The OPT Story

Electric streetcars began operating in Tucson on June 1, 1906, as a replacement for horse-and-mule-drawn streetcars and for the next 24 years they transported Tucsonans through bustling shopping and residential areas. By 1930, urban growth expanded beyond the University of Arizona and outpaced the ability of streetcars to provide adequate service, so at midnight, December 31, 1930, rail streetcar operation in Tucson ended for good... at least until Old Pueblo Trolley came along.

As part of the 1985 University of Arizona Centennial celebration, a group was founded in early 1983 to “bring back the trolley.” The dedicated efforts of this small group of people evolved into Old Pueblo Trolley, a nonprofit operating transit museum dedicated to education and the preservation of public transportation history in Tucson and southern Arizona.

Momentum continued in 1985 when the new organization was granted a 10-year lease by the Orange Empire (now Southern California) Railway Museum to run one of its streetcars — but it had to be restored first. Volunteers used the restoration opportunity to promote their next goal: a streetcar line to run it on.

Old Pueblo Trolley's main focus for many years was the operation of historic streetcars from the Fourth Avenue Business District to the Main Gate of the University of Arizona on weekends. After years of investigation and planning, construction work began in the early 1990s, once again all done by volunteers in their free time. Another streetcar was purchased all the way from Japan, arriving just in time for the line’s grand opening. Kicking off with great fanfare in April 1993, the trolleys became a quirky part of Tucson character.

With the success of the volunteer-run heritage streetcar line, Old Pueblo Trolley expanded its horizons in the 1990s. In addition to streetcars, the organization was now accumulating a variety of historic buses. The volunteers took what they learned from restoring #10 and #869 and began applying it to restoring and preserving buses from Tucson and the surrounding region. Major restorations include Warren-Bisbee #8 and the ongoing Tucson Rapid Transit #50.

One of OPT’s biggest accomplishments was the creation of the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum opened on March 20, 2005. This branch of OPT was founded to provide visitors with a look at railroading in southern Arizona and its impact on Tucson. The museum also displays, maintains, and continues to improve the condition of retired Southern Pacific Locomotive #1673, mogul M-4 class locomotive. The museum is free of charge and hosts groups of all age.

One chapter of the OPT story came to an end in 2011 when its 4th Ave./University Blvd. right-of-way was needed for the city of Tucson’s new electric streetcar, now Sun Link. OPT had proven the viability and potential for an expanded streetcar network as part of the city’s public transportation network. There are still traces of the old OPT streetcars preserved in plain sight along 4th Ave. and University Blvd. if you know where to look. Will OPT’s fleet of heritage streetcars ever run on rails again? Only time will tell.

In 2016, thanks to the generous contributions of volunteers Art Jones and Joe Brogan, OPT acquired a warehouse at the NW intersection of 36th St. & 4th Ave. in South Tucson. In its past, the building had been an indoor soccer field, boxing arena, and — most recently — a furniture and carpentry shop. It was the perfect place to relocate the collection and a better place to display and restore it. Slowly, the all-volunteer crew transferred dozens of trailers, boxcars, buses, and streetcars to the new location.

These days, OPT is more than just trolleys, as you can see in our collection. Our goals include preserving southern Arizona’s transit heritage, publishing and displaying historical research, and supporting modern-day efforts to expand public transportation.

It's the work of volunteers and the financial support of members that make all this happen. To find out how you can volunteer, please read about the opportunities we offer — we need volunteers of all types. If you can help us financially, please join us as a member and see how your membership contributes to our education and preservation efforts.