Feature Photo: Legal work on the line...

New Orleans Railway and Light #605, on the West End Belt Line, October 8, 1921. This is the first in a series of about ten photos of 605 heading down (riverbound) on Esplanade Avenue. The notations indicate that the photos are from Charles Franck Studios. Franck was the photographer on retainer for a number of law firms in downtown New Orleans. The notes on the photographs indicate that this run was made so the photographer could shoot the streetcar as it passed trees along the line as it approached St. Claude Avenue.

The streetcar is not one of the classic Perley A. Thomas cars that have come be associated with New Orleans. It's a "Palace" Car, built in St. Louis by the American Car Company, in 1915. NORyLt, then NOPSI, used the "Palace" cars on Canal/West End belts and the Napoleon line. They were phased out in favor of the Perley A. Thomas cars (which arrived in New Orleans in 1923-24) in the late 1920s/early 1930s.

At this time, the Canal and West End (as well as the Tulane and St. Charles lines) ran in "belt" operation. Rather than run point-to-point, one line would circle around in one direction and the other line would run opposite. On Canal/West End, the Canal line ran inbound on Canal, turning on N. Rampart Street, then outbound on Esplanade, turning onto City Park Avenue to return to Canal Street.