The Denver Trolley, formerly known as the Platte Valley Trolley, is a

heritage streetcar Conservation and restoration of rail vehicles aims to preserve historic rail vehicles. Trains It may concern trains that have been removed from service and later restored to their past condition, or have never been removed from service, like UP ...

line in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

, operated by the Denver Tramway Heritage Society. It began service on July 4, 1989.

Route and operation

The trolley line originates in

Confluence Park Confluence Park is an urban park encompassing the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo), a bustling district of 19th-century brick warehouses and storefronts that has been redeveloped since the ...

, the historic location where the city of

was founded, at the confluence of the

South Platte River The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River. Flowing through the U.S. states of Colorado and Nebraska, it is itself a major river of the American Midwest and the American Southwest/ Mountain West. It ...

and Cherry Creek River. The trolley is located at approximately 1400 Platte Street, Denver, CO, 80202, behind

REI Rei or REI may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Rei, a story arc of the anime ''Higurashi When They Cry'' *Rei, a shapeshifting godlike dragon in the Australian webcomic series ''Vainglorious'' *Rei I, II and III, episodes of ''Neon Genesis Eva ...

's flagship store. Visitors can reach the trolley from Platte Street or from 15th Street in downtown Denver. In 2022, the trolley operated Saturdays and Sundays from May 28 through August 14, with the first run leaving Confluence Park at 10:00 AM and the last run of the day leaving at 1:30 PM. Tickets were priced at $7 for adults and $3 for children for a round trip with on/off privileges, available for purchase from the trolley operating crew at any of the trolley's stops (REI/Confluence Park, Downtown Aquarium, or Children's Museum of Denver). The trolley also operates a football fans' shuttle between Confluence Park and

Empower Field at Mile High Empower Field at Mile High (previously known as Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Invesco Field at Mile High and Sports Authority Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, New Mile High or Mile High Stadium) is an American football stadiu ...

for

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

home games. Fare is $10 round trip, or $7 one way. The line runs south (upriver) on the west side of the Platte River to Lakewood Gulch. Prior to 2007, the line continued west along Lakewood Gulch (approximately West 13th Avenue) and ran on the old

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...

shortline tracks of the

Denver and Intermountain Railroad The Denver and Intermountain Railroad was an interurban railway that operated between Denver and Golden, Colorado. Originating as a steam railroad, the ''Denver, Lakewood and Golden'', the line was opened in 1891 and had built an electrified spur ...

to Sheridan Boulevard. The line currently stops near where RTD built their new west corridor of the FasTracks light rail project, which opened on April 26, 2013. The line passes a number of historic and tourist attractions, including the Children's Museum, the Downtown Aquarium, Empower Field at Mile High (home of the Denver Broncos) and

Elitch Gardens Elitch Gardens was a family-owned seasonal amusement park, theater, and botanic garden in the West Highland neighborhood in northwest Denver, Colorado, United States, at 38th and Tennyson streets. For more than a century Elitch's was one of the m ...

. Views of the Denver skyline are visible all through the 25-minute narrated historical tour. The Denver Trolley recalls the open car streetcars of an earlier era in Denver, which at one point in the history of Denver was the primary means of transportation throughout the city. In circa 1920, there were a group of six "Seeing Denver" streetcars that traversed the rails. A number of buildings in Denver, though currently re-purposed, were once key structures in the trolley system, and many retain their original signage. Today, in addition to regular operations, the Denver Trolley is available for charters and special tours. More information can be found at the Denver Trolley website.

Rolling stock

The Denver Trolley operates a 1986 replica of a 1903

Brill Brill may refer to: Places * Brielle (sometimes "Den Briel"), a town in the western Netherlands * Brill, Buckinghamshire, a village in England * Brill, Cornwall, a small village to the west of Constantine, Cornwall, UK * Brill, Wisconsin, an un ...

open streetcar. The frame and steel components of the car used in the construction are from a 1924

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...

. The car was made by the

Gomaco Trolley Company The Gomaco Trolley Company is a manufacturer of vintage-style streetcars (alternatively called ''trolleys'' in the US, or ''trams'' in much of the world), located in Ida Grove, Iowa, United States. The company has supplied replica-vintage str ...

in Ida Grove, Iowa. An on-board

Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...

6BT

diesel electric Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

generator provides the 600 volts d.c. for the four

Metropolitan-Vickers Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, it was particularly well known for its industrial el ...

traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric or hydrogen vehicles, elevators or electric multiple unit. Traction motors are used in electrically powered rail vehicles ( electric multiple ...

s and other accessories.

References

External links

Denver Trolley
official site {{Heritage Streetcars Heritage streetcar systems Transportation in Denver Heritage railroads in Colorado Tourist attractions in Denver 1989 establishments in Colorado

Route and operation

Rolling stock

See also

References

External links