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All Aboard, Back to the Future
August 2016
By Bobbie Bagel
 A century ago, San Diego had a progressive electric railway system extending from the heart of downtown to the suburban areas of Hillcrest, Mission Hills, Normal Heights, and North Park. Developer John D. Spreckels initially created the service to bring thousands of residents and visitors to Balboa Park for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
The routes were convenient and efficient, but it was the streetcars themselves, called Class 1 cars, that were the real gems. Brightly colored and beautifully designed for comfort and safety, they served the community well for several decades. Sadly, the lines were disbanded in1939. After that, many of the original 24 cars were destroyed and sold for scrap, or repurposed for use as private homes.
Fast forward to 1996, when local preservationist and antiques dealer Christian Chaffee located the only three remaining C1 streetcar "homes" and rescued them from demolition. Since then, he has patiently spearheaded a tremendous effort to reestablish the original rail lines throughout San Diego's central neighborhoods, and to restore the cars to working order. In 2012, Chaffee and the many volunteers who make up San Diego Historic Streetcars, Inc. received a People in Preservation Award.
"At first, I was enchanted by their Arts & Crafts style," Chaffee explained. "This project became a true passion when I found out the streetcars would meet all of today's requirements to serve in public mass transportation... It is fortunate that they were made to be works of art, and are beautiful inside and out."
Just imagine stepping aboard a classic C1 streetcar on Fifth Avenue downtown and riding to Balboa Park, Chaffee's dream route. It could happen.
In addition to their charm and historic value, Chaffee notes these C1 cars are practical and functional, green and economical. In fact, once restored and adapted to ADA standards, MTS could use them. "They can operate on the same gauge track and lithium-battery electrical supply as our red trolley, and can be serviced and maintained at 12th and Imperial," MTS's main facility.
Originally built for San Diego's mild climate and topography, Chaffee said these cars "were designed for the turn radii of our streets and the inclines of our hills." Furthermore, the C1 cars "were state of the art when delivered (1912), and can be restored to be state of the art today.
"These historic streetcars are part of who we are as San Diegans," Chaffee said. "They will bring us all a sense of pride."
Learn more about these streetcars and their potential re-use by visiting sandiegohistoricstreetcars.org. Donate, volunteer, get on board. It's sure to be a wonderful ride.
Read the full interview and learn more about the San Diego Streetcars project.
Read the article in Our Heritage magazine City's Early Streetcars to be Restored! (Volume 42)
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