| SERVICE RECORD - SCRAPPING DATES, ETC. |
| | | |
| 800 | SCR 5/52 (Rev. Toye, henceforth “T”) | | 850 | “Pur. 7/23” (NOPSI).
Last 800 to operate in revenue service in N. O. 5/29/64 (but see no. 836).
SLD Branford Elec. Ry. Assn. (now Shore Line). RG Beautifully restored — operating, 2007. |
| 801 | First arr. N. O. (NOS 9/25/22), SCR 4/53 T | | 851 | Uncertain SCR 1953 G (P - N 1952), but
indications was running in 1957 (3/20 P may be error in date). |
| 802 | Last car on Tulane Belt 1/7/51, SCR 4/53 T | | 852 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 803 | “Pur. 7/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/9/64 O. A. Goessl
(henceforth “G” — RTA confirms date) | | 853 | Uncertain SCR date. Latest P date, Napoleon Yard scrap line, 1951. |
| 804 | “Pur. 7/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/17/64 G, RTA 1964 | | 854 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 805 | SCR 4/53 T | | 855 | Uncertain SCR date. Latest P date, Desire, 7/46 |
| 806 | SCR 2/55 T | | 856 | Uncertain SCR date. Latest P date, TU Belt, ca. 1948. |
| 807 | SCR 4/53 T | | 857 | “Pur. 11/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/15/64 G, RTA confirm. |
| 808 | SCR 4/53 T | | 858 | Badly damaged 10/10/46 (TP article) Desire Line. Uncertain SCR date. P - N ca. 1950 with safety screens, on Belts. |
| 809 | SCR 4/53 T | | 859 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 810 | SCR 2/55 T | | 860 | P - TP 9/1/50 wreck. Badly damaged in collision with gas truck.
Spilled, miracle no fire or deaths. Uncertain SCR date: 1950/51. |
| 811 | SCR 2/55 T | | 861 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 812 | SCR 4/53 T | | 862 | SCR 2/53 T |
| 813 | First to officially run after '29 strike. SCR 4/53 T | | 863 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 814 | “Pur. 11/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/15/64 G, RTA confirm. | | 864 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 815 | SCR 5/52 T | | 865 | “Pur. 11/22” (NOPSI). Only 800 repainted 1950-64! SCR 6/15/64 G, RTA confirm. |
| 816 | “Pur. 11/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/12/64 G, RTA confirm. | | 866 | “Pur. 11/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/17/64 G, RTA confirm. |
| 817 | SCR 4/53 T | | 867 | SCR 12/48 T |
| 818 | SCR 4/53 T | | 868 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 819 | SCR 6/50 T | | 869 | Wreck 8/10/47, Gentilly Line run 7, SCR 5/52 T |
| 820 | SCR 6/50 T | | 870 | SCR 12/48 T |
| 821 | SCR 6/9/64 G, RTA confirm | | 871 | “Pur. 11/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/9/64 G, RTA confirm. |
| 822 | SCR 10/51 T | | 872 | SCR 2/55 T |
| 823 | SCR 1961 (last seen Canal Sta. May 9 - W. T. Golson) | | 873 | SCR 12/48 T |
| 824 | SCR 12/48 T | | 874 | Uncertain SCR date, SC P 1953 G |
| 825 | SCR 2/55 T | | 875 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 826 | SCR 10/51 T | | 876 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 827 | “Pur. 11/22” (NOPSI), SCR 6/9/64 G, RTA confirm. | | 877 | SCR 2/55 T |
| 828 | SCR 5/52 T | | 878 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 829 | SCR 6/50 T | | 879 | SCR 6/50 T |
| 830 | SCR 4/53 T | | 880 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 831 | SCR 10/51 T | | 881 | SCR 6/50 T |
| 832 | Called “the Desire car” due to 1948 photo.
During WW II loudly painted w/silver roof for war bond drives
(3 different schemes).
Last used 5/28/64, SLD Pa. Ry. Mus. Assn. (Arden), still
5'2-1/2", operating. “Pur. 5/23” (NOPSI).
Last trip on Canal 5/15, first shipped 6/15/64 G.
Lady drove car into 832's side, car shipped to
auto body shop, repaired, and is back in service. | | 882 | SCR 10/51 T |
| 833 | “Pur. 5/23” (NOPSI), SCR 6/57 T | | 883 | SCR 6/50 T |
| 834 | “Pur. 5/23” (NOPSI), SCR 2/55 T | | 884 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 835 | “Pur. 5/23” (NOPSI). Wreck Dauphine St.
xing - L&N loco 1230. SCR 10/51 T | | 885 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 836 | Last used 5/29/64, SLD Conn. Elec. Ry. Assn.,
Windsor, Conn. (Warehouse Point). RG - beautifully
restored - operating. | | 886 | SCR 6/50 T |
| 837 | SCR 5/52 T | | 887 | SCR 12/48 T |
| 838 | SCR 6/57 T | | 888 | First 800 to be SCR, 6/47 T. Badly damaged 5/13/47,
Desire Line run 10, collision with large truck.
