First vehicle for Milwaukee's streetcar system on a flatbed, headed for Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE -- The first streetcar vehicle for The Hop, Milwaukee's streetcar system, left manufacturer Brookville Equipment Corp. by flatbed truck on Friday, March 23 -- and is expected to arrive in Milwaukee early next week.

The 67-foot long, 83,000-pound streetcar vehicle will travel from the plant in Brookville, Penn. through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois before arriving in Milwaukee.

The vehicle’s arrival is expected to mark the first time the fleet’s color scheme will be seen by the public. It is the first of a five-vehicle order, with the remaining cars slated to arrive over the next few months.



 

A news release says the first vehicle will arrive as early as Monday March 26 -- although it could be later in the week depending on weather conditions or other circumstances during the drive. It will be rolled off the truck on W. St. Paul Avenue between N. 2nd and N. 4th streets, and then head inside the streetcar’s adjacent operations and maintenance facility on N. 4th Street.

Short portions of W. St. Paul Avenue and N. 4th St. will be closed for a few hours to accommodate delivery.



On-street testing of the first vehicle will begin next month on a section of W. St. Paul Ave., with testing along the full initial route to begin this summer.

The public is expected to first be able to ride The Hop in November. Rides will be free for the first year, thanks to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s generous 12-year, $10 million sponsorship deal.