[1] It opened in May 1997 to transport tourists to the adit entrance of the Quincy Mine's Number 5 shaft.
[4] Before the current tram was added, tourists were transported to the adit entrance by van, an indirect and cumbersome method.
The solution of a tram was suggested by the vice president of the Quincy Mine Hoist Association, James R. Vivian Sr.[3] The U.S. Economic Development Administration provided $420,000 in funds with a matching $200,000 raised by the Hoist Association.
The tramcar, designed by Phil Quenzi, was built by Royale Construction Inc. of Kearsarge, Michigan and the grading and tracking laying was carried out by MJO Construction of Hancock, Michigan.
It has a passenger capacity of 28 with a top speed of 10 mph (16 km/h) on shallow grades.