Demolished one end, platform, warped sides, twisted frame. |
| 839 | SCR 4/53 T | | 889 | SCR 6/50 T |
| 840 | SCR 10/51 T | | 890 | SCR 12/48 T |
| 841 | SCR 4/53 T | | 891 | SCR 12/48 T |
| 842 | SCR 6/57 T | | 892 | SCR 2/55 T |
| 843 | SCR 6/57 T | | 893 | SCR 10/51 T |
| 844 | SCR 4/53 T | | 894 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 845 | SCR 6/57 T | | 895 | SCR 6/50 T |
| 846 | “Pur. 7/23” (NOPSI), only 800 w/striped stairwell,
SCR 6/13/64 G, RTA. P - TP 7/5/87
Sec. G-10, Gentilly Line, Royal @ St. Peter, 3/10/44. | | 896 | SCR 12/48 T |
| 847 | SCR 12/48 T | | 897 | SCR 10/51 T |
| 848 | “Pur. 7/23” (NOPSI), unclear SCR date,
late '62 - early '63 (ERA - P 3/63). | | 898 | SCR 5/52 T |
| 849 | SCR 12/48 T | | 899 | SCR 6/50 T. Used in work service 1/23/50
(dismantling West End Line) pulling cut-down
bodied 900-class 901 and 917. |
 |
Car 427 serving the St. Charles Belt, and car 848 on the Canal-Cemeteries
line, offer a comparison of the front ends of the 400 and 800 type cars.
This is the corner of University Place and Canal Street. The date is
June 10, 1947. — Fred Victor DuBrutz photo, collection of George Friedman |
 |
The 800s originally sported a frosted glass number panel in
the upper sash adjacent to the right-hand (exit) folding doors, which displayed the car number after
dark by the lights from within the car. This feature was dropped during
WW II. Here are two views dated May 31, 1942 showing cars 809 and 813 on
the West End line at the foot of Canal Street. |
 |
 |
Thie photo shows off car 800 with its frosted glass number panel,
probably some time around 1940. The car is awaiting the call to duty
along with its mates in the yard of Canal Station. — Bert Ward photo,
collection of George Friedman |
 |
Car 800 on the St. Charles Line on South Carrollton Avenue, soon after the
St. Charles-Tulane belt operation stopped on January 8, 1951. This car was
unusual, and possibly unique, in that windshield wipers were added to
the center end windows, along with a hook for the trolley retriever
rope to keep it from fouling the wipers. (Compare to the previous
photo.) The drawbridge over the New
Basin Canal can be seen in the background on the left. The canal was to
be filled in to be used as expressway right of way, and an underpass was to be
constructed for S. Carrollton Avenue. The car is seen at the temporary
terminal on S. Carrollton at Dixon. After construction was completed,
the line was cut back on August 10, 1952 to the present terminal on S. Carrollton
at S. Claiborne. — D. R. Toye, S. J., Kenner Train Shop (Chris Rodriguez)
collection, courtesy of Mike Palmieri |
 |
Tulane Belt car 802 and another 800 car pass on Canal Street, June 10, 1947.
Just a few years later, 802 would be the last streetcar to operate on the Tulane Belt.
— Fred Victor DuBrutz photo, collection of George Friedman |
 |
Car 813 was the first car to run officially after the 1929 strike.
Here we see it almost 20 years later, on June 10, 1947, outbound on the Tulane
Belt line. This view is on Tulane Ave. near S. Broad St. The building
to the left is the Criminal Courts Building. — Fred Victor DuBrutz photo, collection of George Friedman |
 |
Car 817 on the Tulane Belt line, on South Carrollton Avenue at the New Basin
Canal drawbridge, probably some time in the late 1940s.
— D. R. Toye, S. J., Kenner Train Shop (Chris Rodriguez) collection,
courtesy of Mike Palmieri |
 |
Screens were used circa 1948-51, only on cars on the Tulane and
St. Charles Belt lines, to protect riders from shrubs on the St. Charles Ave.
neutral ground. They were unpopular, and did not last. At least 42
of the 800s had screens, or mounting hardware for them, and possibly as many as
45 or more. Here we see 823, 839, and 856 on Tulane Belt at the foot
of Canal Street. Car 823 displays the large screens that covered almost
the entire window, while 839 and 856 are seen with the smaller screens.
— Louis Hennick collection (car 823); George Friedman collection, from the
Bill Volkmer collection (car 839); D. R. Toye, S. J., Kenner Train Shop
(Chris Rodriguez) collection, courtesy of Mike Palmieri (car 856) |
 |
 |
 |
NOPSI 831 on the St. Charles line, circa 1951, on St. Charles Ave. at
Short Street. The car has marks on the outside window posts indicating
that it once had screens. Note the paper sign taped to the front center window,
which reads “FERN STREET ONLY”. The car is one block past Fern St., and is
being turned back, probably due to a Carnival (Mardi Gras) parade. It will
proceed one more block to the crossover, then return downtown from that point.
