Alexandria Louisiana Electric Streetcars
Alexandria had other rail systems in addition to a number of railroads ... like the Alexandria Electric Railway Company! Early trolleys were pulled by mules, and later electrified.
| The Alexandria City Railway Company provided Alexandria with its first mass transit system. Opened in 1891, this mule car line spanned 1.25 miles. In the photo below on Lower Third Street, a conductor on an early streetcar poses with children. (Photo courtesy of the Joe Dellmon Collection, NSU, Natchitoches, La) |
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Shown below is a map of the route of the Alexandria Municipal Street Railway System in 1921, along with the locations of several railroad stations around downtown. The map was created by the late Neil Daspit, an Alexandria history expert, who did extensive research on the Alexandria trolley system. Later, his map was provided to the Louisiana History Museum by his daughter, Camille Lacy. Note the location of the power station and trolley barns (No. 11 and 12). The power station was located on Thorn Street at the head of Winn Street. It was built in 1905 and used until 1916. The original power plant consisted of one 200kw generator supplying the over head trolley system with 550Watts of DC current. Four lines were in operation, over time:
The electric streetcars ceased operation on December 18, 1926. Eleven recently purchased Mack-International Motor Truck Corporation buses began running the following day. |
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The Original Order for Electric Streetcars
The American Car Company of St. Louis, Missouri, was a prime builder of electric streetcars in the early 1900s. Its popular designs were small and very simple featuring just one large, two-axle truck (or two single axles). The cars were designed to be mass produced and inexpensive to the streetcar owner/operator. Lightweight with steel frames, wooden car bodies, and compact, the cars rode on a single two axle truck and powered by two motors. The cars accelerated quickly and were rated for a top speed of 25 mph. Lengths varied, but were typically in the 16-18-20-30 foot range. Compared to larger double trucked cars, these consumed less power and reduced wear to the track. Shown to the right is an advertisement by the American Car Company for a unit similar to the ones ordered for Alexandria. The Alexandria Electric Railways' original order was placed to the American Car Company on July 5, 1905, for four 18-foot, closed body electric streetcars, which were delivered on November 15, 1905. The units utilized Brill 21-E trucks. These first Alexandria streetcars were as follows: Number 1 and Number 2, and Number 3 and Number 4 (shown below). These cars seated 28 passengers, and featured seven windows on each side. The exterior was painted green, and the interior a shade of maple. Shown below is Streetcar Number 3 of the Alexandria Electric Railways Company, with Conductors C.L. Connolly and Will Hathorn seen in front. The date is probably some time before 1915. (Photo courtesy of the Louisiana History Museum) |
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Streetcar Number 4 of the Alexandria Electric Railways Company. Shown is Mr. C. L. Connolly on the right, and William Pascal “Bill” Hathorn. (Photo courtesy of the Louisiana History Museum) |
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Depicted below is a snowy day in 1923 in downtown Alexandria, with the Hotel Bentley, City Hall and a streetcar on Second Street. (Photo courtesy of the Joe Dellmon Collection, NSU, Natchitoches, La) |
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| Streetcar on Monroe Street in Alexandria (Photo courtesy of the Joe Dellmon Collection, NSU, Natchitoches, La) |
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| Downtown Alexandria circa 1925 with streetcar in center scene (Photo courtesy of the Louisiana History Museum) |
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| Vintage postcard: Second Street, looking north in Alexandria, Louisiana, with an electric streetcar in front of the Rapides Parish Courthouse |
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| Vintage postcard: Streetcar in front of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, College and Rectory (Courtesy of the Dale Genius Collection) |
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| Vintage postcard: Second Street, looking north with Bentley Hotel, Rapides Bank, City Hall and street car tracks |
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Evidence of streetcar tracks in Alexandria on DeSoto Street, circa 2000. After being paved over for decades, the location of the tracks are still visible. (Staff Photo) |
More Information on Alexandria Streetcar and Railroad Lines
Alexandria Electric Railway - Article by Dale Genius at the Louisiana History Museum
"Street Railways of Louisiana": by Louis C. Hennick - Book Excerpts on Google
Alexandria Louisiana Railroads