Lost Washington: Trinidad Car Barn

Historic

by Kent Boese • November 13, 2009 4:30 pm

The Trinidad car barn at 15th and H Streets, NE, was once the last remaining structure in the city to have once housed a cable car power plant. According to a 1970 Washington Post article, the mechanism — which was gone long before the building was demolished in 1971 — consisted of a stationary steam engine that continuously propelled a steel cable beneath the streets for the full length of the line. This pulled the cars along at about 6 miles per hour from the car barn to the Treasury.

The structure was erected in 1895 to replace a horse-car barn that was erected when the line first opened in 1871. The cable service that replaced the horse cars on May 9, 1895, lasted only four years before being replaced by faster electric cars. The Trinidad barn was used by electric streetcars until 1942, when it was converted to a bus garage.

A few years before it was demolished by the Redevelopment Land Agency for moderate-income housing, it was abandoned by D.C. Transit and sold for $500,000 to help pay off some of D.C. Transit's debts.

More pictures below.

6 comments — Share	— tags: DC, historic losses, Trinidad

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Comments

Nice bit of history! I think the building is actually on Benning Road. H St ends at the intersection with 15th.

by Will on Nov 13, 2009 6:04 pm

This was a real shame. The building now there is ugly with a capitol ugh.

by David C on Nov 13, 2009 11:42 pm

once the streetcars are put back in, we could be hopeful and excited that a new series of streetcar barns will be built. lots of potential to showcase contemporary architecture and technology...

by dc on Nov 14, 2009 10:58 am

do you think wmata or ddot would build anything cool?
i don't. i hope i'm wrong.

but yeah,where will the street cars be housed/ serviced?

by a on Nov 14, 2009 11:51 am

There are several old barns still standing (and some still in use!)although most have gone by the wayside. The most prominent is WMATA's Northern bus division at 4615 14th Street. Others are Eastern Division (converted to housing on E Capital Street), Navy Yard (the Blue Castle on M Street SW), the Georgetown Car Barn and the Georgetown Car House (the tracks are visible entering the building) on M Street NW, Eckington Division (used by DC Government), Brookland Division, Central Division (7th & V NW--in use by Howard(?)). Some other older barns in use are WMATA's Royal Street Division in Alexandria and the Western Bus Garage. What am I missing?

by kreeggo on Nov 14, 2009 12:36 pm

kreeggo:

I think the Eckington Barn is used by the US Postal Service now. Here is a map of the system circa 1958, with car barns and return loops noted. I find it interesting that there is no service east of the Anacostia. I assume that trolley service in wards 7 and 8 was abandoned by this time.
http://www.dctrolley.org/dctrolleymap.htm

by merach on Nov 15, 2009 9:38 pm