By Justin Franz

It’s a car? It’s a train? No, it’s Auto-Railer!

A rare piece of electric interurban railway history has been saved by the National Capital Trolley Museum in Silver Springs, Md. The Evans Auto-Railer could travel on both roadways and railways, and was a unique solution for providing passenger service on electric interurban lines as road systems grew and the automobile took a bite out of passenger rail traffic. 

The piece of equipment in question, Arlington & Fairfax Railway 109, was built in 1936 and used between 1937 and 1939 to provide service on two former streetcar lines that ran out of Rosslyn, Va.; one to Fairfax City and another to Fort Myer (near Arlington National Cemetery). At the end of the rail in Rosslyn, the operator would lift the railroad wheels and use rubber tires to drive across the Key Bridge into Georgetown and Washington D.C. The unique service only lasted a few years and ended when competitor Capital Transit won an injunction to halt it. The Arlington & Fairfax rostered 13 Auto-Railers. 

The Auto-Railer arriving at the National Capital Trolley Museum. Photo Courtesy of NCTM.

In 1941, the railroad began to sell off the Auto-Railers. One of them, 109, ended up at Clark’s Trading Post in New Hampshire, where it remained from the 1960s until earlier this year when it was acquired by the National Capital Trolley Museum. 

“We are thrilled to add Arlington & Fairfax 109 to our collection,” said Eric Madison, executive director at the National Capital Trolley Museum, in a press release. “This vehicle not only adds an exciting new dimension to our exhibits, but it also highlights the innovation and adaptability of transportation solutions that were developed during the mid-1930s. We invite all enthusiasts, families, and history buffs to visit and explore this fascinating piece of automotive and railway history.”