Issaquah Valley Trolley is Going for a Ride

The Issaquah Valley Trolley (IVT) car #519 is headed to Iowa today, March 12, but it will be back and ready for action this fall.

The trolley is being transported to the Gomaco Trolley Company of Ida Grove, Iowa, to be rebuilt for service in Issaquah. If all goes according to schedule, the trolley will return in September.

Built in 1925, the car originally ran in Lisbon, Portugal. After several years of storage in Colorado, it was acquired by the Issaquah History Museums in 2003.

“We are so excited to see the project moving forward,” said Barbara Justice, IVT volunteer and streetcar operator. “More than 6,000 riders came aboard in 2001 when we operated using a car leased from the Yakima Valley Trolley. We can’t wait to start up again – this time using our own streetcar.”

In the first phase of the trolley project, Coast Rail, Inc., of Lakebay, WA reconditioned the track from the historic to the East Fork of Issaquah Creek. If funds permit after the car is rehabilitated, track work will be completed to Gilman Blvd.

The Issaquah Valley trolley is a project of the Issaquah History Museums. In its run from the historic Issaquah Depot, the trolley will help carry out the museums’ mission of interpreting the history of the area. Riders will experience what it was like to come into town by rail as the conductor shares stories about Issaquah’s past.

Visitors who ride the trolley will be encouraged to visit the Depot Museum, the Gilman Town Hall Museum, the Visitors Center, stores, restaurants, parks and trails in the downtown area and Gilman Village. The trolley will operate on weekends and during events such as ArtWalk and various holiday celebrations.

The Issaquah Valley Trolley is an all-volunteer operation. Help is needed in all areas – streetcar operators, conductors, mechanics, volunteer coordinators, website managers, fund raisers, event planners and more. To get involved, contact trolley@issaquahhistory.org or 425-391-8186.

The trolley car and track rehabilitation are funded by federal transportation grants and other grants and funds raised by Issaquah Valley Trolley volunteers. Total budget for the project is $744,700. The City of Issaquah is being compensated to serve as manager and Certifying Acceptance Agency for the project.

--Information from the Issaquah History Museums