58-525: The River Street Streetcar was a heritage streetcar line in Savannah, Georgia , United States. It began regular operation on February 11, 2009, and shuttled between six stops along River Street , next to the Savannah River . In or around 2015, service was quietly discontinued, with no official notice at the time. The maintenance and storage tent on the west side of the line was removed along with
116-578: A hybrid drive for an additional $ 100,000. Hence it is a form of diesel railcar . The streetcar was nicknamed "Dottie'" — a reference to the Savannah DOT that completed the project. The service was introduced during the Climate Action Parade on December 9, 2008. Additional free rides were provided for a day on December 13, 2008. Regular operations started on February 11, 2009. In 2015, the streetcar operated for only nine days before
174-433: A class entitled "Applied History", in which his students have contributed over 20,000 hours of service to various public history institutions. Formal education can help visitors interpret what they see at living history sites. By providing a structured way of looking at living histories, as well as questions to think about during visits, formal education can enrich the experience, just as living histories can enrich learning in
232-628: A dedication to education within their mission statements. For instance, the motto of Colonial Williamsburg , "That the Future May Learn from the Past", proclaims the site's commitment to public edification, as does the portion of the website created for the sole purpose of aiding teachers in instruction on the village. Certain educators, such as James Percoco in his Springfield, Virginia , high school class, have chosen to integrate public history into their curricula. Since 1991, Percoco has led
290-463: A few vintage trams, buses and trolleybuses. Trams are in service on certain summer weekends. Otherwise, they are operated less regularly, mostly on certain occasions. For about a one-month period near Christmas, each city operates light trams (trams that are decorated with LED strips and/or Christmas decoration). These trams operate on various lines around the cities in the late afternoons, evenings, and can be used by normal (seasonal) tickets usually. At
348-820: A heritage tramway because of its continued use of vintage or, since 2015, faux-vintage tramcars. A heritage tramway was opened in Iquique in 2004. A heritage tramway was opened in Lima in 1997. The first heritage tramway in Latin America opened in Montevideo in 1967, using a restored vintage tram on a reopened section of former tram line. It closed in 1974. Heritage trams operate in Changchun , Jilin and Dalian , Liaoning . The Hong Kong Tramways and Peak Tram on Hong Kong Island are considered part of
406-430: A jumping-off point for conversation. "Interpreters" are the individuals who embody historical figures at living history sites. It is their responsibility to take the historical research that has been done on the sites and decide what meaning it has. These meanings are often a melding of fact and folklore . Folklore is an important aspect of living histories because it provides stories which visitors relate to. Whether it
464-442: A known historical event for educational purposes, through representations with theatrical elements, to competitive events for purposes of entertainment. The line between amateur and professional presentations at living history museums can be blurred, as is the distinction between live action role-playing games . While professional living history presentations routinely use museum professionals and trained interpreters to help convey
522-486: A mechanical problem on January 16, 2015, caused service to be suspended. This was the last of several long-term shutdowns for maintenance, ultimately leading to an indefinite cessation of service and its replacement by trolley-replica buses . No formal declaration of abandonment was ever published and the Chatham Area Transit website quietly removed all references to the streetcar sometime in 2015. The car
580-669: A part of the living history of rail transport. The vehicles are called streetcars or trolleys in North America and trams or tramcars elsewhere. The first two terms are often used interchangeably in the United States, with trolley being preferred in the eastern US and streetcar in Canada and the western US. In parts of the United States, internally powered buses made to resemble a streetcar are often referred to as "trolleys". To avoid further confusion with trolley buses ,
638-888: A part on the once SNCB line 109 after regauging to 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge . In Sofia there are operating heritage trams. In Prague the Prague Integrated Transport operates Historical Tram Line No. 41 at weekends using historical tram vehicles and a week-long operating Nostalgic Tram Line No. 23 using old PCC based ČKD Tatra T3 tram vehicles. Historical trams are also seasonally operated in Brno . In Tallinn there are renovated retrotrams in public use since 2017. In Helsinki , Oy Stadin Ratikat Ab offers charter tramrides with vintage cars and in summer months operates an in-street heritage tram line on
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#1732787284871696-884: A proposal for a heritage tram in colonial San Telmo is under discussion. Buenos Aires also hosts the La Brugeoise cars , the Buenos Aires Metro ( Subte ) Line A rolling stock , since its inauguration in 1913. They were built by Belgian railway rolling stock manufacturer La Brugeoise, et Nicaise, et Delcuve between 1911 and 1919 for the Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company's ( Compañía de Tranvías Anglo-Argentina , CTAA in Spanish) first metro line. They were originally designed to run both as metro and tramway cars, but they were refurbished in 1927 for underground use only. They are
