105-year-old trolley restored in New Jersey

NEW JERSEY (PIX11) -- Trains have been on the move around the region for more than a century.

A 105-year-old trolley is ready to roll thanks to railroad enthusiasts and a train maintenance plant in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Kinkisharyo International worked with North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society and Liberty Historic Railway to restore the trolley car.

Volunteers had been working to rebuild some components after it was retrieved from a back yard decades ago.

At the plant, which services locomotives and train cars for transit systems around the country, it was painted and some pieces were replaced.

Tony Hall founded the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society 40 years ago as part of a network of groups and rail enthusiasts preserving the region's rail history.

"It has been a long trip. We found it rusting out with a temporary tin roof covering it," Hall said.

Streetcars stopped running 70 years ago around Jersey City, Newark and Kearny when buses became the favored mode.

Bill Covino is with Kinkisharyo. Crews at the plant in Middlesex County usually work on newer models.

"This was a lot fun for our folks to paint and assist with repairs. It certainly looked like it needed some tender, loving care," Covino said.

For the rail enthusiasts, it’s more than a reminder of the past.

"They afford efficient and sustainable transportation and still do," said Hall.

Liberty Historic Railway is hoping to partner with other organizations and create a museum in New Jersey dedicated to rail.

"2615 is all dressed up with no place to go. My organization is working hard with decision-makers in Phillipsburg to establish a museum there, where the cars can be put on display and operated. New Jersey has not had one," said Bill McKelvey.

Connecticut Trolley Museum and The Shore Line Trolley Museum are popular destinations.

"You see a vehicle that can run 24/7. Some cities held onto these and they’re being replicated," said Bill Wall.

Trolley Museum of New York operates seasonally in Kingston, New York.