The Texarkana Arts and Historic District’s new trolley, a 1999 Freightliner trolley bus, made its way around downtown for the first time during its unveiling on Friday. The trolley will be used for special events, historical tours, and for tour groups.

Restoration Process

Restoring the trolley took about a year to complete and cost about $25,000. According to historic district manager Brooke Stone, the process was not without its challenges. “We bought it about a year ago. We’ve had some hurdles. No one could take it for the body shop work, because it was too big or they didn’t have the space for it,” Stone said.

The trolley will be housed at the Fleet Department when not in use. Due to the trolley’s age and restoration process, it does not have a scheduled time for when it will be available for rides outside of scheduled historical tours around downtown.

Stone expressed pride in the fact that all local businesses were used to restore the trolley. “We’re just proud that we were able to use all local businesses to bring it to where it is today,” Stone said. The trolley is also intended to provide transportation for people with mobility issues, making it easier for them to explore downtown Texarkana.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.