DashTransit Rebuilds House Park Trolley Depot

North Christine, BR. Nov 26th 2014.

Recently rebuilt tracks at House Park Depot

When The Metropolis Connector loops opened in 2014, there was no clear picture where the trolleys would be laid up. The only soultion was share space at Ran Mourie Depot and use the only working two tracks at House Park Depot. HPD was the main depot for the Broadway & Boga IBOA trolleys until the company went under in 1975 and bought out by Metropolis Transit in 1976. Metropolis Transit treated the depot as a paint shop for the Gretalinn trolley routes (Route 3 & 7) until 2004 when Gretalinn was rebuilt with a paint shop. The depot building's tracks remained wired as some 3 & 47 trolleys used the depot as short turn point while the yard tracks were severed and unused.

A 46 bus using the depot as a looping point due to construction at 21st-Lindsay. 

DashTransit Services's Metropolis Connector Trolley was placed into service in the summer of 2014 and the Red Loop (formerly the 47 trolley) used the depot tracks to park PCC trolleys for the service. With a federal grant, DashTransit hired a private contracting firm to rip up the old yard tracks and replace them with brand new ones as well as a new depot building. The yard was expanded to 5 tracks instead of 4 and new electric wires were erected to power trolley cars. When all said and done, the depot will be able to house 45 trolley cars including their upcoming order of Siemens S70s that will replace the vintage PCCs on the Red Loop. Those PCC cars will go back to Geneva Heights Trolley Museum.