San Diego Vintage Trolley

San Diego Vintage Trolley, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and operation of historic streetcars in San Diego. The organization is directed by board members associated with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System, funded by grants and donations, and restoration is performed primarily by authorized volunteers. SDVT currently has three 1946-vintage streetcars, one of which is presently undergoing restoration. SDVT and San Diego Electric Railway Association (d.b.a. San Diego Electric Railway and known as SDERA) have an agreement to work together towards a goal of bring Presidents Class Car (PCC) streetcars to downtown San Diego. SDERA members have volunteered to work on the three cars currently under restoration at the MTS yard and are learning valuable skills to help us restore some of our own equipment. SDVT is planning to run the refurbished cars on in the "Centre City Loop" as the Silver Line in time for August 2008’s American Public Transit Association’s meeting in San Diego.

The cars selected were previously owned by San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) and sold to a gentleman in Lake Tahoe for possible use in a heritage trolley effort in Tahoe or Sacramento. Harry Mathis, former San Diego City Councilman and now Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), and  Andy Goddard, Jr., from San Diego Trolley, arranged for initial funding, sale, and transport of these Presidents' Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars to the San Diego Trolley yard in December 2005. While the cars sat nearly 15 years exposed to the Lake Tahoe climate, Mathis and the rest of the SDVT team feel that the cars can be successfully restored and run along with the Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) in the downtown loop.

San Diego Vintage Trolley volunteers normally meet Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other Saturday at the MTS Yard - A Building (downtown San Diego - near Petco Park). As a reminder, the facility is restricted to SDVT Members and Employees of San Diego Trolley. Please contact Dave Slater - - (619) 222-5442 - for information on getting access to the facility.

Upcoming Saturday Work Party Dates

Jan 12 & 26, Feb 9 & 23, and Mar 8 & 22.