Wildwood testing new (but temporary) engine for tramcars

A tramcar on the boardwalk in Wildwood, N.J.
Wildwood Tramcar 2015/Facebook

The tramcars on Wildwood's boardwalk will undergo some new, but temporary, changes this summer, Newsworks reports.

Patrick Rosenello of the Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District said the town will test a new engine on its tramcars, which have been the same for decades. 

"The tramcars were built for the 1939 World's Fair," he told Newsworks. "They have been in continuous service on the Wildwood Boardwalk since 1949, which obviously entails a lot of wear and tear.  We have successfully replicated two of the passenger trains in the past several years, and we are working on building a replacement engine."

The engine, however, is only temporary.

Rosenello said the body design being used on the engine is not what they intend to move forward with because it is not "aesthetically perfect."

In the meantime, beachgoers can expect the same iconic, "Watch the tramcar, please," warning message from the trams.