New Orleans Streetcars

New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures that brings an exotic blend of music, food, architecture, and voyeurism. As a musician, I’m captivated by the variety of tremendous music, from street performers to jazz greats. And a great meal is seldom more than a few steps away. But a hidden gem for me is the streetcars, particularly the St. Charles line.  So on a recent trip, I couldn’t help but take a few images of these museums that continuously move people through the city.

The St. Charles line dates back to 1835, when the streetcars were pulled by mules. At some point, the cars were briefly pulled by steam locomotives, but this practice was ended after female passengers complained of soot ruining clothing. In 1884, the 6.5 mile line was converted so that the cars would run on electricity. Amazingly, the current St. Charles line streetcars were built in 1923. Simply put, these cars are working museums on wheels. Just a much as a second-line band, these streetcars are a living pulse of New Orleans.

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Here's another of the shots I took while touring New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. I can't explain why. There's just something very captivating about New Orleans' street cars, especially the St. Charles line. I wish I could go back in time and see and shoot the Desire line, which ran up Bourbon Street and through the French Quarter to Desire.

This was a fun shot. I got down on the ground in front of the approaching streetcar right on top of the rail and waiting until it got close. I'm sure the driver didn't care for my technique. Then I tried the zoom blur throught the shutter. I topped off the effect with Alien Skin's Exposure 2 TRI-X 400 emulation. I really like the grain and the depth.

I'm excited that fall is near. The weather has cooled off, the humidity has dropped, and college football is finally here. Early Happy Labor day wishes to everyone. And if you dig my streetcar shot, please let me know.