History and Description
On 17 June 2000, the City of
Kenosha Department of Transportation began operation of a new
1.7-mile streetcar line. It connects the Metra commuter rail station
(trains to Chicago, Illinois) with downtown Kenosha and the HarborPark
residential area which is being developed along the Lake Michigan
waterfront. The route is a single-track one-way loop, normally served
by a single car running at about 15-minute intervals. The cars are PCCs
which were built in 1951 by the St. Louis Car Company, and formerly ran
in Toronto. They have been refurbished and re-painted in color schemes
used by other cities that once used PCCs:
| Number | Color Scheme | City |
| 4606 | Green and cream
with orange stripe |
Chicago |
| 4609 | Red and cream | Pittsburgh |
| 4610 | Dark red and cream | Toronto |
| 4615 | Orange, cream
and gray |
Johnstown PA |
| 4616 | Yellow and gray
with blue stripes |
Cincinnati |
Service is currently [January 2005] daily, with a reduced schedule on
weekdays in the winter months. Service levels have varied depending on
the available funding. In February 2002 the system briefly shut down
completely, then operated on weekends only until summer 2002.
Kenosha originally had streetcars from 1903 to 1932. They were
replaced by electric trolleybuses, which in turn were replaced by diesel
buses in 1952.
Pictures
These pictures were taken on two visits, in August 2001 and August
2003. The atmosphere was very different on the two occasions, because of
the advancing development of HarborPark, and because of the Tall Ships
Festival which happened to coincide with the second visit.
[picture] #4616
starts to cross Sheridan Road while traveling along the median strip of
56th St. near the courthouse, in a view from the post office steps.
[picture] #4609 heads east
along 56th St. through downtown Kenosha towards the waterfront. [August
2003]
[picture] Continuing
towards the waterfront on 56th St., #4609 stops to pick up passengers at
4th St. In the background, new townhouses are under construction in the
HarborPark development. [August 2003]
[picture] A bit further
along, #4616 stops at 3rd Ave., in front of some finished townhouses.
[August 2003]
[picture] Near the end of
56th St. at the waterfront, #4616 goes through the only passing siding on
the line, with the new Kenosha Public Museum in the background.
[picture] As the
line turns north from 56th St. to run along the waterfront, it crosses
from the middle of the street to run alongside it. Here, #4616 and a
passing bus have stopped briefly so their drivers can talk.
[picture] A broadside
view of #4616 at the waterfront, with Lake Michigan and the Kenosha
lighthouse in the background.
[picture] The streetcar
provides extra service for events on the waterfront, such as the 2003 Tall
Ships Festival. Here, #4616 passes a line of tents along 56th St., with
the masts of a replica HMS Bounty in the background. [August 2003]
[picture] A bit further
along, #4616 stops to pick up passengers. [August 2003]
[picture] #4609 approaches
6th Ave. on 54th St., with #4616 also visible in the distance. Both cars
were on duty that day to handle the crowds for the Tall Ships Festival.
Note the new townhouses lining the street, and compare with the next
picture. [August 2003]
[picture] Two years
before the preceding picture, #4616 runs alongside a still completely
undeveloped 54th St. [August 2001]
[picture] #4609 pauses in
front of the Joseph McCarthy Transit Center at 54th St. and 8th Ave.
[August 2003]
[picture] A rear
view of #4616 at the transit center, looking in the opposite direction
towards the vantage point of the preceding picture. [August 2001]
[picture] Car #4606 (in
Chicago colors) on the spur track leading into the transit center.
[picture] Car #4610 (in
Toronto colors) outside the transit center, with the tail end of #4609
(Pittsburgh) visible inside.
[picture] A rear view of
#4616 rounding the corner from 54th St. onto 11th Ave., with the Metra
commuter rail station in the background.
Other Sites
This page was last updated on 1 January 2005, and reviewed on 24
January 2008.