Galveston Trolley Restoration

[editor]

Why not just float them off on a barge?  You could probably fit most of the fleet on a single barge.  Seem a lot easier than loading them on a bunch of trucks.

People have been moving trains on boats for a hundred years.  Freight trains are transported on barges in New York and other American cities every day, and in other parts of the world, passenger trains are carried on ferries.

New York:

Europe:

[k5jri radio]

The various postings about about what to do with the Galveston trolleys when the next major hurricane makes landfall at or near Galveston Island offer a variety of alternatives to leaving them on the island during the hurricane.

[1] Connecting the trolley rail line to the railroad line and moving the trolleys under their own power is doable since the trolley gauge (56.5 inches) is the same as the standard railroad gauge. The problem is the trolleys do not meet DOT and other agency requirements for operation on the railroad line. An application for permission to operate the trolleys on the railroad in the event of an imminent hurricane would likely take significant time to process, with no guarantee such permission would be granted.

[2] Transporting the trolleys over the highway with purpose-designed tractor-trailers (the same way they were delivered to the island) would require one tractor-trailer for each trolley to be evacuated from the island. It's reasonable to assume there may not be enough time for multiple round trips between Galveston island and the inland area where the trolleys would be stored during the storm.

[3] Transporting the trolleys by a purpose-designed barge, with capacity to accommodate most of the trolleys on a single trip, is doable if track connecting the trolley to the barge's docking area is already in place. Similar docking, unloading equipment, and track will be needed at the on shore destination. The barge would need a tugboat to propel and steer it to the on shore destination.

Options [2] or [3] would be costly to implement and possibly difficult to justify.

     

[Houston19514]

11 minutes ago, k5jri radio said:

The various postings about about what to do with the Galveston trolleys when the next major hurricane makes landfall at or near Galveston Island offer a variety of alternatives to leaving them on the island during the hurricane.

[1] Connecting the trolley rail line to the railroad line and moving the trolleys under their own power is doable since the trolley gauge (56.5 inches) is the same as the standard railroad gauge. The problem is the trolleys do not meet DOT and other agency requirements for operation on the railroad line. An application for permission to operate the trolleys on the railroad in the event of an imminent hurricane would likely take significant time to process, with no guarantee such permission would be granted.

[2] Transporting the trolleys over the highway with purpose-designed tractor-trailers (the same way they were delivered to the island) would require one tractor-trailer for each trolley to be evacuated from the island. It's reasonable to assume there may not be enough time for multiple round trips between Galveston island and the inland area where the trolleys would be stored during the storm.

[3] Transporting the trolleys by a purpose-designed barge, with capacity to accommodate most of the trolleys on a single trip, is doable if track connecting the trolley to the barge's docking area is already in place. Similar docking, unloading equipment, and track will be needed at the on shore destination. The barge would need a tugboat to propel and steer it to the on shore destination.

Options [2] or [3] would be costly to implement and possibly difficult to justify.

     

Good summary.  Regarding No. 1, it would seem they could arrange for pre-approval to make that option available in the case of an approaching  hurricane.

[Naviguessor]

So, it definitely was a mistake to leave the trolleys where they were when they got flooded.  Had they been on the seawall, where there are tracks they would not have been flooded, in the case of Hurricane Ike.   I have been told that in the event of a Major Hurricane, where a significant storm surge is anticipated, this where they will be taken.  That's a reasonable plan.  The Seawall has never been overtopped.  Certainly the trolley's could sustain some damages from wind, rain & Spray, but nothing as extreme as immersion.   Certainly, if there is a major storm with a significant surge forecasted, it would not take a herculean effort to find 4x suitable lowboy trailers to move them off the island.  This region of the country has more heavy haul equipment, and talent, available then anywhere else.   

[editor]

On 6/16/2022 at 5:55 PM, k5jri radio said:

[3] Transporting the trolleys by a purpose-designed barge, with capacity to accommodate most of the trolleys on a single trip, is doable if track connecting the trolley to the barge's docking area is already in place. Similar docking, unloading equipment, and track will be needed at the on shore destination. The barge would need a tugboat to propel and steer it to the on shore destination.

Options [2] or [3] would be costly to implement and possibly difficult to justify.

