Old Covered Rails

[crescentboi]

I was wondering if anyone knew about some of the old covered tracks that lie on Dallas streets. I've seen a few downtown by the West End and the Dallas Aquarium, also I just noticed some last night on Throckmorton street about one block north of Cedar Springs. Were these once for street cars like those on McKinney or for some other purpose? How hard would it be to "resurrect" those and get them operating again. I think its sad that they were just paved over and forgotten.

[bloodandpopcorn]

Yes, they were part of the old, massive Dallas Trolley system. If you go to the McKinney Avenue Trolley website, www.mata.org, they have some information on it. And a couple of pictures on the line (it went up past SMU!). MATA wants to expand, alot of it over old tracks, but they really have no money... Their next expansion will happen relatively soon, but it will be small and just to create a loop at the DMA end of the line. I really wish they would advertise and apply for more grants... if it grew, got a little faster and more reliable, and quieted itself down on those turns, I think it would really take off as a means of transportation. Already it's doing pretty well, since it's free.

So no, they are not forgotten. At least not completely. I try and give to MATA what i can... And if you and some friends are really interested in getting it all working again, definitly look into becoming a supporter of MATA... They'll appreciate it, and it will do good for the city...

[jsoto3]

what once was: railroads in yellow, streetcar lines in black

<img src="http://www.jsoto3.com/images/historicrails.jpg" style="border:0;"/>

[crescentboi]

That's an amazing image! Where did you get that? I just wish that the clarity was better so I could read some of the writing!

[jsoto3]

i took a digital photo (as best as i could) of this image (printed on a 24x36 sheet) in an urban design studio here at Tech.

[John T Roberts]

It's funny that I stopped on Saturday at the Great American Hero Sandwich Shop on Lemmon and turned west on Throckmorton to go into the parking lot and saw the old tracks in the street. I guessed that a streetcar line once ran down Throckmorton.