Trolleys On Display At Sanibel Public Library

On display at the Sanibel Public Library is a collection of a few of the many electric trolley models, both O- and HO-scale, built by Jim Anholt over the years. He and other train and trolley hobbyists who became members of the Electric Railway Club of Florida – including Jim Pickens of Sanibel and former islanders Al Dobbs and Bruce Frazier – met weekly to create towns, landscapes and many trolley and

train assemblages.

The trolleys on display include models that Anholt hand-built from scratch out of balsa wood as well as some kit models.  The trolleys ran on overhead wires on the displays, as they did on city streets. The

trolley poles used to connect to the overhead wire were modeled after the original poles used in the various cities. Thepaint schemes also represent various city transportation systems. The small green

HO-scale water wagon and street sweeper at the front of the case are modeled after the Philadelphia Transit Company (PTC). The PTC was required to clean the streets on which they ran their trolleys.

Jim and Betty Anholt owned and operated the Sanibel Transit Co., Inc., known familiarly as the Sanibel Trolley, for 17 years on the island. The Sanibel Trolley was the first modern trolley operation in Lee County, and its success encouraged Lee County to initiate its current trolley system on Fort Myers Beach. 

The three Sanibel trolleys ran a transportation route on both Sanibel and Captiva, and later added a tour route due to popular demand. As an homage to Sanibel Island and his former business, one of the models displays a number of advertising signs on its sides for island businesses. The signs were photographed and minimized by Jim Pickens, owner of the former Photo Sanibel.

Learn more about trolleys by checking out a book on the subject from the library, including Playing With Trains by Sam Posey; The World Encyclopedia of Locomotives by Colin Garratt; N Scale Model Railroading, Getting Started In The Hobby by Marty McGuirk and The Trolley Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Islands by Betty Anholt.

Island Sun (August 31, 2012)