Spring means that it is once again time for my annual trip to Dallas and after my failed attempt to use the Denton A-Train in 2024, I set a much more modest goal of riding the Dallas Streetcar between Union Station and the Bishop Arts District. This service has been operating since 2015, but I had yet to ever ride it despite having been in close proximity to the northern terminus on several occasions. In addition to the streetcar I caught quite a bit of freight action on the adjacent Dallas Subdivision as well as that day's southbound Texas Eagle arrival.
As usual I caught DART in from Dallas Love Field with Super LRV #225 at the Love Field transfer station and a wrapped #192 at Pearl Arts District. Despite being in the South, Dallas has no fewer than 3 arts and entertainment districts.
Later arriving at Dallas Union Station I was in time to catch an eastbound BNSF manifest freight with C44-9W #4360 leading and ES44C4 #7125 behind.
This aligned with the arrival of an eastbound 3-car TRE train from Fort Worth with Bomber cab car #1004 leading and F59PH #124 on the rear. This train pulled in on track #3, next to F59PHI #569 which was already tied down on track #4.
Before I could leave for the streetcar, a westbound Union Pacific intermodal train featuring 5 road units up front including SD70ACe #8910, C44ACMs #6923 and #6542, ES44AC #2538 and AC4400 #6145.
The line runs for about 2.5 miles, crossing the Houston St viaduct and then down Zang Blvd to Davis St where the Bishop Arts District station is located. One motivation for the line was the historic connection connection between the district and streetcars serving downtown.
The Brookville streetcars are pretty typical low-floor vehicles slightly raised ends.
Ridership seemed light as the current streetcar line does not currently go all the way downtown and requires about a half block walk at Union Station to connect with DART and TRE. Future plans call for a downtown extension that connects with the M-Line heritage streetcar.
The Houston Street viaduct features a single running track used in both directions and views of the eastern approach to Union Station. In the 1980's the Reunion Center was built adjacent to the viaduct with a parking lot between it and the Jefferson Blcd viaduct. Although the arena was demolished in 2008, the parking structure still stands for the benefit of skateboarders.
Due to the practicalities involved with fitting the pre-war Houston Street Viaduct with trolley wire, the streetcars were equipped with a battery for off-wire travel with the pantographs raised/lowered on either side of the bridge. Here we see streetcar #301 passing by on the viaduct with no proverbial strings to hold it up.
Here is a video compilation of the Dallas streetcar as it crosses the Houston St viaduct including examples of the exceedingly bumpy ride.
While watching out for the Dallas Streetcar a westbound Union Pacific manifest freight passed below on the Dallas sub in front of the preserved TOWER 107 with ES44AC #8096 and AC4400 #6163 leading and ES44AC #7930 in the DPU position.
Adding an additional mode to the TOWER 107 party, a Stella Rosa wine wrapped DART LRV #206 heads outbound on a Red Line routing.
After getting lunch I was passing back through Union Station where I caught yet another westbound intermodal train with ES44AC #7501 leading, AC4400 #6365 behind and SD70MAC #4318 in the third position.
A new TRE train with cab car #1005 had also shown up on Union Station track #3.
I had made a point to catch westbound Amtrak Texas Eagle Train 21, which arrived with P42DC's #68 and #56.
The DART Red/Blue trunk is notorious for strange mid-day service gaps so while walking to West End to catch a Green/Orange train, I spotted LRV #227 at JFK JCT.
Although 2024 had been my year to ride the McKinney Ave Transit Authority, the weather was so nice I decided to hit them up again. Here I am passing car #7169, a former Brussels PCC.
I was on ex-Dallas car #754, seen here looking fabulous at the Cityplace turntable.
My final Dallas photo is of DART LRV #179 at Pearl Arts District.
I'll wrap up this set with some random MARC pics of MP36PH-3C #33 and cab car #8050 at Dorsey.
Check back next time as I all the way to Atlanta on Amtrak's Crescent.
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