The Delmar Loop Trolley in St. Louis ran in its namesake neighborhood for 235 service days in late 2018 and 2019. Now the “trolley”—two cars operating with pantographs instead of trolley poles, despite their appearance as replicas of historic cars from the early 1900s—is expected back on Delmar and DeBaliviere Boulevards as early as this June for a return engagement; probably a limited one.
St. Louis’s ill-fated Loop Trolley rolled along Delmar Boulevard for the last time on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019. It died in infancy, at the chronological age of 13 months and 14 days, but an actual service life of only 235 days. While it is difficult to determine the actual cause of death, it appears that the little streetcar that couldn’t never had a chance. It was an unwanted child whose birth was delayed for years, and who suffered from neglect, ill health, destitution and just plan bad luck during its pitifully short life. Ironically, the line may still get another chance to live, if circumstances allow that.
