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Wisconsin Vintage Trolley Systems |
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| Kenosha |
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| Kenosha Transit Electric Streetcar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began Operation: 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miles of Line: 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations: 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organization: Transit Agency | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule: daily | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| John Smatlak photo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Kenosha
is a city of 90,000 located along the shore of Lake Michigan a short
distance north of the Illinois / Wisconsin border. Kenosha Transit operates a two-mile streetcar loop
which connects the
local commuter rail station to downtown attractions, a transit center, and
the new 64-acre Harborpark residential development situated
on the Lake Michigan shore. Daily service is provided using one of five refurbished Toronto PCC cars, each painted in a different color
scheme. The entire project, including the a new maintenance building,
was completed for under $4 million.
The two legs of the one-way loop are situated two blocks apart and the fare is 25 cents. Operating hours vary by season, with a shorter schedule provided during the winter months. A double-ended siding has been provided about midway through the route, adjacent to the city museum, which allows extra cars to be held to accommodate special events at the museum and the lakefront park. Service is provided with five former Toronto PCC streetcars. These 1940's vintage cars were obtained at a very economical price several years ago when Toronto retired its PCC fleet. Prior to their arrival in Kenosha, they were converted from Toronto's broad gauge to US standard by swapping in trucks from a group of just-retired Chicago rapid transit cars. They also received general repairs, wheelchair lifts, and new "classic" paint jobs, each one an accurate copy of a PCC-era paint scheme from a famous transit property. Work was done by Miner Railcar in Iowa. All of the cars are stored and serviced in an impressive maintenance building which shares a site with a new Transit Center, providing easy transfers to local bus routes. One of the most outstanding features of the operation is its attractive right-of-way through the city. Kenosha offers an excellent example of how unobtrusive a vintage trolley line can be- it blends in very well with its surroundings, and has the appearance of a system that was planned as part of the community, not added as an afterthought. The entire right-of-way has been carefully landscaped, and features extensive use of New Orleans-style "neutral ground" with grass covering the entire roadbed except for the rails themselves. To protect the force-ventilated motors on the PCC cars a snow-fighting plan is being put in place to combat the snow that will inevitably build up in their path. ADA-accessibility: Another standout feature of Kenosha's operation are the onboard wheelchair lifts on all five cars. Taking advantage of the wide rear doorway on the Toronto PCCs, the Stewart and Stevenson lift deploys through the open doorway and down to street level. When stowed, the lift does not block the center door. |
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