That's How I Got To Memphis. The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) was to some extent predetermined to see its own demise. The three Gomaco built Birney Streetcar replicas have been versatile in their short life, initially displacing an original restored Charlotte streetcar, and later operating on the Gold Line. Initially planned to share with modern vehicles, CATS instead ordered six Siemens S70 light rail cars that caused these three to be stored as construction began for an extension. This week, it was announced that Memphis Area Transit Authority had acquired these cars for service on the Riverfront Line, thus ending both the original and replica streetcar era in Charlotte, but owing a debt of gratitude for inspiring a modern era of light rail transportation. Car 93 sits in the pocket track at CTC/Arena as a Blue Line train stops overhead on Saturday, July 25, 2015.
