N.O. RAIL GRINDER CAR No. 29
www.streetcarmike.com

Page created December 11, 2008. Last updated August 2, 2020.
©2008-2020 Michael Strauch. All rights reserved.

Home Updates Mystery Trips New Orleans Pages NOPSI Pages NORTA Pages Friedman's Car 29 Page


Number 29 (original number unknown) was built by American Car Co. in 1896 or 1897 for the Canal & Claiborne Railroad Co. It is one of the first to bear the design made famous by Ford, Bacon & Davis (FB&D). By the 1930s, New Orleans Public Service Inc. converted the streetcar to a rail grinder. As such it sees use for cleaning and polishing the tracks of current streetcar lines. My thanks to Earl Hampton, Jr. and H. George Friedman for the use of their photos.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1945:

Car 29 at St. Charles Ave. and First St. upbound on April 25, 1973 in a negative from the H. George Friedman collection. Added 10/09/17.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1951:

Car 29 at Canal Station on December 30, 1951. Scan of a negative from the H. George Friedman collection added 01/26/20.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1973:

Car 29 on the Jeannette St. side of Carrollton Station on April 25, 1973 in a slide from the Earl Hampton collection. Added 10/09/17.


Car 29 on the Jeannette St. side of Carrollton Station in side view on April 25, 1973. Scan of a slide from my collection added 01/26/20.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1980:

Car 29 at St. Charles and Napoleon Aves. on February 1, 1980. Supposedly the car was ready to run downtown after Carnival parades, but information from Earl Hampton indicates that a parade would begin about ten days from Mardi Gras (Feb. 19). The date stamped on the slide mount may be wrong. Scan of a slide by James P. Marcus from my collection added 01/26/20.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1984:

Car 29 at St. Charles Ave. and Calhoun St. (Loyola University) on April 25, 1973. Photo taken and copyright by Peter Ehrlich from the H. George Friedman collection; added 01/26/20.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1989:

Car 29 at St. Charles Ave. and Soniat St. on February 22, 1989 in a slide copyrighted by Peter Ehrlich. Added 10/09/17.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1990:

Car 29 with Boyertown 1049 on St. Charles Ave. during track reconstruction in February 1990. Photo by Earl Hampton, Jr. added 10/11/17.


Car 29 on S. Carrollton Ave. between Plum and Willow Sts. in uncredited Kodachrome slides stamped April 1990. Two images added 08/02/20.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1991:

Car 29 at St. Charles and Louisiana Aves. in December 1991. The original RTA logo is visible, no dash stripes. My photos.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 1995:

Car 29 with SEPTA PCC 2166 at Carrollton Station on March 11, 1995. Photo by Robert Bullermann, H. George Friedman collection, added 12/19/11.


Car 29, SEPTA 2166, and car 903 at Carrollton Station on October 30, 1995. The PCC was part of an experiment to see if their components could be used to build new Riverfront cars, but the plan wasn't successful. Instead, Tatra equipment was originally installed on them, later replaced by Brookville running gear. Slide by an unknown photographer from my collection added 10/07/19.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 2005:

Earl W. Hampton, Jr. sent me these two February 2005 photos showing the rebuilt car 29 after a fire damaged it. Dash has white stripe around the edge similar to the St. Charles cars.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 2011:


Surprise! I was at Carrollton Station on October 5, 2011 when I spotted car 29 being switched from one track to another. These shots are the result. Seven photos added 10/10/11.


PHOTOS TAKEN IN 2017:

Car 29 at Carrollton Station on July 5, 2017 in a slide copyrighted by Peter Ehrlich. Added 10/09/17.


UNKNOWN DATES:

Two Earl W. Hampton, Jr. photos of car 29 during the NOPSI era show white stripes on the dash.


Car 29 on North Carrollton. Earl Hampton Jr. photo.