— D. R. Toye, S. J., Kenner Train Shop (Chris Rodriguez) collection,
courtesy of Mike Palmieri |
 |
During World War II, NOPSI painted car 832 in a patriotic
livery advertising war bond sales. The message on the sides of the car
varied somewhat from time to time. The car moved around the system,
appearing on various lines. We see it here (1) blazoned “2nd War Loan”,
(2) at the foot of Canal Street “Back The Attack”, (3) on Bourbon Street serving
the Desire Line, and (4) again at the foot of Canal, signed for the Cemeteries
Line “Keep On Buying”. — (2) detail from a Norm MacDonald photo, collections
of Art Peterson and George Friedman; (4) Charles Houser photo |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Car 846 had striped stairwells, as seen here in the yard outside Canal
Station in April 1964. No other Perley Thomas 800 car was so treated,
although several 900s had this feature. — Louis Hennick collection |
 |
Tulane Belt car 868 is leaving Carrollton Station on Willow Street, and
will turn to its right to go into service, heading downtown on S. Carrollton
and St. Charles Avenues. Note the dual-gauge track, a remnant of the days
(ending in 1931) when the St. Charles and Tulane Belt lines and the S. Claiborne
Shuttle were standard gauge. (The Belt lines were converted in 1929,
but the S. Claiborne Shuttle remained standard gauge to the end, in 1931.)
Leonidas bus 1746 is a White model 788, one of 80 built
in 1948. NOPSI bought 339 of them between 1940 and 1948, making them
the most numerous type of bus on the company's roster.
— D. R. Toye, S. J., Kenner Train Shop (Chris Rodriguez) collection,
courtesy of Mike Palmieri |
 |
Gentilly car 887 heads toward Canal Street on Royal, using track shared
with the famous Desire Line, probably some time in the 1940s.
— Collection of Earl Hampton |
 |
A real streetcar named Desire, car 898 is at the outer end of the Desire
Line at Tonti and France Streets, taking break time before leaving on its next
upbound (inbound) trip. Car 884 is arriving in the background.
— Collection of George Friedman |
 |
This streetcar named Desire lost an argument with a large truck.
Car 888 is seen here on May 13, 1947 on Jeannette St. adjacent to Carrollton
Station, where it has apparently been towed. Yes, this end of the car
looks fine, but look around at the other end—it is simply gone! In
addition to the destruction of the vestibule, the car frame was bent.
Rather than being repaired, the car was scrapped, the first of the
800s to leave the roster. — Charles Franck photos, collection of Earl
Hampton (upper photo), The Historic New Orleans Collection (lower photo) |
 |
 |
It is early 1950, and the West End Line has been closed.
Car 899 is being used to help dismantle the line. The New Basin Canal,
soon to be filled in, is in the background. These pictures show 899
pushing at least two different trailers. The two that have been
identified had been made by cutting down the seriously damaged and retired
cars 901 and 917. (See the Service Records for cars 901 and 917
on page y.) In the fourth picture, note the
end of trailer 917 at the left edge of the photo. The fifth picture,
taken at Napoleon Yard February 2, 1950, also shows a
glimpse of center-dump motor car 054. In June, car 899 was
itself scrapped. — D. R. Toye, S. J., Kenner Train Shop (Chris Rodriguez)
collection, courtesy of Mike Palmieri (top picture), Bill Volkmer (second
picture), Otto Goessl (third and fourth pictures), Louis Hennick Collection
of The Historic New Orleans Collection, Otto Goessl photo (fifth picture) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
From 1950 to the end of the Canal Line in 1964, when the last of the
800s were retired, only one was repainted, car 865. Here is the result,
seen in service on the Canal Line near Canal Station in the 1960s. Note
the gleaming paint, the cream front window posts, and the lack of striping on
the front dash. — Otto Goessl photograph |
 |
Today, only three 800s survive, all in museums. Each has been
meticulously restored, even including the frosted number panel in the window
sash behind the right front (exit) door. Here is a 2006 view of 832 at the
Pennsylvania Trolley Museum at Washington, Pennsylvania. This museum
uses the same 5'2½" gauge track as New Orleans, so the car was put into
museum service immediately on its arrival from New Orleans in 1964. Its
last day to run in its home city before shipping to Pennsylvania was May 28,
1964. — Joseph Lance photograph |
 |
The second of the three surviving 800s is car 836, which lives on at the
Connecticut Trolley Museum at Warehouse Point. It is seen here in July of
2008, with another retired car in the background. Operation at this
museum is on standard gauge (4'8½") track. — Earl Hampton photograph |
 |
Car 850 has found its retirement home at the Shore Line Trolley Museum
at Branford, Connecticut. It is seen here in July 2008 in front of the
Sprague Building on the museum grounds. This museum is also a standard
gauge operation. In 2007, after completion of a ten-year restoration,
car 850 toured the United States as a New Orleans promotion. — Earl Hampton photograph |
Text copyright © 2008, 2010, 2011 Louis C. Hennick.
Pictures copyright © 2010 by the persons credited.
Picture captions copyright © 2010, 2011, 2016 H. George Friedman, Jr.
All rights reserved.