Streetcars of Fresno

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Re: Streetcars of Fresno

by shirleyken » Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:27 pm

I remember riding the streetcars many a time, first with my mother and then on my own. I got on board on Wishon Ave. which changed to Fulton Street, and that took me downtown. The fare was 7 cents which I dropped in a box next to the conductor.
The story goes that when the tracks were removed in the late 1930's, they were sold to Japan, which returned them in another form during WWII.

Re: Streetcars of Fresno

by Robert Gantt » Sat Jan 20, 2018 12:23 am

I worked in the old car barn on First and Tulare. Not on trolleys but at Hill and Morton Lumber Company. In the middle fifties Some of the tracks were still there. I thought at the time the structure should be designated a historical site.

Re: Streetcars of Fresno

by ca4niagrl@yahoo.com » Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:36 pm

My great grandfather was a motorman for the Fresno Traction Company. I didn't even know him since he died in 1934 but I found his obituary online and that's how I found out what he did for a living and that there were streetcars in Fresno. I was born in Fresno in 1961 and I have some great memories but it sounds like Fresno was really thriving in its early days. Sad to see so much of its history gone.

Re: Streetcars

by mimibvo » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:40 pm

Back in the day that they were digging the streets up to create the Fulton Mall my uncle came across a spike he said was used on the rail track. I still have it.

Re: Streetcars

by 69GT » Thu Aug 15, 2013 8:33 pm

You can follow some of the trolly right of way to Fresno Beach to this day. If you go out to the end of Van Ness extension and go down the hill you will see two roads to your left and one to your right. Of the two to the left one leads to the golf course parking lot and the other has an electric gate. The one with the gate is the paved over trolly right of way. If you get the chance and get in there it hugs the bluff on it's way down to the houses. The road is one lane and has a weird traffic signal to tell you to wait if someone is coming up the narrow road so two cars going opposite directions don't meet. The road is so narrow because it only needed to be that wide for the trolly. The road goes to the bottom and turns North and I am not sure where the tracks went after that.

Ok now if you turn to the right at the Van Ness dead end you will travel a short distance on the paved over Trolly right of way till you get to a gate. To the right of that gate is what looks like a rough dirt road on an upward grade. That my friends is the trolly right of way. It goes further up skirting the backyards of the homes and curves south to Forkner AVE. Where it disappears. It is a bit rough but I believe you can walk it without any trouble. I plan on taking pics soon. :)

Re: Streetcars

by JOSEGUNN » Sun Feb 24, 2013 2:21 pm

According to the history books, Fresno Beach was at the end of Van Ness extension. That place is now Fig Garden Golf Course. Now you have to remember, this is before Friant Dam. Is Fig Garden Golf Course at the Fresno Beach site or was Fresno Beach still aways off or on the other side of the present golf course?

Re: Streetcars

by FresnoBeach » Fri Feb 22, 2013 1:18 pm

Fresno Beach... you see it on the map as a stop but today there is nothing a very forgotten history of Fresno.
were was it looks like at the end of Forkner at the River... well Forkner ave today ends on Herndon and not at the River like it once did when it was just a rail line. Can you find Fresno Beach today?

Re: Streetcars

by Big J » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:29 pm

I remember several years back when I was working downtown, they did a major repaving project and the tracks were still there, on Van Ness.

Re: Streetcars

by bigbird » Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:17 am

Fresno Traction Company used to have tracks running down the middle of Huntington Blvd. In the fifty's, we used to play football on those grass islands, between fifth and sixth.
Attachments
fresno trolley map.jpg

Re: Streetcars

by 69GT » Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:52 am

Wow. I would love to see some pics of Tulare street with the tracks still in place. I still see that weird little part/bus stop where the tracks left Tulare street and turned Northeast when I am over there. I bet no one knows why it's there.

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