Welcome to the San Diego Electric Railway Association!
SDERy 413 on trestle in Balboa Park near Morley Field
Monthly meetings are typically held at the National City Depot on the 2nd Saturday night of the month at 7:30pm. There is no charge to attend these meetings which cover interesting subjects relating to past, present, and future electric railways. Plan to arrive by 7 p.m. to chat, and peruse the Gift Shop. Join us at 5:30 for an optional no-host dinner before the meeting at The Barbeque Pit Restaurant - 920 E. Plaza Blvd, National City (directions from Mapquest).
San Diego Vintage Trolley Brings PCCs to the Streets of San Diego!
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The volunteers of San Diego Vintage Trolley were proud to unveil car #529 on August 18, 2011. The Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) car made its first loop on the "Silver Line" in downtown San Diego. This car is the result of six years of volunteer labor where it was lovingly restored and painted as you might see running on the streets in the San Diego area. When you see this car, it is hard to believe it was built in 1949. Volunteers have five more cars waiting for a similar to chance to bring smiles to San Diego. Check out the progress in our monthly Newsletter - Trolley Lines. Page 2 of each issue discusses the progress of this renovation project. San Diego Vintage Trolley has a new website at www.sdvintagetrolley.com. Check them out for the latest operation times. Are you interesting in volunteering some time to restore these classic PCC cars? There will be Tuesday / Thursday work sessions at the MTS yard in downtown San Diego. Please contact San Diego Vintage Trolley Project Manager Dave Slater ( ) for details and to get authorization to be on the MTS property. |
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| Photo by SDVT Photographer Run Sutch. |
Vienna Cars Get Repainted
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Our Vienna N1 streetcars from Austria recently received a fresh coat of paint thanks to our sponsors! Originally, the cars were imported to the U.S. to run the streets of San Diego's Gaslamp District but their single truck design made it difficult to negotiate tight curves. We have three of these amazing cars at the Depot - one in our south lot and two in the north lot awaiting some restoration. If you are interesting in helping with this effort, contact one of our staff to volunteer! |
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| Photo by Jeff Trimble |
Old Spaghetti Factory Birney Car Sports Historic San Diego Colors!
The Birney Car from the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant in Downtown San Diego was purchased and donated to the SDERA by Sam Judd, one of our members in memory of his father, long-time streetcar fan Lyle Judd. The car was removed from the building (quite a feat!) on Monday, February 14, 2005 from a hole on the 5th Ave side. It is now in the south Depot yard. Photos of the move can be found in our Photo Gallery. For more information and picture of the car inside the restaurant, see our February 2005 Newsletter - Trolley Lines. For pictures of the move, see the April 2005 Newsletter. This car now has the yellow scheme from the 1916's with the yellow body and brown roof and numbered 336 to be consistent with San Diego Electric Railway Company road numbers. |
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| Photo by Jeff Trimble |
SDERA is now on Facebook!
SDERA has its own page on Facebook! Tim Higgins and Jeff Trimble are making sure that it has the latest updates! You can "Like" us and stay informed when things happen down at the Depot or within the organization! For a sneak peek at what is there, check out the activity on our Contact Us page.
About SDERA
The San Diego Electric Railway Association, Inc. (d.b.a San Diego Electric Railway) exists to:
- Preserve the artifacts and equipment of the San Diego Electric Railway and other related local companies.
- Establish and maintain an active railway museum, complete with an operating, historic streetcar line.
- Serve as an educational resource showing the important roles streetcars, interurbans, and electric railways played in the development of the San Diego area.
- Preserve past and present pictures, publications, and artifacts of the current San Diego Trolley.
We are affiliated with or are members of:
- Association of Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums (formerly ARM - Association of Railway Museums / TRAIN - Tourist Railway Association, Inc.)
- National City Chamber of Commerce
- San Diego Congress of History
- The National Trust For Historic Preservation (Washington, D.C.)
- SOHO - Save Our Heritage Organization (San Diego)
- CAM - California Association of Museums
Financial and equipment gifts from people, corporations, and organizations interested in preserving San Diego's railway history make SDERA's work possible!