754-404: A sense of a way of life, than in recreating exact events, accurate in every detail. Many factors contribute to creating a setting in which visitors to living history sites can become active participants in their historical education. Two of the most important are the material culture and the interpreters. Material culture both grounds the audience in the time and place being portrayed, and provides
812-500: A sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is similar to, and sometimes incorporates, historical reenactment . Living history is an educational medium used by living history museums , historic sites , heritage interpreters , schools and historical reenactment groups to educate the public or their own members in particular areas of history, such as clothing styles, pastimes and handicrafts, or to simply convey
870-424: A sense of the everyday life of a certain period in history. Living history's approach to gain authenticity is less about replaying a certain event according to a planned script as in other reenactment fields. It is more about an immersion of players in a certain era , to catch, in the sense of Walter Benjamin the "spiritual message expressed in every monument's and every site's own 'trace' and 'aura ' ", even in
928-608: A separate area for combat reenactment activities. While some such exhibits may be conducted in character as a representation of typical everyday life, others are specifically organized to inform the public and so might include an emphasis on handicrafts or other day-to-day activities, which are convenient to stage and interesting to watch, and may be explained out of character. During the 1990s, reenactment groups, primarily American Civil War groups, began to show interest in this style of interpretation and began using it at their reenactments. As David Thelen has written, many Americans use
986-452: A system in Lowell, Massachusetts . In San Francisco , parts of the cable car and Muni streetcar system (specifically the above-mentioned F Market & Wharves line) are heritage lines, although they are also functioning parts of the city's transit system. The cable cars are a National Historic Landmark and are rare examples of vehicles with this distinction. Located east of San Francisco
1044-406: A type of experiential learning in which they make discoveries firsthand, rather than reading about the experience of others. Living history can also be used to supplement and extend formal education. Collaborations between professional historians who work at living history sites and teachers can lead to greater enthusiasm about studying history at all grade levels. Many living history sites profess
1102-521: Is also one vintage tram line - Tram Line 1956 - operating yearly in late October as a memorial for the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 , it can be used with normal (seasonal) tickets. In Debrecen there are also a few vintage trams. They are operated less regularly, mostly on certain occasions. In Miskolc there are also a few vintage trams and buses. They are operated less regularly, mostly on certain occasions. In Szeged there are also
1160-461: Is an interpreter embodying a past individual's personal story or discussing a superstition of the time, these accounts allow the audience to see these past figures not as names on a page, but as actual people. However, folklore is also more than stories. Objects, such as dolls or handmade clothing among others, are considered "folk artifacts", which are grouped under the heading of "material culture". Individuals can participate in living histories as
1218-483: Is being extended, and additional trams have been added. Belém : A heritage tramway was opened in the city of Belém in 2005. Campinas : A heritage tramway has been in operation at Campinas's Parque Portugal since 1972. Rio de Janeiro : The Santa Teresa Tramway , which has operated in the Santa Teresa district of Rio de Janeiro since the 19th century, is not primarily a tourist line but can be considered
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#17327872848711276-574: Is currently stored at the Georgia State Railroad Museum . As of 2017, the discontinuation of the streetcar has been addressed on the Savannah DOT website. "You may have noticed that dottie – the River Street Streetcar – is absent from our website. Early in 2016 we had to make a tough decision to suspend the streetcar operation for the remainder of the year. This decision was made in coordination with staff at
1334-620: Is one of several museums in the U.S. that restore and operate vintage streetcars and interurbans , the Western Railway Museum . The Fort Collins Municipal Railway operates Birney Safety Cars on a restored track that runs from City Park to Old Town in Fort Collins , Colorado. In Buenos Aires , a heritage tram line was inaugurated In 1980 in the Caballito neighbourhood on existing vintage street tracks. Presently
1392-653: Is usually associated with living history and renaissance fairs and festivals, which are found in many cities. One such example is the Peter and Paul festival in Bretten . the Landshut Wedding or the Schloss Kaltenberg knights tournament. The majority of combat reenactment groups are battlefield reenactment groups, some of which have become isolated due to a strong focus on authenticity. Events with