     

I think #3 wouldn't be as difficult as it seems.  Don't offload the trolleys from the evacuation barge.  Keep them on the barge and move them up the channel to a safer location.  I won't pretend to be an expert in how things are done on the Gulf, but I know that during inland flooding events, barges are often tied together into what look like large rafts for safety.  I don't think getting a tugboat to move the trolleys inland would cost that much.  There are lots of tugboats, and the city wouldn't have to own one, just arrange for the barge to be move, just like any other barge.  There's probably some written or customary standard for moving barges ahead of an approaching hurricane, so Galveston would just have to act earlier than that standard.  It's OK for the trolleys to be put away earlier than a regular barge, since they're not as precious to the city a a company's cargo is to a shipper.

[k5jri radio]

Regarding option #3, my assumption is that once the threat of a significant storm surge and or hurricane landfall is predicted, the city would hire (not buy) a tugboat with crew and otherwise make whatever arrangements are needed to move the barge loaded with the trolleys well in advanced of the anticipated landfall. Presumably the city could make prior arrangements to reserve tugboat service to move the loaded barge whenever tropical storm activity is predicted. If the trolleys could stay on the barge and ride out the storm while moored further up the channel, this would simplify the process and reduce the cost. With that in mind, option [3] would be less costly to implement. As you pointed out, in the event of an approaching hurricane, the city would need to act early to get the trolleys moved inland in advance of whatever customary standards for moving barges apply to commercial shipments. Because the trolley gauge (56.5") is the same as standard railroad gauge, it follows that a barge set up to transport standard rail cars would likely be suitable for transporting the trolleys in a safe manner.    

[Houston19514]

it seems like setting up a connection to the railroad tracks would be a LOT easier, safer, more efficient and less costly. 

[k5jri radio]

Thus far, various members have posted four alternatives to leaving the trolleys at their usual storage area in the event of hurricane conditions at Galveston.

[1] Connect the trolley tracks to the railroad tracks and operate the trolleys under their own power over the railroad connecting Galveston Island with the the mainland to a safer, inland location. The trolley tracks have the same gauge (56.5 in.) as the railroad tracks, but the trolleys do not meet the various legal requirements for their operation on railroad tracks. Proponents of this plan assume these requirements would be waived in the event of predicted landfall of a tropical storm.

[2] Load the trolleys onto tractor-trailers, drive them over the highway to a safer, inland location, and either offload them or keep them loaded on their respective trailers.

[3] Load the trolleys onto a  barge and have a hired tugboat move the loaded barge to a safer, inland location. The trolleys could remain on the barge during the storm.

[4] Move the trolleys under their own power to the portion of their track closest to the seawall, presumably the highest continuous area on Galveston Island. Their assumptions are [1] given its past performance during tropical storms, the seawall is unlikely to be breached or over topped; and [2] exposure to the high winds and wind-driven water will cause some damage to the trolleys, but not as severe as the damage caused by prolonged immersion in storm water. 

Edited June 23, 2022 by k5jri radio
grammatical error

[k5jri radio]

Although it's been nearly 15 years since Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island and, among other things, caused severe damage to its steel wheel trolley fleet, only limited progress has been made to repair the damaged trolleys and return them to active service. My assumption is the limited progress is due to the high cost of mechanical and cosmetic repairs needed to restore the steel wheel trolleys to safe operating condition, combined with the high cost of transporting them to and from the repair facility. The rubber-tired trolley replica vehicles currently operating in place of the steel wheel trolleys have several advantages: [1] during normal conditions, they can operate on ordinary paved roads, allowing greater flexibility in selection of routes due to the far greater mileage of existing paved streets compared to that of the existing steel trolley rails; [2] in the event of an anticipated tropical storm, they can be driven over existing highways to safer inland locations. Once the storm passes, they can be driven back to Galveston Island and returned to service as soon as the streets are cleared of debris and flooding. Although the rubber-tired replica vehicles are not as realistic and their steel-tired counterparts, they might be the most practical alternative.

[Naviguessor]

Meanwhile...the "steel wheel trolleys" have resumed service on the island and they look great! 

[k5jri radio]

If the "steel wheel trolleys" were back in service ("and look great!") on Galveston Island on or before August 14, 2023, the time between when they were damaged and subsequently restored to original mechanical and cosmetic condition was somewhat less than 15 years. Glad to know the "steel wheel trolleys" are back in revenue service.

