The State - News from May 22, 1987

Workers in San Jose painted over the “r” in Challenger, the name on the side of a new trolley, because officials did not want to link the light-rail car to the space shuttle. A panel of judges in a contest to name the trolley chose Challenger to honor the shuttle and its seven crew members, but county transit executives and their public relations firm objected. Workers were called to change the name to Challenge just hours before a ceremony to announce that Michael Fransen of Pacific Grove was the winner. Fransen said he was disappointed “because I thought it should serve not only as the name of the train but as a tribute to the astronauts who died.” The trolley is the first car in the county’s $421-million light-rail system.