A Tale of Two Tracks
As part of a big construction project
that will include a much-needed rapid transit bus system along what is called
the Mason Street Corridor, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad company brought
in a 1,000 foot long machine to lay down new tracks for our downtown train.
Of course I had to take my
sons down so we could watch for a bit as the railroad ties were placed and the
tracks aligned on top. It’s an impressive piece of machinery, to be sure.
On a smaller scale, Fort
Collins is also home to a 1921 Birney Streetcar that runs on weekends and holidays from May through September. The original electric
streetcar service operated here from 1907 until 1951. In 1977, a dedicated
group of volunteers began the long process of restoring both track and trolley.
On December 29, 1984--the 77th anniversary of the beginning of the
first streetcar service--the trolley was back in business.
Riding the trolley is a
summer tradition for many families, mine included. This year, a rough section of the
original 1907 track was finally replaced—without the help of a multi-million-dollar
machine, I'm guessing :-)
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