History
Car Barn shows remnants of DC's brief foray into cable cars
At the far western end of M Street stands the massive Car Barn. Built in 1895, the Car Barn served as a depot for the streetcars until they stopped running in 1962. After changing hands a couple times, the building now serves as extra space for Georgetown University. But one feature in the building's architecture reflects its earlier use:
On the pediment of the building it still reads Capital Traction. The Capital Traction Co. was one of the earlier mass transit companies that operated in DC. It constructed the Car Barn with an intent for it to be a Union Station.
As Wikipedia describes:
Union Station was designed to serve four streetcar companies: The old Washington and Georgetown lines would use the ground floor on M Street NW while the Washington, Arlington and Falls Church and the projected Great Falls and Old Dominion were to come across the Potomac from Rosslyn entering the second and third floors respectively on steeltrestles. The Metropolitan would use the roof. In reality, the Virginia companies never used it and the Metropolitan only sparingly so. The Washington and Great Falls took over the third floor. The station opened on May 27, 1897 and contained Washington's only cable loop.That's right, for a very short while Washington, DC had cable cars. From 1890-1899, the Washington and Georgetown Railroad. Its successor, Capital Traction, ran cable cars through the city.
The old power source for the streetcars is reflected in the pediment. At each side and at the peak, there appears to be a "flying wheel" (somewhat like the Red Wings logo). But if you look closely, you can see that they are actually models of the old cable car pulley:
The Car Barn was barely opened before Capital Traction moved away from cable power to electrical power. But 116 years later, a little piece of Washington's brief flirtation with cable power remains.
Cross-posted at the Georgetown Metropolitan.
 | Topher Mathews has lived in the DC area since 1999. He created the Georgetown Metropolitan in 2008 to report on news and events for the neighborhood and to advocate for changes that will enhance its urban form and function. A native of Wilton, CT, he lives with his wife and new daughter in Georgetown.   |
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On rails, you've removed a lot of friction. Generators are getting more efficient. With a diesel-electric system and decent batteries, you could run the engine at an optimal rate and minimize noise. Add in regen braking, and you have to have a working system.
by charlie on Sep 16, 2011 12:09 pm
by Jasper on Sep 16, 2011 12:14 pm
They exist and are used in plenty of places, especially in Europe. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_multiple_unit)
Not sure if they are used in any streetcar services though. And it's not like riding an electric vehicle - way more vibration and noise.
by MLD on Sep 16, 2011 12:33 pm
The most amazing thing about the W&G is this: on Sept. 29th, 1897, a fire completely destroyed their power plant, the place that housed the machines that moved the cables that moved the streetcars. But instead of shutting down operations, the W&G managers were able to find a sufficient number of horses so that the very next day they could run all of their lines on their usual schedules, pulled by horses instead of by cable.
The W&G directors decided to electrify instead of rebuilding the cable power, which took until the summer of 1898. The Columbia Railway kept some of its cable cars running until 1899.
by thm on Sep 16, 2011 12:50 pm
I suspect in a streetcar application, you could balance the noise issue. Steady RPM (maximize for electric generation), plenty of soundproofing. And if you have batteries for the max load the engine wouldn't be straining.
I could see interior seating and visibility being heavily compromised, though.
by charlie on Sep 16, 2011 1:14 pm
by Roy on Sep 16, 2011 3:01 pm
On March 2, 1889 the District authorized every streetcar company in Washington to switch from horse power to underground cable or to electricity provided by battery or underground wire and in 1890 companies were authorized to sell stock to pay for the upgrades - provided they did not involve overhead wires.
Even then, many of the powers that be were completely unreasonable about overhead wires.
by Cassidy on Sep 16, 2011 4:16 pm
by JJJJJ on Sep 17, 2011 2:48 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Street_Streetcar
by JJJJJ on Sep 17, 2011 2:51 pm
Almost everything old is new again. A good number of U.S. cities are putting light rail back on the streets.
by R.Hoover on Sep 20, 2011 4:16 am
In 1895, W&G was merged with Rock Creek Railway to form the Capital Traction Company (CTCo). Two street cars purchased in 1898 for the conversion from cable to electric power survive: CTCo 303, displayed at the Smithsonian, and DC Transit 0522, displayed at the National Capital Trolley Museum.
by wesp on Sep 21, 2011 9:27 pm
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