‘It's a nostalgic thing': San Diego's vintage trolley is a trip back in time for commuters and train buffs alike

SAN DIEGO - Samson Osburn was on his way back from the San Diego waterfront with his two children on a Sunday in 2019 when he spotted the familiar red outline of a trolley at the 12th and Imperial transit station.

But it wasn't a typical trolley. It was the 1001 U2 model, the very first trolley that ran in San Diego when the service began in 1981 - a model that is now part of the Metropolitan Transit System's Silver Line fleet.

He immediately encouraged his kids to hop aboard to circuit the Silver Line's downtown loop, which gives visitors the chance to ride antique vehicle models from the 1940s and early 80s.

For Osburn, 52, the experience was like a trip back in time, transporting him to his youth in the late 1980s when he rode the trolley as part of his commute from school in La Mesa to his home in Jamul. It was a long trek, but Osburn remembers the feeling of independence it brought him to ride the trolley by himself.

"I thought it was incredible," he said of his 2019 experience, recalling the sounds and smells of the trolley when he was a teen. "It brought back a lot of memories."

Osburn returned home after riding the vintage trolley and started a Facebook group dedicated to celebrating MTS's a

Francisco, the other in New Jersey - though San Diego did have its own streetcars from 1886 to 1949.

Ghio has loved trains and airplanes since he was a kid, and he appreciates the vintage trolley because it makes the historical models more accessible than a museum would. It's fun to see both rail enthusiasts and everyday commuters experience the Silver Line, too.

He's ridden the PCC streetcars and recently hopped aboard the 1001 U2 trolley when it was operating on Presidents Day - a bucket list experience, he says.

For riders like Ghio and Osburn, the classic features of the antique trolleys are a big part of the appeal.

The Silver Line cars have been updated to include modern enhancements, such as wheelchair lifts, LED lighting and public address systems so operators can communicate with riders. But most of the original elements have been restored, including the interior and exterior paint colors, window functions, gear shifts and brake lights.

"It just has a really old look," Osburn said. "It looks like it doesn't belong on a modern street at all."

Today, MTS maintenance crews and operators selected to work on the vintage cars are required to take two extra weeks of training on top of a 12-week course. Riley says only about five people are trained to operate the vintage trolley, since it runs so infrequently.

The older models are a different beast from today's. The PCC streetcars have foot brakes and accelerators, while today's light rail trains have hand controls. Past models require more mechanical technology, and today's are all electronic.

Some of those features provide a fun challenge for current staff.

"I definitely like to problem-solve," said James Cregg, MTS's manager of light rail vehicle maintenance. "I think a lot of people in my department - that's kind of our thing."

MTS mechanic Edward Perry says working on the cars can feel like "a time capsule," especially since all the mechanical information is printed out instead of online.

For many rail enthusiasts, the nostalgia of the old transit vehicles is just that - a trip down memory lane.

But others see past modes of transportation as part of San Diego's future.

The community planning group Vibrant Uptown, which advocates for neighborhoods including Hillcrest, Bankers Hill and North Park, is pushing to bring streetcars back to San Diego. The group sees it as a way to better connect its communities, especially as the costs of gas and parking rise.

"We need to figure out a way to get people around, and you can move people faster with a streetcar," said Vibrant Uptown's co-founder Gail Friedt.

The sentimental pull of a vintage streetcar doesn't hurt either.

"What's old is new again," Friedt said. "There's a different flair … and I think people have nostalgia about that."

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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 5:43 AM.