1450-809: The Age of Mechanical Reproduction . An early example of the spiritual and futuristic side of living history can be found in Guido von List 's book Der Wiederaufbau von Carnuntum (1900), which suggested rebuilding the Roman Carnuntum military camp in Vienna's neighborhood as a sort of amusement park (compare Westworld ). List, himself a right-wing neopagan, asked his staff of landlords, waiters and rangers to be dressed in historical gear. He also asked to have any visitors re-dressed in costumes and described rituals to signify "in-game" and "out-game" status to enhance
1508-565: The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) refers to them as " trolley-replica buses ". Museums, heritage tram line operators, and amateur enthusiasts can preserve original vintage vehicles or create replicas of historic vehicles to re-create or preserve streetcar technology of the past. Heritage vehicles that are kept fully functional can be used on heritage tramlines or for charter traffic. The Remise Museum in Vienna, opened in 2014, covers
1566-677: The Blue or Orange Lines) or a modern light rail line (like the Green Line ). It is also unique in that it used almost exclusively by commuters and is not particularly popular with tourists (and thus may not really be a true heritage system, despite the historic rolling stock). Dallas has the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority . Denver has the Platte Valley Trolley , a heritage line recalling
1624-909: The Helsinki tram network. In France, the Deûle Valley tramway near Lille which runs along a 3 km (1.9 mi) track from Marquette-lez-Lille to Wambrechies features several tram vehicles dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Woltersdorf Tramway located in Woltersdorf, Brandenburg , near Berlin, Germany. Open in 1913 tramway, It is one of the smallest tram operators in Germany, Other heritage Trams in Naumburg also open in 1907 located in Naumburg . Stuttgart classic tram Maschinenfabrik Esslingen GT4 . In Hungary all of
1682-534: The heritage of Hong Kong. The Nagasaki Electric Tramway and Hiroshima Electric Railway both regularly operate vintage trams alongside modern rolling stock. Additionally, the Hakodate City Tram operates vintage trams for use on tourist runs during the summer. Living history Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants
1740-553: The historical period portrayed, these might include spinning , sewing , loom weaving , tablet weaving , inkle weaving or tapestry weaving, cloth dyeing , basket weaving , rope making, leather-working , shoemaking , metalworking , glassblowing , woodworking or other crafts. Considerable research is often applied to identifying authentic techniques and often recreating replica tools and equipment. Historical reenactment groups often attempt to organize such displays in an encampment or display area at an event, and have
1798-517: The Asian side. The former opened in 1990 between Tünel (funicular station) and Taksim metro station , and the latter in 2003 in the suburb of Kadıköy . A heritage tram line opened in 2003 in the city of Antalya serving the Antalya Museum , the historic city centre, Hadrian's Gate , and ending at the eastern end of Işıklar Road. Another one opened in 2011 in the city of Bursa . In
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1856-598: The City of Savannah who assist with funding and logistics. The planned construction on the West end of River Street will soon interfere with the streetcar track and facility. We examined several alternatives, but eventually concluded that a temporary suspension of the service was the only viable choice. We look forward to a time when we can announce that streetcar service on River Street will resume." The streetcar operated Thursday through Sunday from noon to 9:00 pm. From west to east
1914-543: The River Street Branch line right-of-way from Norfolk Southern in 2004 for approximately $ 600,000. The streetcar ran along abandoned railroad tracks set in cobblestones on River Street east and west of City Hall . To provide streetcar service a 1930s-era W5-class streetcar (#756), originally from Melbourne , Australia , was purchased by the city for about $ 207,000 and converted to power its motors with an onboard biodiesel -fueled generator and batteries as
1972-457: The Tibidabo tramway, has been in operation since 1904 but still uses trams built in 1904–15, and thus has become a heritage line. Similarly, the tramway connecting Sóller with Puerto de Sóller , on the island of Mallorca , is operated with vintage trams and has been open since 1913. Therefore, it is a heritage line. In Malmö , a technical museum operates an in-street heritage tram line in
2030-796: The United Kingdom the majority of tram lines were lifted before the heritage movement began to flourish, and tracks and trams scrapped. Although trams are returning to British cities, they are modern transportation systems (also known as light rail ), not heritage operations. There are, however, three notable heritage tram operations in the UK and Crown dependencies. (There is also a modern " Heritage Tramway " [1] in Birkenhead , Merseyside .) The San Francisco Municipal Railway , or Muni, runs exclusively historic trolleys on its heavily used F Market & Wharves line. The line serves Market Street and
