Ted Hall / Special to The GazetteWhen the first Belmont Trolley car rolls out of its new pavilion onto tracks taking passengers north toward Belmont Abbey College, it will be the only operating trolley between Belmont and Memphis. The date for that long-awaited event is a moving target, but Rob Pressley, president of the Belmont Trolley Board, says it could happen as early as 2026. In a presentation to members of the Belmont Rotary Club, Pressley said the design of the trolley pavilion, future museum and event space is nearly complete...
Ted Hall / Special to The Gazette
When the first Belmont Trolley car rolls out of its new pavilion onto tracks taking passengers north toward Belmont Abbey College, it will be the only operating trolley between Belmont and Memphis. The date for that long-awaited event is a moving target, but Rob Pressley, president of the Belmont Trolley Board, says it could happen as early as 2026. In a presentation to members of the Belmont Rotary Club, Pressley said the design of the trolley pavilion, future museum and event space is nearly complete, and a groundbreaking is anticipated this year. The trolley facility will be built along the old Piedmont & Northern Railway east of the former P&N Depot (where The Station and South Main Cycles are located) and behind the Piedmont Lithium office building. Events such as markets and concerts are envisioned in that 4,300-square-foot open area, and a second phase will add another 6,100 square feet for a museum, receptions, banquets and other events. It has been almost a century since the last electric-powered street car carried mill workers and other passengers on the P&N railroad tracks in Belmont. Pressley and a small team of dedicated volunteers have been working since 2013 to recapture that history and use it to stimulate tourism, economic development and innovation.
"This is our gift to Belmont," Pressley said. "None of us are making a dime from this."More than $2 million has been raised of the estimated $3.5 million required to complete the project. The city of Belmont, Belmont Tourism, Gaston County Tourism and the state of North Carolina have made major contributions along with many businesses and individual donors. "When people can see the trolley cars sitting out there in the pavilion, that's when the excitement will build," Pressley said.
Belmont Trolley has acquired and restored three historic trolley cars now in storage and waiting for their big debut. Inventing technology to provide electricity to power the cars while they're in motion has been a major obstacle. Overhead electric lines that powered the trolleys of the past are no longer practical. So, Belmont Trolley has partnered with the School of Engineering at UNC Charlotte to develop a charging cart that will trail behind the trolleys and continuously provide the electricity they need. Pressley's vision extends far beyond trolleys operating only between downtown Belmont and Belmont Abbey College. He sees a future in which trolleys on the P&N tracks will carry passengers to several other communities in Gaston County. Pressley's passion for the trolley project stems from his experience of watching his father stimulate economic growth in the once bleak and now booming South Charlotte area by restoring a trolley and putting it back in operation.
"Hundreds of thousands of people came to see and ride in that car," he said. "They shopped in the stores and ate in the restaurants." Ironically, the trolley that Pressley's father restored years ago, Charlotte car NO. 85, now belongs to Belmont Trolley, and Pressley envisions it becoming an important part of a major tourist attraction here.
"Having trolleys will put Belmont on a whole different map in terms of tourism," he said. "People will come from far and wide."Learn more about the history of trolleys in Belmont, about the exciting role trolleys can play in Belmont and Gaston County's future and about how you can help by visiting the Belmont Trolley website at belmonttrolley.org.
About Rotary: Rotary is an international service organization with 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries. Belmont Rotary Club, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, meets for lunch and a program on local topics each Wednesday, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church in Belmont. Guests interested in learning more about local businesses and issues and how Rotary serves the community are welcome. For more information, visit www.belmontrotaryclub.com.