According to online sources, the cost for mechanical and cosmetic restoration of a "steel wheel trolley" is approximately $200,000 to $250,000 per vehicle. State and/or federal funding may have been available to defray at least some of the costs to restore and transport the "steel wheel trolleys to and from the restoration facility. As stated previously, the trolleys operating in Galveston are driven by electric motors geared to the axles; power for the electric motors is supplied by an onboard diesel engine driving an electrical generator. This setup is, albeit on a smaller scale, similar to that of diesel-electric railway locomotives.          

[k5jri radio]

Per additional research regarding Galveston, trolley service:

On November 10, 2017, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Federal Transit Authority (FTA) approved a contract to fund repairs for three trolley cars at a cost of $3.8 million. Gomaco Trolley Company was the prime contractor for the repairs.

 Galveston's trolley line reopened for passenger service on October 1, 2021, approximately 13 years after Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island (September 12, 2008). Per online sources, there are four operational trolley cars currently in service on Galveston Island's trolley system.  

 

     

[k5jri radio]

Just finished watching the HOU Explorer video showing sights and sounds one would experience during a ride on the restored Galveston Trolleys. Great video!   

[k5jri radio]

As stated in a recent issue of the Galveston Daily News, only the three trolleys that were in working condition when Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island were eligible for federal disaster relief funding. The fourth trolley, not being in working condition when Hurricane Ike made landfall, was not eligible for federal disaster relief funding. Fortunately, other sources of funding became available to repair and restore the fourth trolley. As of the date of this posting, all four trolleys are currently in working condition.

[editor]

I rode the Galveston trolley for the first time a few weeks ago.  It was… not great.  I never thought that I'd think one of the fake bus trolleys would be a superior form a transit, but it really is.  The actual diesel-powered trolley was unpleasant.

I think self-contained diesel-powered train cars make a bit of sense.  I've been on a few in the less-fashionable areas of Devon and Cornwall.  But they were much larger machines, and you could crowd into one end of the car or the other to mitigate the noise and vibration.  But the Galveston trolley is more like a theme park ride than transit.  

Ideally, it would be electrified.  But then, if it's never been electrified in the past, that would probably ruin its historic integrity.  I'm not sure what to make of it.

[k5jri radio]

The original Galveston trolley system was powered by overhead electric wires. The trolley "trolled" for power by means of trolley poles that made sliding contact with the overhead electric wires (approximately 600 volts DC potential) and completed the circuit through the metal wheels contacting the metal track (0 volts DC potential). When this trolley system was discontinued in 1938, the overhead wires and their supporting structures were removed. When a new trolley system was in its planning stages (circa 1980s) it was decided that because reinstalling overhead trolley wires and their supporting structures would require the destruction of most of the trees and vegetation now present along the median strip of Broadway/Avenue J., a self-contained electric power system was required. Each of the 4 trolley cars now in service has it own, self-contained power source (diesel engine driving an electric generator).

[k5jri radio]

Avoiding destruction of vegetation on Broadway/Avenue J also required the trolley tracks to be installed on the inner lanes of the paved road surfaces adjacent to the median strip. Because the top surface of the track is roughly the same height as the paved road surfaces, ordinary rubber tired cars and trucks can pass over the trolley tracks without damage. The inside track surfaces have a narrow gap between the track and the pavement to allow the trolley wheel flanges to seat properly, yet allow safe passage for rubber tired cars, buses, and trucks over the trolley tracks. 

Edited March 26 by k5jri radio
spacing correction

[k5jri radio]

Houston's average elevation of 50 feet is high enough to resist tropical storm surges (wind driven surface water augmented in height by low barometric pressure), but it's very flat topography causes rainwater during storms to accumulate faster than it can drain off.

 

[k5jri radio]

Another member discussed commuting to and from work at a military base in Europe via self-powered (internal combustion prime mover connected to an electrical generator traction motors) rail passenger vehicles. He stated these vehicles (in Europe) were significantly larger than the self-powered trolleys in currently operating in Galveston. The self-powered vehicles described appear to be more modern versions of the "Doodlebugs" which were used for similar purposes in the United States in the years prior to World War. The "Doodlebugs" could and did operate on the same track as the ordinary multi-car freight and passenger trains; but it was not stated if the European rail passenger vehicles operated on the same track as ordinary multi-car freight and passenger trains, or they operated on dedicated track.

Presumably, there are different expectations regarding noise and vibration for riding a rail vehicle for routine transportation versus riding a rail vehicle for entertainment.