Photo by Sam Nalven Ernest Workman

The last trolley run was February 17, 1948. Mayor Ray Busey rode on the last ride from the Downtown courthouse to the State Capitol. Howard Pyle was a radio announcer for KTAR in those days, and he narrated the trip live. (Pyle would go on to be Arizona governor.) Pioneer Arizonans were invited to ride the last run, and dozens turned out.

The retired trolleys were sold off to individuals, who used them as storage sheds and for “mobile homes.” A few were later found in a trailer park but were lost again when they were washed away in a spring flood from their riverbed storage yard. Car 116, which has been restored, along with the shell of another car, are all that exist today.

But that’s enough, Workman insists.

“Every major city with a light rail system has a historic venue,” Workman says. He hesitates, not needing to finish the sentence  with, “except Phoenix.”

So far, he hasn’t been able to rouse any passion at City Hall or with the folks building the light rail system or with people who promote Downtown, to incorporate the old trolleys into the system. It’s not that he hasn’t tried. He’s called. He’s sat in meetings. He’s sent information. He’s called again. “We haven’t found the right person yet,” he says, with all the optimism of a man who knows it takes but one passionate believer to move such a project forward. I liked him right away for still believing such a person actually exists. “I don’t expect to find that person at City Hall but [rather] in a foundation or a corporation,” he later adds.

In the best of all worlds, all of this would happen before December, when the new light rail system is set to begin operation. That means only a few months are left for the “right person” to catch on and get off his or her duff to do something.

Workman and his group of about 30 want only a short run for the old trolley, maybe through Margaret T. Hance Park, which adjoins their museum, or around Heritage Square with its historic buildings. Then again, maybe the trolley could run along Jackson Street, the location of the upcoming “entertainment district” Downtown, or originate at the old Railroad Station on Fourth Avenue and go out to the Capitol complex at 17th Avenue. There are tons of possibilities, he says, seeing this as a tourist attraction and a colorful addition to the Phoenix street scene.

But none of this is easy or cheap. Workman foresees a price tag of $850,000 to completely restore and make usable the old trolley so it would meet all government and safety requirements. He notes that some cities have used their old trolley bodies, adding rubber tires. When I ask the next question, I preface it with, “This might be sacrilegious, but… would you guys consider rubber tires for the Phoenix trolley?” His answer is an emphatic “no.” “It would destroy the authenticity, and we’d have to rebuild the entire trolley to make space for wheels and an engine,” he explains.

Workman keeps hoping the group’s restoration efforts will lure that special someone.  “I understand and acknowledge there [is] a raft of needs, and I’m not saying my streetcars are more important than feeding children or saving whales,” he says, “but they are an important part of Phoenix history, and I think they shouldn’t be ignored.”

And neither do I.

If that special someone is reading this column, you can contact Workman and his group at phoenixtrolley.com.