Texas Electric Railway

A number of years ago I was talking to my wife's grandfather. He was in his 90's already. He mentioned that he lived in Waco and rode the trolley into Dallas for work.

Map of the different Rail Companies of the time

I remember thinking it must have been a train or something, That's 100 miles one way or more. I've heard of Trollies in down town Dallas. They actually restored one of the lines. He talked about what he did in Dallas, and if he had to work late and missed the trolly back home, he would spend the night in Dallas.

Years after he passed we found The Interurban Railway Museum in Plano Texas.
There was a trolly that ran not just from Waco to Dallas but all the way upto Denison, Tx. that is close to 200 miles.

Really neat museum, evidentially there were a few railway companies. Check out the map they have hanging in the Interurban Railway Museum.

restored car at the museum

While talking to someone that worked at the museum, he mentioned that parts of the rail were in operation nearly 40 years. As cars became more and more affordable for more people. People stopped riding as much and pretty much ended the Trollies around 1948.







Funny how things come around full circle. With the increase of population in Dallas over the past years they have increases DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)

We did not plan it, but we were lucky we found the museum during business hours. We were able to walk around the inside the trolly mail car they had.

Trolly drivers controls.

Not much to the controls, I read that it could run up into the 50mph range.








If you have not been to The Interurban Railway Museum you should check it out;
http://www.interurbanrailwaymuseum.org