The Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District is replacing one of its nine tram car towing units with a Ford Maverick hybrid pickup truck.
The replacement is a test, officials said, and it's not clear if the pickup will stay.
The other eight will remain for now, but the officials with the WSID said they're working to figure out what will become of them.
Officials said the original tram cars date from the 1939 World's Fair and have been in service along the Jersey Shore boardwalk since 1949.
The years of wear and tear have taken its toll, and officials said maintenance on the electric towing units has been a challenge.
Many options were considered to ensure the tram car service can continue for many more years to come, including creating custom built replicas of the existing tram cars.
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"However, after an exhaustive engineering analysis, the upfront cost to construct these units, along with significant operational limitations compared other the current tram cars, made replicas unaffordable and impractical," Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District said.
Officials said there has been no decision at this point on the future of the tow units for the tram cars.