105-year-old trolley continues to please passengers in northern Colorado
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KDVR) — Trolleys used to be a major form of transportation. Now they are all but gone.
Fort Collins has been doing its part in keeping history alive by keeping “Birney” the streetcar in business.
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They say there is just something about the sights, sounds and feel of riding a trolley that takes you back — even if you have never been back.
“The experiences of going back in time. It’s going back, it’s a feeling, as you can tell the motion of the cars, seeing people wave. Everybody loves the trolley,” said Craig Kozak, assistant lead conductor.
Fort Collins streetcar built in 1919
Car 21 was built in 1919 and retired in 1951. In 1984, Car 21 was fully restored by volunteers. It still runs today by dedicated volunteers, like motorman Bethany O’Brien.
“It’s the best job on the trolley. You have to have a delicate touch. It’s definitely more of an art than a muscle thing. You have to have an awareness of ahead of you and behind you on the street,” O’Brien said.
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The entire line nowadays is about a mile and a half long, still on original tracks and still on Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins.
When car 21 is at the end of the line, it doesn’t turn around — but the seats do. All the seats are built to be flipped back to face the opposite direction.
“To be part of the history and be able to share this with people just thrills me a bunch,” Kozak said.
“I was fascinated by it. I’m actually a veterinarian, so very different field, and I wanted to learn how to drive the car,” O’Brien said.
People today will tell you Car 21 doesn’t really take you anywhere. We disagree.
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