November 22, 2007
a history of Richmond’s trolleys
I picked up Carlton McKenney’s Rails in Richmond (Interurban Press, 1986) a while back. Having always been fascinated that there used to be trolley lines all over the city, I couldn’t pass up this history of Richmond’s horse-drawn and electric trolleys.
The book goes into great detail explaining the beginning of Richmond’s trolleys and the various changes over the 62 year life-span of this unique part of the city’s past. There are contemporary newspaper articles (Father of the Trolley [Richmond Times-Dispatch, Dec.29, 1935] and You’ve Missed the Last Trolley [Richmond Times-Dispatch, Nov.27, 1949]) that give the story if you want a shorter version than the book provides.
Rails in Richmond has some wonderful pictures and maps. It really becomes apparent how central to getting around Richmond the Main Street Station really was.
Having both lived in New Orleans and recently visited San Francisco, I’ve known working trolley lines being used by people on a daily basis. The experience is definitely different than riding the bus… I can’t imagine how the trolley lines would have held up over the city’s more trying years, but I so wish that Richmond had been able to to preserve some of this.
I’ve heard that many of the rail lines and pulley systems still exist under the pavement. It may be an urban myth but worth checking out.
I have a friend who is interested in locating the “stops” along Jefferson Davis Hgwy between Richmond and Petersburg. If you have a source for this info and would be wiling to share it, it would be greatly appreciated.