2088-902: The city center. In Innsbruck the city's trams are collected and renovated – together with other Tyrolean railway vehicles – by the association Tiroler MuseumsBahnen which has its museum in the old station of the Stubaitalbahn . In Amsterdam the Electrisch Museumtramlijn operates historic trams over a 7 km (4.3 mi) length of former railway line. The tram networks of The Hague and Rotterdam have also their tram museums. The association Tramweg Stichting maintains and operates in every three cities its own vehicles, partly as collection of these museums. In Belgium there are three tram museums, one in Brussels – organizing several weekend rides to Tervueren and around
2146-515: The city – and other in Antwerp . The 70-kilometre long (43 mi) Kusttram (the coastal line between Knokke and De Panne via Ostend ) features also some vehicles of the once extensive interurban network stored in the depot of De Panne and Knokke operated by TTO. ASVi run a museum in Thuin and an 8 km (5 mi) line with electric and diesel cars on a part of the once SNCV line 92 and on
2204-412: The city, such as on Fahm Street. Heritage streetcar Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a part of the efforts to preserve rail transit heritage. In addition to preserving street-running rail vehicles, heritage streetcar operations can include upkeep of historic rail infrastructure. Working heritage streetcars are closely related to the growing global heritage railway movement and form
2262-499: The coaches had already been preserved for touristic purposes, and now the rest of the fleet is under careful restoration and is intended to render service on weekends and holidays. Santos : After briefly operating a short heritage line along Embaré Beach in the mid-1980s, the city of Santos in 2000 opened a new heritage tramway in the historic Valongo district, using a car built in 1911 with a peculiar rail gauge of 1,350 mm ( 4 ft 5 + 5 ⁄ 32 in ). The line
2320-974: The dispute in 2009. On the other hand, Communist Eastern Germans had problems with accepting "Indianistic" living history reenactors, a widespread variety in Eastern Germany that were closely monitored by security forces. That sort of "second-hand" living history is also part of western German folklore and attempts a high level of authenticity. Activities may be confined to wearing period dress and explaining relevant historical information, either in role (also called first-person interpretation ) or out of character (also called third-person interpretation ). While many museums allow their staff to move in and out of character to better answer visitor questions, some encourage their staff to stay in role at all times. Living history portrayal often involves demonstrating everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, medical care, or particular skills and handicrafts . Depending on
2378-711: The everyday life or military activity to the viewing public. More common are craft and cooking demonstrations, song and leisure activities, and lectures. Combat training or duels can also be encountered even when larger combat demonstrations are not present. In the United States, on the National Park Service land, NPS policy "does not allow for battle reenactments (simulated combat with opposing lines and casualties) on NPS property." There are exceptions, such as Saylors Creek, Gettysburg . These are highly controlled with exacting safety standards, as well as exacting historical truths. In Germany , medieval reenactment
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2436-501: The former Vasileostrovsky tram depot , which closed in the 1990s after the city's extensive tram network was cut down due to increasing automobile traffic, was converted into the Museum of Electrical Transport . Apart from excursions to itself, the museum organizes museum fleet rides along downtown tracks (including some now otherwise unused for regular tram service) on a number of public festivals and some summer weekends. A heritage tram of
2494-778: The four tram systems ( Budapest , Debrecen , Miskolc , Szeged ) have operating heritage trams. In Budapest heritage trams first operated in 1987. Its fleet contains quite a few vehicles (trams, buses, trolleybuses, even metrocars) from the late 19th century until recent years and there are many more waiting to be repaired. Heritage services are mainly operated from April/May to September/October on weekends. There are both heritage and retro lines. The retro lines can be used with normal (seasonal) tickets, however, on heritage lines other, heritage (seasonal) tickets are needed. In 2019 there are two heritage tram lines. one retro tram line, one heritage bus line and one retro bus line operated regularly. Occasionally there are other lines in operation. There
2552-493: The history of public transport in the city of Vienna and offers an extensive tram collection to visitors. The Styrian municipality centre Graz has a tram museum since 1971 located in the depot of Mariatrost. Another heritage tram is operating in Styria between the railway station of Mariazell and the nearby Erlaufsee, mainly with Ex-Vienna streetcars. This line was recently electrified on longer sections and also extended towards
2610-410: The immersion experience. E.g. the role of the garment is of interest till today. The term "living history" describes the performance of bringing history to life for the general public in a rather freewheeling manner. The players are less confined in their actions, but often have to stay at a certain place or building. Historical presentation includes a continuum from well-researched attempts to recreate
2668-602: The nearby metropolis of Milan , the continued, extensive use of the "Series 1500 tram" is an example of a heritage tramway which blends into everyday urban life to the extent that it is not regarded as one. In Bergen the Bergens Elektriske Sporvei has operated a short heritage tramway since 1993. In Oslo the Tramway Museum operates veteran trams on the tram network of Oslo on the first Sunday of every month. Heritage trams provide all of
