Watch the Tram Car, Please!

Passengers will be able to ride the Wildwoods Tram Cars on June 11 at 10 cents each way–just like in 1949.

Wildwood boardwalk's world-famous tram cars, then and now. Photo courtesy of Suasion Communications Group.

Wildwood loves to celebrate all things retro. To prove that, passengers will be able to experience riding the Wildwoods Boardwalk Sightseer Tram Cars on Monday, June 11, at 10 cents a ride, a price that dates back to 1949.

With 70 consecutive summers of operation under their belt, the distinctive, blue-and-yellow tram cars transport tens of thousands of guests along the two-mile boardwalk each year. Passengers enjoy leisurely rides with beach and shop views from 16th Street in North Wildwood to Cresse Avenue at the Wildwood/Wildwood Crest border.

“The property and business owners… are proud that we have been able to keep this 70-year tradition rolling on our great boardwalk,” says Ken Schwartz, president of the Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District Management Corporation (WSID) and a third-generation boardwalk property owner. WSID owns and operates the Sightseer Tram Cars.

The original trackless tram cars were used at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. A local businessman, Sebastian Ramagosa, purchased the cars and launched them into boardwalk transportation on June 11, 1949—initially with all female drivers. The tram car service became an integral part of the Wildwood boardwalk experience. Several of the original 1939 tram cars are still used to this day.

To those who frequent the Wildwoods, “Watch the Tram Car, Please!” is a familiar and iconic announcement meant to assure safe travel through seas of people on the busy boardwalk. In the early 1970s, North Wildwood resident Floss Stingel lent her voice to the recording as a favor to her boyfriend, who worked for the Ramagosa family. That’s still Stingel’s voice you hear today.

Each car in the four-car trams carries 15 people. A 36-volt battery, which measures approximately 3-foot square and weighs 2,000 pounds, is located in the first car. Every tram can run for up to 12 hours on a single charge. That means 70 consecutive summers of environmentally friendly service. The normal rate for a one-way ride is $3.

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