 5,000 PCC trolleys were produced and were the mainstay of trolley systems for over 20 years.  The street cars provided a central form of transportation and a connection with community that was the highlight of transit systems throughout the country.

“... perhaps most important, streetcars say, ‘This town, this downtown, is here to stay. ''
 San Francisco Municipal Railway General Manager Michael T. Burna

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