Editinhg has improved some previous posts.
On Commonwealth Avenue, east of the intersection that is (was) the juntion between thev line to Watertown, the last line abandoned, and the heavy line to Lake Street - Boston College, looking west toward the intersection, which was often called Packards Corner, because of its Packard dealership. with a large display room, located there. Since the roll-sign reads "Park Street via Subway," the PCC is from Watertown. The second editing is for those who wish not to be reminded of the USA's "Golden Calf" of the personal auto. (See the discussion of what the Colorado Higheway Department did to nature's wonderful Castle Gate, discussed on another thread.)
Since the car is signed "Liechemere via Subway," it came from Boston College - Lake Street, va Commonwealth Avenue, not from Watertown via Newton Corner, Allston, and Brighton Avenue.
Back to the Saint Mary Street Portal of theBeaconb Street Line for a view of a PCC rear.
Approaching Andrew Station on a run to Dudley from City Point
1. See correction on the previous posting, Thanks and apologies.
2. On the Beacon Street Line. Being a trolley-car operator is not alway just a shear joy, and true in Jerusalem as in Boston.
City Point - Dudley Station (via Andrew Station, see earlier photo on this thread) was run with all-electric non-mu PCCs (MUed later) during non-rush-hours and Type-5s during rush hours. when nearly all 25 all-electrics were used in the Ciy Point - North Station (via Subway) service. here is a 1945-built all-electric entering the street-level part of Dudley Station.
Inbound to "Park Street via Subway" on the Riverside Line, the ex-Boston & Albany Highland Branch in winter.
Joe Frank and Jack May corrected me: Actually on the Commonwealth Avenue Line.
Commnwealth Avenue Line:
3004 at the Broadway and Tremont Street Subway-Surfsace portals, now unused: This was one of the initial 1940-1941 Pullman (Worcester) built PCCs, originally not MU, but having MU ade aroun 1950.
A later. 1944-1945 PCC at the same location
3180 on the Brighton - Newton - Watertown Line, westbound in Alston. also like the Broadway to City Point and Tremont Street to Egleston lines, now bus, despite the srreetcars having had subway access to downtown.
3184, I think eastnound in Newton:
June 1950 Fan-trip car on the long-abandoned passenger route service connection between Porter Square, Canbride, and Sullevin Square, Sommerville.pproachingvUnion Square.
Photo9 just before the previous one, bothy neasr the St. Marys Street Portal on Beacon Stteet, now the "C" Line. Electric streetcars rasn between here and Coiolidge Corner as part of North Americas third selectyric streetcar line , after Richmond and Willksbarre, as p;azrt of the original Alston - downtown Boston Line. Coolidge Corner - Alston is now part of a bus line, but St. Marys - Coolidge Corner is the earliest North American railway line today, and should have Landmark Status.
e Corner - Reservoir came later.
between St. Marys Street and Coolidge Corner. Harvard Street, dates from 1889, Northy America's The original line between St. Masrys St. and downtowen Boston was replaced by subwasy olperaztgion in sxrtagbes, starting withy the opening olf the Tremont Street subway in 1898.
Dave,
The books you recommended above are fantastic - stirred lots of memories. I'm pleasantly surprised at how many color photos exist from those years.
Thanks again.
Pauley
www.bostontype.com
1949-1950 Winter Sunday single-car operrtation on Beacon Street:
Both books ordered. Thanks again, Dave.
Thanks, Dave.
No, I do not have those books. I'll check them out.
P
I recommend you contact the Boston Street Railway Associationm www.bsra.org. Do you have their Streetcar Lines of the Hub and Boston's MTA? (Two books)
Do you happen to have any interior pictures of Egleston Station from the '50s? I spent quite a bit of time going through that station, but can hardly remember what it looked like.
Come to think of it, Dudley would be of interest as well.
Thanks. Keep those great pics coming. They are greatly appreciated.
Two at the Broadway and Tremont Subway Portal (the 2wnd opened, in 1897, now not used), both with the standee-weindioowe all]-electrics. City Point is normal, bout Treemont St. to Eggleston was normally (in1951 Loop jmay have diverted a City Point car to fill-in a gap for Treemont Street. 3001-3025 were based at the Arborway, the standee-window at City Point.
Thanks!
Great picture.
The Cities Service sign in the background is in Kenmore Square, close to Fenway Park. The famous CITGO sign replaced it in 1965.
Yikes. I remember when it changed!
(Wow. That's a Crosley station wagon!)
An attempt in improvement of the two Commonweakth Avenue photos:
You are all correct. I meant Northeastern and haver corrected the posting. Truth is, in the some total of 19-20 years spent in the Boston-Cambrtidge area, I never once was inside Northeastern U. Inside Symphony Hall, not far away, maybe 1000 times. But I did hear excellant organ recitals on the very beautiful Aeolian Skinner organ at Northwestern (Alice Millard Chapel?). The firm that I worked for 1957-1971, including three years at the Downerrs Grove Office, had been the acoustical advisors, although I was not directly involved.
Thanks for the important correction.
Other photo and information contributions, comments, and questions requested.
PCC streetcars got to Clark and Howard, on the Chicago/Evanston line, about 2 miles from Northwestern U.
I would think so. The closest that any PCC cars got to Northwestern University was on CTA's Evanston Line, now known as the Purple Line.
I'm guessing that in the last post with photos, by Northwestern University you actually meant Northeastern University?
Photos added to previous posting.
Caption on pewvious post corrected.
And I'm editing this post to showe some of the Boston Subway's portals:
Between Haymarket Square and North Station
Treemont Street and Broadway:
Huntington Avenue, near Northeastern University:
Commonweaklth Avenue at Blanton Street
(More work required on these two, apologies)
A very typical ruuf-fan-added "waerime" PCC just overhauled at Everett Shops, Sept. 2949:
On Commonwealth Avenue, at the west switch to the Braves Field Loop, looking west toward "Packard's Corner:"
A rare viusit of asn all-electric to Watertown bC.H., Spring, 1950 fan trip.
Correction, Oak Square is in Allston, not Brighton. Should have remembered, since the Oak Square Loop was the north terminal of the Allston - Dudley streetcar line, that even before WWII, Boston Elevated converted to bus, with the thought of eventually converting all streetcar lines that did not have extensive PRW and/or ran into the Subway. WWII stopped the program, and only after the MTA, now MBTA, took over that it reumed, also converting with lines the Elevated had planned to retain.
"Wartime" PCCs on the Park Street - Watertown line, starting with the short-turn loop at Oak Square, Brighton:
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