2726-437: The oldest metro rolling stock in commercial service in the world as well as a tourist attraction and part of Buenos Aires cultural heritage. The A line also contains a vintage station, Perú . They have been in continuous use for a whole century from 1913 to January 2013 when they were replaced by new coaches, with an average of about 300,000 daily passengers, up from the 170,000 who traveled on them on their first day. Some of
2784-468: The open-sided streetcars of the early 20th century. The VTA in San Jose, California , also maintains a heritage trolley fleet for occasional use on the downtown portion of a new light rail system opened in 1988. Other cities with heritage streetcar lines include Galveston, Texas ; Kenosha, Wisconsin ; and San Pedro, California (home of the port of Los Angeles ). The National Park Service operates
2842-422: The past in their daily lives, while simultaneously viewing the place where they often encounter history – the school – with varying levels of distrust and disconnectedness. Living history can be a tool used to bridge the gap between school and daily life to educate people on historical topics. Living history is not solely an objective retelling of historical facts. Its importance lies more in presenting visitors with
2900-452: The professional reenactment group Ulfhednar lead to a controversy in German archaeology. The German Polish living history group was supported by large museums and scholars, and since 2000 has largely coined the image of early history in Germany and worldwide. Among others, a paper with the programmatic title Under the crocheted Swastika, Germanic Living History and rightwing affects started
2958-533: The same time each of these cities, except Miskolc, light trolleybuses are operated in the same way as trams. Turin operates the historical route 7, a double way circular route around the town centre. Turin is the first town in Italy with tramway lines powered by historical streetcars. The inauguration of the heritage tramway line was during the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of national unity, in March 2011. In
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#17327872848713016-762: The service on some of the Lisbon tramway network in Portugal , and in Porto a long-closed section of tramway in the historic Batalha section of the town center was reopened in 2007 for use by historic trams. There are now three such heritage routes in Porto, as well as a tram museum . In Sintra , there is a seasonally operated heritage tramway. STB in Bucharest maintains an extensive fleet of heritage trams on its tram system . In Saint Petersburg on Vasilyevsky Island
3074-573: The station stops along the line were: In the spring of 2009 it was hoped that the operating schedule would be expanded to six days a week and operating hours will be extended hours to 10:00 pm each day. The River Street Line may be extended to the city's Georgia State Railroad Museum and Visitor Center, provided that Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard could have new streetcar tracks laid along it. Other new lines have been planned, which most likely will run on abandoned railroad tracks throughout
3132-454: The story of history to the public, some museums and historic sites employ living history groups with high standards of authenticity for the same role at special events. Such events do not necessarily include a mock battle but aim at portraying the life, and more importantly the lifestyle, of people of the period. This often includes both military and civilian impressions. Occasionally, storytelling or acting sketches take place to involve or explain
3190-650: The streetcar vehicle itself. It is now being stored at the Georgia State Railroad Museum in the roundhouse. The first horsecars began operation in Savannah in 1869. Electric streetcars started operation in 1890 but were discontinued on August 26, 1946. The Norfolk Southern Railway had owned the River Street branch line for years, operating the River Street Rambler , which was a local freight train, until 2003. The city of Savannah purchased
3248-639: The summer months. In Stockholm , a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) section of former route 7 was reopened in 1991 as a heritage tramway , using vintage cars. There is another tram museum in Malmköping. Museispårvägen Malmköping runs along a short stretch of the former m|s|j between Malmköping and Hosjö. Two separate heritage tramways operate in Istanbul ; T2 on the European side of the Bosporus and T3 on
3306-520: The tourist areas along the Embarcadero, including Fisherman's Wharf . Boston's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority runs exclusively PCC streetcars on its Mattapan Line , part of that authority's Red Line . The historic rolling stock is retained because doing so cost less than would a full rebuild of the line to accommodate either a heavy rail line (like the rest of the Red Line or
3364-595: The type that used to run from the inner city nearly to the nearby front line during the World War II siege of the city is installed as a war and tram memorial, not far from Avtovo metro station. A modern replica of a late-19th-century horsecar stands in front of Vasileostrovskaya metro station. In Spain, a new heritage tramway was opened in A Coruña (La Coruña) in 1997. However, since 2011 it has been out of order. Tramvia Blau in Barcelona , also known as
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