Machinery carving a road to the future has unearthed a trail from the past. Reminders of Omaha's old trolley system are surfacing as layers of Farnam Street are being peeled away.

In March of 1955, an Omaha trolley was running for the last time through downtown. The convenience of cars and buses forced the trolleys into retirement leaving behind 95 years of history.

Pieces of that history have been buried under pavement for decades but utility work on Farnam near Mutual of Omaha has turned up pieces of rail used in the trolley system.

Papillion's Bill Lange says, "I'm kind of fascinated by some of the old history of it. And then you just see it right before your eyes, you know."

"I think it's pretty cool," says Diane Decker of Omaha. "Show some history of the city. My kids would love it."

Leo Smith is the Executive Director of the Durham Museum and he's not surprised to hear about buried rails. He has many fond memories of the trolley.

"I always tried to sit in the back. I always like to watch people," he said.

"You get on with your friends and you go downtown. You get on at school and you go home. It was a fun, fun time. It was a time to socialize as well as to travel."

Smith says the first trolley in Omaha began service in 1860 and was pulled by horses. By the 1880s trolleys ran on rails and were powered by electricity.

A trolley built in 1919 is currently on display at the Durham Museum and Smith says, "A vehicle like this provided some of the earliest mass transportation and conveniences to a growing population and vibrant community of Omaha and Council Bluffs."

You can learn more about the history of trolleys and the railroad in Omaha this weekend during Railroad Days. The Durham Museum is one of the sites for the event that runs Saturday and Sunday at five locations in Omaha and Council Bluffs. Click here.