Kirt Blewett is standing just inside the rear bulkhead doors of a streetcar next to the farebox, the traditional post of the conductor. His right hand is pulling the signal cord to advise the motorman to start the car.
Twin Cities streetcars were built with a semi-open rear platform enclosed by wire gates, and were referred to as gate cars. This is the view an exiting passenger would have seen.
On June 19, 1954, the last streetcars, chartered by the Minnesota Railfans Assn., stop on Washington Avenue SE in front of Coffman Union. The streetcar system had been abandoned the previous day.
Passengers transferred from streetcars to the gas-electric trains of the Dan Patch Line at this transfer station at Diamond Lake Road and Nicollet Avenue.