Full Version: Galveston. Texas
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On our trip this winter, we spent a day in Galveston, TX. Galveston was seriously hurt by Hurricane Ike last fall. The railroad museum was flooded to the level of 12 feet or more (pictures in Trains, recently) and rolling stock was seriously damaged.
Galveston has a tourist "trolley" operation. There is a lot of in-street track and a car shed near the railroad museum. There is no overhead, so I suspect they run by gas. The pictures I saw looked a bit like the new red cars in New Orleans. I didn't go up to the shed and I didn't see any running.
So can anyone give and current details of how the system is making out?
I'm not sure as to what level of information you are looking for but by going to their site...
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.islandtransit.net/">http://www.islandtransit.net/</a><!-- m -->
...towards the bottom of the home page,
The Galveston Trolleys were severely damaged by Hurricane Ike.
Until they are repaired and restored trolley service has been suspended.

Island Transit services have been modified due to Hurricane Ike.
Check back periodically for updated operation information

If you check the schedule page,
Until further notice Trolley Service is suspended
due to severely damaged trolleys.


Also found this under projects,
Island Transit Projects
Island Transit is recovering from Hurricane Ike. Due to damages of the hurricane,
Island Transit is undertaking the following projects:

Replacing buses
Repairing rail trolleys
Repairing trolley tracks and switches
Repairing bus and trolley maintenance facility
Repairing Island Transit administration building

This came from APTA ( <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.heritagetrolley.com/existGalvestonRTOL2.htm">http://www.heritagetrolley.com/existGalvestonRTOL2.htm</a><!-- m --> )...

Galveston, TX — Funding Sought for Hurricane Repairs
Rail Transit Online, January 2009
The city of Galveston will seek a special appropriation from Congress and the incoming Obama administration to repair its four diesel-electric streetcars that were severely damaged by Hurricane Ike last Sept. 13. The hurricane also smashed portions of the two-route system's track, which will have to be restored before service can resume.

As the replica heritage cars are self-propelled, there is no traction power system to be repaired, minimizing the disruption compared to that caused to the New Orleans streetcar system by Hurricane Katrina. The storm, which flooded Island Transit's maintenance facility and caused widespread destruction in the city, also wrecked 15 buses that will have to be replaced.
Thanks for the links. When we were there website status was chaotic and there was conflicting information on whether museums were open or not.
Attached photo is in the station which should be the entrance to the museum. The guard pointed to a spot well above the elevator doors as the level the water had reached.[attachment=1989]