History of FCMR Car 25

The Fort Collins Municipal Railway (FCMR) owned nine single-truck Birney Safety cars between 1919 and 1951. The initial four, cars 20-23, were purchased new from the American Car Co. in 1919. Car 24 came from the National Car Co. in 1920 but was scrapped by 1930. Cars 25 and 26 came used from Cheyenne, WY in 1925 after operated in the Wyoming capital for only a few years. The last two cars to arrive, second 24 and second 25, arrived in 1946.

This is a brief history of FCMR second car 25. For more about FCMR streetcars, see our: FCMR History pages.

FCMR second cars 24 and 25 were produces of Brill and similar to FCMR cars from American Car Co., the most-noticeable differences being the high-back leather bucket seats, wider doors that open inward, and 2 feet longer than other cars.

All remaining FCMR Birneys were sold after the system shut down except Car 21. Second Car 25 was purchased by Jim Stitzel for less than $500 and moved to his family’s second home in Victor, CO. It remained outside their home, which was formerly a railroad depot, until sold to SCANA Corporation of South Carolina in the early 1990s for approximately $14,000. SCANA cosmetically restored the car as their Charleston Car 407 for the 150th anniversary as a South Carolina utility. After the celebration, the car remained in storage in Columbia, South Carolina until 1997.

Second Car 25 changed hands in 1997 to Charlotte Trolleys, Inc. (CTI), a volunteer-based non-profit working with the city of Charlotte to provide a heritage streetcar experience. Purchase price this time was about $127,000. CTI planned to completely restore the car as Richmond car 1520 and operate it, along with other restored streetcars of the region, on Charlotte’s expanding light-rail lines. Restoration cost was estimated at over $250,000.

The CTI mission changed in 2007 to restoring only cars that were ADA compliant. They contacted us in the hopes that we could complete the restoration. We quickly traveled to Charlotte, assessed the condition of the car and negotiated sale price and terms. Thanks to quick action by our board and generous local donors, we raised the needed $196,000 purchase price and completed the purchase in December 2007. Car is now back in the Howes St. carbarn undergoing its 5-7 year restoration.

For more about Car 25 or for information on joining our restoration team, please complete our Volunteer Application Form.

Next see: Car 25 Shop Journal, March 2009 (1MB).