Tramcar (Wildwood, New Jersey)

Last updated
Sightseers Tram Car
Wildwood tramcar night at Adventure Pier.JPG
The Tramcar at night, featuring an advertisement for Dasani
FoundedJune 11, 1949
Headquarters5308 Boardwalk
Wildwood, NJ 08260
Service area The Wildwoods
Service type Trackless train
Routes Wildwood Boardwalk [1]
Fuel type Rechargeable battery
Website https://www.dooww.com/tramcar

The Sightseers Tram Car (commonly referred to as the Tramcar) is a trackless train service running on the Boardwalk in the Cape May County, New Jersey communities of Wildwood and North Wildwood. [2] The service, which began on June 11, 1949, [3] takes passengers along the two-mile long Wildwood Boardwalk. Service is available at all points along the boardwalk, from the beginning at Cresse Avenue to the end at 16th Avenue in North Wildwood.

Contents

Description

The Tramcar during the daytime featuring an advertisement for Coca-Cola Tramcar with Coca Cola Advertisements.jpg
The Tramcar during the daytime featuring an advertisement for Coca-Cola

The Tramcar is colored yellow and blue, though sometimes contains other colors due to advertisements. [2] It is well known for the phrase "Watch the tramcar, please," a pre-recorded alert voiced by local Floss Stingel in 1971 to clear the tramcar's path. [4] The tramcar fare was $4.00 in 2022, but was increased 25% for the 2023 season to $5.00. [5]

Operating hours are 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. The Tramcar started running five years after the boardwalk was made. [6] The original fare was 10 cents one way. A round-trip tram-car ride takes approximately 1 hour. Each tram car runs on a 36-volt DC battery that weighs more than 2,000 pounds. The batteries are charged each night and can run for about seven or eight hours at a time. Several of the tramcars running on the Boardwalk are the same ones that were built for the 1939 New York World's Fair in New York City. The tramcars carry about half a million people up and down the Boardwalk each year. From 1998 to 2000, Wildwood hosted the annual Great Tramcar Race between entertainers Al Alberts and Cozy Morley. [7]

In 2015, the tramcar’s famous “Watch the Tramcar please” phrase was used on the Atlantic City trams until a lawsuit was filed. This resulted in the trams receiving the new phrase, “Step aside or enjoy a ride”. [8]

On August 9, 2019, the Runaway Tram steel roller coaster opened at Morey's Piers' Surfside Pier on the Wildwood Boardwalk and is modeled after the yellow-and-blue tramcar. On the caboose of the train is a figure in honor of long tenured tramcar driver, John "Gig" Gigliotti who has been driving the tramcars on the boardwalk for 25 years. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Wildwood, New Jersey</span> City in Cape May County, New Jersey, US

North Wildwood is a city located on the Jersey Shore in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city and all of Cape May County are part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 3,621, a decrease of 420 (−10.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,041, which in turn had reflected a decline of 894 (−18.1%) from the 4,935 counted at the 2000 census. North Wildwood is home to the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildwood, New Jersey</span> City in Cape May County, New Jersey, US

Wildwood is a city in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia-Wilmington-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD combined statistical area, also known as the Delaware Valley or Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's year-round population was 5,157, a decrease of 168 (−3.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,325, which in turn reflected a decline of 111 (−2.0%) from the 5,436 counted in the 2000 census. A popular Jersey Shore resort destination, the population can swell to 250,000 during the summer. Wildwood was the first city in New Jersey to have a female mayor, Doris W. Bradway, who was ousted in a 1938 recall election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hong Kong Tramways</span> Tram system

Hong Kong Tramways (HKT) is a 3 ft 6 in narrow-gauge tram system in Hong Kong. Owned and operated by RATP Dev, the tramway runs on Hong Kong Island between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, with a branch circulating through Happy Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Shore</span> Coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey

The Jersey Shore, commonly referred to locally as simply the Shore, is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about 141 miles (227 km) of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Point in the south. The region includes Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, and Cape May counties, which are in the central and southern parts of the state. Located in the center of the Northeast Megalopolis, the northern half of the shore region is part of the New York metro area, while the southern half of the shore region is part of the Philadelphia metro area. The Jersey Shore hosts the highest concentration of oceanside boardwalks in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Pier</span> Pier and amusement park in New Jersey

The Steel Pier is a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) amusement park built on a pier of the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, across from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Built in 1897 and opened in 1898, it was one of the most popular venues in the United States for the first seven decades of the twentieth century, featuring concerts, exhibits, and an amusement park. It billed itself as the Showplace of the Nation and at its peak measured 2,298 feet (700 m).

Hunt's Pier was an amusement pier located along the Wildwood, New Jersey, boardwalk from 1957 through 1985. Over its nearly 30 years in operation, Hunt's was home to many classic dark rides, roller coasters, and other attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casino Pier</span> Amusement park in Seaside Heights, New Jersey

Casino Pier is an amusement park situated on a pier, in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The pier opened in 1932 and formerly extended approximately 300 ft (91 m) into the Atlantic Ocean from the narrow strip of the Barnegat Peninsula, including approximately six blocks within Seaside Heights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool Tramway</span> Light rail transit system in Lancashire, England

The Blackpool Tramway runs from Blackpool to Fleetwood on The Fylde in Lancashire, England. The line dates back to 1885 and is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world. It is operated by Blackpool Transport Services (BTS) and runs for 18 km. It carried 4.7 million passengers in 2023/24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morey's Piers</span> Amusement park in New Jersey

Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a seaside amusement park located on The Wildwoods' boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood, New Jersey. The park has been family owned and operated since 1969 and was run by second generation Morey Brothers, Will and Jack. Morey's Piers has more than 100 rides and attractions across its three amusement piers and two beachfront waterparks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham & District Tramways Company</span> Defunct tramway operator

Nottingham and District Tramways Company Limited was a tramway operator from 1875 to 1897 based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Park</span> Amusement park in California

Pacific Park is an oceanfront amusement park located in Santa Monica, California. The park, located on the Santa Monica Pier, looks directly out on the Pacific Ocean, in the direction of Santa Catalina Island. It is the only amusement park directly located on the West Coast of the United States located on a pier and LA's only admission-free park. There are a total of thirteen rides in Pacific Park, including the world's first and only solar-powered ferris wheel that provides a view of the Pacific Ocean and a roller coaster that circles the majority of the park. Pacific Park is also home to 14 midway games and over-the-ocean food and retail outlets. It has appeared in over 500 movies and television shows such as Fat Albert, Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Kidsongs, 90210, Bean, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, as well as the popular video game Grand Theft Auto V. In 2020, it featured in the opening ident for the sky television channel Sky Comedy. It is operated by SC Holdings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dante's Inferno (ride)</span> Ride at Astroland

Dante's Inferno was a dark ride, Haunted attraction created in 1971 by Anton Schwarzkopf that was located at Astroland on Coney Island; a similar ride, Dante's Dungeon, is at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey. Dante's Inferno is decorated with a purple Cerberus in each tower, a werewolf out of one window, and skeleton warriors in another, its exterior's centerpiece is a large devil holding a victim in his hand that is connecting to the tongue of an upside-down, lolling eyed creature, and a pitchfork in the other. The ride's exterior resembles a castle, and its open area is decorated in graffiti style artwork including Medusa's severed head held by a Grim Reaper, as well as a mad scientist and several dragons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian's Wonderland Pier</span> Former Amusement park in Ocean City, New Jersey

Gillian's Wonderland Pier was a historic amusement park in Ocean City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1965 by Roy Gillian, son of David Gillian who first came to Ocean City in 1914. It was located near the beginning of the commercial boardwalk on 6th street. Gillian's was generally considered to be an institution of Ocean City, with grand openings and pre-season sales for the location historically having drawn crowds multiple blocks long, and employed many local youths during the summer, and in more recent years, many Eastern European workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Singapore</span>

Singapore has had two tramway networks forming part of its public transport arrangements. Both networks were relatively unsuccessful and short lived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great White (Morey's Piers)</span> Roller coaster

The Great White is a sit-down wooden/steel roller coaster made and built by Custom Coasters International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumbo Jet (Morey's Piers)</span> Defunct steel roller coaster

The Jumbo Jet was a prefabricated steel roller coaster at Morey's Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey. Jumbo Jet was a Jet Star 3 / Jumbo Jet model coaster built by noted roller coaster designer Anton Schwarzkopf. In 1975, the Morey brothers traveled to Germany and purchased the Jumbo Jet for $400,000. Morey's Surfside Pier had to be extended a total of 250 feet (76 m) to make room for the Jumbo Jet. Despite the expense, however, Jumbo Jet became one of the most popular roller coasters on the Jersey Shore, and was credited for increasing attendance at Morey's Piers. It was the second and final Jet Star 3 / Jumbo Jet model coaster to be built in the state of New Jersey.

Ocean City Transportation is a public transit agency serving the beach town of Ocean City in Worcester County, Maryland in the United States. The agency is a division of the town's Public Works Department. Ocean City Transportation offers bus service branded as Beach Bus, trackless train service along the Ocean City Boardwalk known as the Boardwalk Tram, and paratransit service called ADA Para Transit.

Thomas Francis "Cozy" Morley was an American singer-songwriter, entertainer, comedian and club owner, best known for his rendition of "On the Way to Cape May", which became his signature song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runaway Tram</span> Steel roller coaster at Moreys Piers

Runaway Tram is a steel family roller coaster located on Morey's Piers' Surfside Pier in North Wildwood, New Jersey. The attraction replaced the aging Flitzer roller coaster and required the reconfiguration of several rides on the pier and represented a total investment of $4 million. Runaway Tram spoofs the Wildwood Sightseer Tramcar, a local yellow-and-blue trackless train service.

References

  1. "2021 Boardwalk SID Rack Card" (PDF). dooww.com. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Boardwalk Tram Car – DOOWW". dowildwood.com. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  3. Happy 60th Birthday, Tram Car!
  4. Nark, Jason (May 19, 2011). "The voice behind 'Watch the tram car' belongs to Floss Stingel". Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  5. "Local Transportation". Archived from the original on 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2012-08-19.
  6. "The Sightseer Tram Car in New Jersey - NJ Attractions". sanddunemotel.com. Retrieved 2017-05-15.
  7. Hawk, Tim. "9 odd facts about the Wildwood tram cars' 70 years of existence", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 9, 2018; updated May 14, 2019. Accessed May 31, 2020. "Sitting comfortably behind the wheel of a tram, Gigliotti explained that for years Al Alberts, of the Four Aces, and Cozy Morley, owner of Club Avalon, used to race trams for charity. For $5 people would ride in the passenger cars as they raced from 16th street to 23rd street. Funny thing about the races, Al Alberts always won."
  8. "Contest Launches For New Atlantic City Tram Car Safety Message".
  9. "Wildwood's tram car inspired this coaster. Get a look behind the scenes". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. June 5, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2022.