They are past their prime and not making money for the company, so the Utah Transit Authority has fired them.
But don't expect to see them in the unemployment line.The buses with streetcar bodies that have served downtown Salt Lake City, downtown Ogden and the Lagoon amusement park each summer since 1985 are being retired.
Only the Pioneer Trolley, which circles the Temple Square area, will be retained. And that's only because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has agreed to continue paying for the Pioneer Trolley's operating expenses.
The Pioneer Trolley will be in service June 12- Aug. 26, circling Temple Square every 15 minutes during the day. A tour guide will ride on the trolley to point out historical landmarks.
"The two we are keeping for the LDS Church are the ones in the best condition," UTA spokeswoman Coralie Alder said of the aging fleet, purchased in 1983. "Those two have new engines and they've done a lot of work on the wood finish to make sure it's in good condition."
Andy Gallegos, UTA's marketing manager, said the trolleys typically have a life span of eight to 10 years and that most have now outlived their usefulness.
"We feel at this time there is a better use for our resources than reinvesting in trolleys, particularly when there are other private agencies able and willing to provide this kind of tour service," Gallegos said.
Regular UTA bus service between Farmington and the amusement park will replace the Lagoon Trolley.
UTA officials are debating how to make up for the loss of trolley service in Ogden. The Ogden Trolley shuttled passengers from 25th Street to Union Station and the Eccles Dinosaur Park.
Tourism officials considered the Discovery Trolley a big draw and a big help in keeping visitors happy and coming back to Salt Lake City.
The Downtown Alliance raised $13,000 in 1999 and $21,000 in 1998 to pay for the trolley's marketing and advertising. It is now faced with a bill of $57,000 this year if it wants to replace the trolley with a passenger bus operated by a private company.
Roni Thomas, Alliance marketing director, said the organization has been in discussions with Le Bus about providing the service and is searching for additional funds from governmental and private entities.
"It is disappointing that the trolleys cannot continue, but they clearly require a lot of maintenance and are very costly for UTA to keep up," Thomas said, adding that the replacement buses "won't look as cool" as the trolleys.
If bus tours are provided this year, they would begin Memorial Day weekend and continue into September, operating Tuesday through Sunday. A ride would cost $5, up from the $4 charged for the trolley, and would include a fully narrated tour and some additional stops.
The Pioneer Trolley will run in a loop from the Lion House on South Temple, west to West Temple, north to North Temple and then south on State.