User:Camerafiend/Streetcars in Albuquerque

History
The streetcar system had its origins around 1880, when the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached Albuquerque. The railroad established its depot about 1.5 mi from the existing town (now Old Town), which led to the creation of a separate "New Town" near the depot. Not long afterward, a horse-drawn streetcar line was established to provide transportation between the two communities, running from the Santa Fe depot at First Street and Railroad (now Central) Avenue to Old Town Plaza. As New Town continued to grow, the Albuquerque Traction Company was organized in 1903 to replace the antiquated horse car line with a modern electric system. The new electric streetcar went into operation in 1904, extending the line to Barelas that same year. In order to attract more riders, the streetcar company developed Traction Park in Old Town, which hosted horse racing and baseball as well as the Territorial Fair. In 1905, it was reported that 60,000 people rode the streetcar during the week of the fair.

In 1906, a line was built to the American Lumber Company sawmill, which was the city's largest employer at the time. Four years later, a rival company called the Citizens' Traction and Power Company started building its own streetcar line, which was to run from 5th and Gold through the Huning Highlands neighborhood. Before the line could be completed, the company was bought out by Albuquerque Traction in December 1910. The line went into service in February, 1911, and was enthusiastically greeted by local residents. The Albuquerque Journal reported that "The completion of the Highland Line is one of the biggest events to be recorded in the development of Albuquerque in a long time. Only the people who have cause to walk up and down 'the hill' several times a day can really appreciate what the new extension means." The company's six cars carried a reported 700,000 passengers annually by 1913.

Despite the respectable passenger numbers, Albuquerque Traction had trouble turning a profit and ended up going into receivership in 1915. Later the same year, the car barn and four of the six streetcars were destroyed in a fire, severely disrupting operations. In October, the company was reorganized as the City Electric Company, with George Roslington as president. The company ordered seven new cars and inaugurated more frequent service between Old Town and the Highlands, with cars every ten minutes. In 1916, the University Line became the city's last new streetcar line, running along Central Avenue to the University of New Mexico. City Electric prospered initially, boosted by an influx of soldiers due to World War I. During the war, streetcar driving duties were taken over by female "motorettes" as there were not enough men available to fill the positions. When the war ended, the motorettes successfully lobbied to keep their jobs, and the streetcars were driven by women for the remainder of their existence.

In the 1920s, many cities around the country started phasing out their streetcar systems in favor of buses. City leaders in Albuquerque, including Chairman of the City Commission Clyde Tingley, similarly believed that the "dilapidated" streetcars were hindering the city's growth. At the same time, the city was undertaking a major paving project and demanded that City Electric pay about $33,000 to cover the cost of paving between its streetcar rails. The New Mexico Supreme Court sided with the city, forcing the streetcar company back into receivership in 1927 as it was unable to meet the financial obligation. The last day of operation for the streetcars was December 31, 1927, with three of the cars making a ceremonial final run at midnight. The next day the Albuquerque Bus Company began operation at 6:30 am.

Lines
All lines originated downtown at the Santa Fe depot.
 * Old Town Line (1904)—Old Town Plaza via Central Ave.
 * Barelas Line (1904) —Barelas via 2nd St., Coal Ave., and 3rd St.
 * Lumber Mill Line (1906) —Sawmill via 2nd St., Lomas Blvd., and 12th St.
 * Highland Line (1911) —Huning Highlands via 1st St., Tijeras Ave., Broadway Blvd., Central Ave. and Edith Blvd.
 * University Line (1916) —University of New Mexico via 1st St., Tijeras Ave., Broadway Blvd., and Central Ave.