Here is an early 1900s view of Canal Street from the St. Charles street intersection, looking toward the river. The Custom House can be seen in the distance on the far side of Canal. The track curve in the foreground carried cars of the Coliseum line into the riverbound inner track, crossing the outer track with its double-gauge right rail. Ahead can be seen the crossover that carried Orleans RR cars from the outer track to their center track terminus. At left is a “Palace” car on the Canal Belt line, showing an unusual route sign mounted on the side of the car. Behind it on the lakebound inner track is single truck FB&D car 348. This was one of the 30 wide gauge cars, numbers 325-354, bought from McGuire-Cummings in 1908 (along with 5 standard gauge cars), the last order of FB&D cars for New Orleans. (Cars 350-354 were later renumbered 320-324.) The picture features long lines of streetcars on Canal Street, but none of the rest are identifiable. The big sign over Canal Street reads, “New Orleans / The Gateway to / Panama Canal”. — E. B. Thomson photograph