San Diego — PCC Plan Advances

Rail Transit Online, November 2005

San Diego Vintage Trolley Inc., a new non-profit, tax exempt corporation, has been formed by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) to raise money for the acquisition and restoration of two PCC cars for use on a loop around downtown using existing San Diego Trolley track.  Spearheaded by Harry Mathis, a former city councilman, past chairman of San Diego Trolley Inc. and now an ex-officio member of the MTS board of directors, the heritage trolley corporation will begin a campaign to collect donations from businesses and private sources.  Two post-war PCCs with standee windows have been selected from among 18 owned by Gunnar Henrioulle, who purchased them from the San Francisco Municipal Railway and stored them on his property in South Lake Tahoe.  “While they are certainly not operational at this point, they are in fairly good condition in terms of the quality of the body, in an exterior sense, and the interior as well,” said Peter Tereschuck, President and General Manager of the San Diego Trolley.  Henrioulle has offered to sell the PCCs at a “low price,” although transporting them to San Diego will cost $8,000 to $10,000.  The tab for rehabilitation hasn’t yet been determined.  They would operate during off-peak hours on C Street, Park Boulevard and along the waterfront serving numerous tourist attractions and a growing downtown residential community.  “We’re very excited about this because, given the popularity of vintage trolley operations (elsewhere), it’s pretty clear that something like this belongs here in San Diego,” said Tereschuck.