The Glendale trolley is a seven-bench, open-style trolley that is battery-powered and self-propelled. It was named Car Number 1717, the numbers relating to the birthdays of the owner’s sons.
The second part of the contract included building a five-bench, non-powered trailing car to be towed by #1717. The trailing car was named GiGi, after a beloved grandmother, and was designed at a smaller scale for a child-friendly atmosphere.
The bright, richly colored and ornate cars were conceptionally drawn by George McGinnis. Mr. McGinnis has the honor of being the last Imagineer hired by Walt Disney, himself. Mr. McGinnis’ designs bring out the best aspects of vintage trolleys, from highly polished brass fixtures, to stained glass panels, to new modern features which included a hideaway wheelchair lift. His ideas and technical drawings were shared with the technicians and master builders at Gomaco Trolley Company. and his drawings became reality.
Both Trolley Car #1717 and GiGi are currently running the rails in Glendale, California.
Double-truck, Battery Powered/Self Propelled Trolley:
Car name: #1717.
Length: 33.5 feet.
Width: 10.5 feet.
Height: 13 feet.
Weight: 37,000 pounds.
Seating Capacity: 42. Seven bench seats with six people per bench.
Paint: Multi-coat, stenciled, handpainted 10 coat base and clear coat process. Colors: Burnt Orange, Bonfire Flame (dark orange), Terra Cotta (red), and Metallic Gold.
Floor: Tongue-and-groove solid cherry wood.
Ceiling: Tongue-and-groove cherry with solid cherry ornate trim.
Bench Seats: Roll-over style with alternating oak and cherry hardwood.
Roof: Plywood construction with fiberglass shell and canvas cover.
Clerestory Glass: Stained glass panes designed and built by James Thomas Stained Glass of Studio City, California.
Solid Brass:
Ornate hand grab made in-house from sand-casted mold.
Seat roll-over component.
Seat end fixture.
Corner braces.
Conductor bell.
Vertical grab rails.
Steps: Fixed, solid cherry wood.
Lights:
1200 decorative global accent lights.
Steps illuminated for safety.
Lighted destination sign.
Brass fixture, interior lights with decorative globe. Ceiling mounted.
Brass headlamp.
Carriage lights.
Tail lights.
Hideaway Wheelchair lift: Ricon cartridge lift. Retreats under the vehicle.
Signal Bell: Electronic, push-button for pedestrian warning.
Conductor Bell: String-pulled clanger for conductor communications.
Interior Advertising Panel.
Running Gear: Reconditioned Milan trucks. Standard gauge 56.5 inches. 26 inch steel tires.
Brakes:
Electromagnetic rail brakes for emergency stop.
Hydraulically-powered friction brakes with composite shoes.
24-volt hydraulic brake pump.
Regenerative braking- energy capture for recharging.
Full dead-man integration at all four operator locations (including trailer). If operator becomes incapacitated, the car automatically stops.
Emergency stops located at 4-points.
Motors: Four (4) 25 Horsepower GE Motors.
Frame: GOMACO engineered. Steel construction. 1.5g strength.
Battery Pack: 30 lithium-phosphate, maintenance-free batteries produce 400 vdc. Performance specifications were five miles per hour for five hours, one hour mid-charge, and then another five hours running. Maximum grade was two percent. Currently achieving nine hours of operation out of one charge. Batteries capable of 2500 charge cycles.
Controls: K35G IGBT controller and PLC system management for speed and power consumption. System diagnostics recording for troubleshooting analysis and documentation.
Five-Bench, Non-Powered Trailing Car:
Car name: GiGi.
Length: 22 feet.
Width: 9 feet.
Height: 12 feet.
Weight: 20,000 pounds.
Seating Capacity: 30. Five bench seats with six people per bench. Seats are fixed forward.
Steps: Fixed, solid cherry wood.
Brakes: Hydraulically powered friction brakes with composite shoes, integrated with main car.
