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Astoria, Oregon Trolley Locos and rolling stock
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Active Member 46 posts CabForward Active Member 46 posts
CabForward

This past Friday I took my child bride on a jet boat trip from Portland to Astoria, Oregon for our 38th anniversay.

The roundtrip takes about 10-hours and is well worth the fare of $98 per person (3-hours each way, 4-hours in Astoria).

Upon arriving Astoria we were informed that there was a Trolley that runs along the waterfront (old cannery row). We received free passes to ride into town and back from our boat's tour guide.

The Trolley was built in/around 1912 for use in Houston, Texas. It made it's way to Oregon some years back, and was fully restored by a group of volunteers. As you can see in one photo there is a "Mule" generator that is towed along to power up the trolley. The volunteer Brake-woman and her assistant provided a great deal of information about the Trolley and the sights to see in Astoria.

 

 

Rodger Cook - Sherwood, OR

 
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Rio Grande Dan Prolific poster 2,307 posts
Rio Grande Dan

Why would anyone Spit in the

Why would anyone Spit in the Trolley? Did you find out how the mule works to power the trolley? Oh yeah Happy Anniversary. Dan

Rio Grande Dan
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CabForward Active Member 46 posts
CabForward

Trolley Power

We were so focused on what stop we needed to get off at, that I didn't have a chance to ask the Brakewoman about the "Mule". The "Mule" is a diesel generator to power the Trolley's motor.

Here is a link to the Trolley's website:
http://webpages.charter.net/astoriatrolley/

I was amazed at how smooth the Trolley ran.

Rodger Cook - Sherwood, OR

 
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Rio Grande Dan Prolific poster 2,307 posts
Rio Grande Dan

Thanks for the link it has

Thanks for the link it has alot of info! Basically the Mule is a generator to power the electric motor. A giant electric train.

Dan

Rio Grande Dan
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Russ Bellinis Prolific poster 3,335 posts
Russ Bellinis

Spitting in the trolley

I've seen the same sort of signs in old west saloons in places like Virginia City, Nevada or Columbia, California.  I've also seen them posted in trolleys and passenger cars from the late 19th to the early 20th century.  I think tobacco chewing was very common in the 19th and early 20th centuries and I guess the chewers would aim at spitoons and miss or just spit on the floor if no spitoon was available!
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