ANDERSON, Ind. — The sound of Anderson’s downtown trolley bell resonates across two eras with the echoes of bygone cable car charm and the calls for modern fuel efficiency.

From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, the trolley navigates the red bricks of Meridian Street and surrounding streets, giving area residents and workers a free ride with a charm that might evoke thoughts of San Francisco.

But unlike San Francisco’s cable cars, the trolley is completely electric.

Its green and red facade and old-fashioned design harken back to a time when public transportation was part of the hustle and bustle of downtown America.

The trolley car was bought by the city in 2000 and had been manufactured in Anderson, according to trolley driver Sandy Davis.

Davis said a local company began making the trolley cars in 1997 before moving operations to Mexico.

Davis said she recently met a rider from Mexico City where the plant relocated.

“He said the trolleys are all over [Mexico City],” Davis said.

By 2005, the Anderson trolley was decommissioned and placed in storage.

When Mayor Kris Ockomon took office in January 2008, he discovered the car while touring city facilities and immediately wanted it put back on the streets.

“The trolley was a piece of equipment that was moth-balled out at the CATS bus terminal,” Ockomon said.

Ockomon said he couldn’t justify keeping the car stored and out of public view. “It’s a pretty classic looking piece of equipment.”

“They had that thing literally covered up with tarps out there. It was sad,” Ockomon said.

So, in hopes of giving the downtown district a fresh attraction, Ockomon ordered the city transportation office to get the trolley back on the pavement.

A battery replacement  got the trolley running again. An added benefit of running the trolley, Ockomon said, is that the cost is minimal.

The March to October operation of the trolley costs the city about $7,000 annually including $6,500 for salary and $300 for electricity, a city spokeswoman said.

Since it’s an electric car that runs on a charge, the city does not pay for fuel.

The city assigns a local city bus driver to run the route each day, and she’s become synonymous with the trolley for those who use it often.

Sandy Davis — riders call her by her first name — is sometimes flexible in her routes to accommodate the needs of specific groups.

Although nursing homes in the downtown area were not originally designated as stops on the route, Davis stops at them, picks up elderly residents, and takes them to lunch downtown.

She’s also known to go out of her way to help riders.

On a recent Tuesday, 42-year-old Brian Collins boarded the trolley complaining of chest pains.

Trying to avoid the cost of an ambulance ride to the hospital, Collins boarded the trolley to get a ride to the city bus station where he hoped to get a connecting bus to Saint John’s Medical Center.

When he arrived at the bus stop, he didn’t have bus fare.

Without hesitation, Davis dug into her pants pocket and pulled out a handful of coins, placing them in his hand.

“Thanks, Sandy,” he said, hopping off the trolley to catch the bus. Collins said he works odd jobs and doesn’t have a vehicle of his own.

In a separate incident, Davis went off-route and took a woman to her house when she began having a seizure on the trolley.

“Her husband knew what to do,” Davis said.

Not all riders need heroics from Davis.

Korey Paul and his wife, Amanda, boarded the trolley as an adventure for their 2-year-old daughter, Ellie, one afternoon.

Sitting wedged between her parents on the blond oak of the trolley seat, Ellie perked up as the bell clanged.

“Ding, ding,” she chirped.

“She loves the trolley bus,” Korey Paul said. “We thought it would be a good activity for the toddler to enjoy.”

Amanda Paul said she likes the way the trolley looks as it passes along  downtown Anderson streets. “I enjoy the aesthetic of the trolley for sure.”