Random Photos of Trolley Cars

1914 Madison Avenue, New York City

Jackson at McKinney, looking northeast. In the foreground is a Galveston-Houston Interurban

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

The real story of Oklahoma City's former interurbans, they ran from OKC outward to Yukon, in the West of the state; North to Guthrie; East to Shawnee, Okla.   In addition they had miles of trackage throughout Oklahoma City, connecting all parts and a main means of getting around.  Just as shown in the movie "Who Shot Roger Rabbit ?", General Motors Corp. bought the entire system, tracks and equipment, in 1947 and immediately scrapped every bit of it, replacing it for the city with GM manufactured motor buses.  How many times, in how many American cities and towns, did this occur?  Not one single OKC streetcar preserved for history...…….. only black and white photos.

Jesse   TCA

By the late 20s most trolley systems were losing money hand over fist and going belly up. It is in the records. I think the high point of trolleys and interurbans was 1920. Not GM's fault.

Cities like New York caused the demise of street car lines by freezing fares regardless of operating cost increases. New York City froze the street car fare at 5 cents.

GM, Firestone, and oil companies were also responsible for the demise of street car lines Jesse says.

NYC also froze subway & EL fares at 5 cents.  It was a political issue, as candidates promised to hold the nickel fare.

Bobby Ogage posted:

Cities like New York caused the demise of street car lines by freezing fares regardless of operating cost increases. New York City froze the street car fare at 5 cents.

GM, Firestone, and oil companies were also responsible for the demise of street car lines Jesse says.

 

From what I've read the demise of New York City's early surface transportation was due to both Mayor La Guardia and Robert Moses wanting to transform the city and the surrounding boroughs into what was their idea of a modern society.  That model did not include what they considered old and outmoded forms of transportation such as trolleys, elevateds and the like.  Highway, cars and buses were the way to go.  After all these years don't they wish they still had some of those outmoded forms of transportation?  

Capitol Hill In Seatle, 1903City of Philledelphia Car 4

          http://www.croygenealogy.com/theinterurbanera.html

Erie Street Railway #601

Newton, Massachusetts???

Hudson Valley & Schenectady Cars @ Saratoga, New York

Hudson Valley Car 60 In Warrensburg, NY

Hudson Valley Car 161

All from Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Milwaukee Cars

Trolley cars in the snow:

Montreal & Southern Counties

Cars 13 nee Morris County Traction Co. Morristown, NJ

Alexandria, Louisiana

Milwaukee

Nashville, TennesseeNewark, NJ

Great stuff.  I've just finished reading an Arcadia Publishing book about Montgomery County, Pa. trolleys.  And have already read a couple of others about Philadelphia's trolleys.  I am old enough to recall riding the older type, what I call the New Orleans type, trolleys.  I also have been around long enough to remember the trolley depot in Willow Grove, Pa.  

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a time machine, just to be able to visit those times.