The Gentilly streetcar connected Franklin Avenue with downtown.
Gentilly Streetcar Unpack
NOPSI 884, operating on the Gentilly line, makes its one-block appearance on Canal Street as it turns for the outbound run on the Gentilly line. The line provided street rail connection to Gentilly via Franklin Avenue. Streetcars never ran on Elysian Fields because of the Pontchartrain Railroad. Even after 1931, when the Pontchartrain RR closed, the Louisville & Nashville RR continued to use the tracks from Elysian Fields and the River to Florida Avenue to go east out of town. In fact, Amtrak plans to use those tracks for its new Mardi Gras route.
As WWII approached, NOPSI inroduced teh Bomber Base bus route, running from Franklin and Gentilly to the lakefront, to connect the Consolidated-Vultee plant, Camp Leroy Johnson, and the Army Air Corps base. In July 1948, NOPSI discontinued the Gentilly line and Bomber Base bus line, merging both into the Franklin Avenue bus line.
The Pod
The podcast is available to Premium members on Patreon.
Click the link and you can hear a five-minute preview if you’re not a Premium Member.
The Gentilly Line
Outbound
- From Canal and Borubon, right on Bourbon
- Down Borubon to Pauger, then Dauphene
- Turn lakebound on Almonester
- Almonaster merged into Franklin (it’s all Franklin Avenue now)
- Up Franklin to Dreux Avenue
Inbound
- Franklin and Dreux to Royal Street
- Turn on Royal (same route from here as Desire)
- Royal to Canal Street
Four Ways to Support NOLA History Guy
- Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
- Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
- Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
- Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
Recent Comments