from prior post: "The WWII count - I have not much of a clue. I do know that PA had something going on in Pittsburgh, Red Arrow and PTC in Phila, Laurel Lines in Scranton /Wilkes Barre and a trolley line in Johnstown, so that's 5. Might there have been more? Perhaps Hershey-Harrisburg? Scranton proper? Erie? I don't know."
So you're saying you don't know the answer to the first part of your question??
al-in-chgo from prior post: "The WWII count - I have not much of a clue. I do know that PA had something going on in Pittsburgh, Red Arrow and PTC in Phila, Laurel Lines in Scranton /Wilkes Barre and a trolley line in Johnstown, so that's 5. Might there have been more? Perhaps Hershey-Harrisburg? Scranton proper? Erie? I don't know." So you're saying you don't know the answer to the first part of your question??
Is not my question! I was 2 questions ago.
It's Dave Keppler's question...a HARD one (for me, anyway)
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
I see some clarification is in order. It doesn't matter if the lines were or are owned by a Transit Authority. The River Line isn't important, because Jersey Transit has two trolley operations anyway, the Hudson Bergan County Light Rail and the Newark Subway, also light rail, so the River Line is a third line.
Nobody has the answer righit now, and there are a number of both existing a WWII systems, lots of the latter, that have not been discussed. I suspect with a little homework someone will get the exact answers. But again, operations owned by transit authorities or subsidiaries of steam railroads (like the Sacramento Northern being as subsidiary of Western Pacific) are definitely also included. There are a few ringers that nobody seems to remember or think about!
Iowa back when, and maybe New York now. Do you count IRT, BMT, IND, SIRT and PATH?
Using the Iowa Trolleys book (CERA bulletin 114) here is what Iowa had during WWII. Some of them were on their last legs and the war postponed their abandonments. There were a few that I didn't list that quit just prior to WWII.
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Ry, It's still operating as a freight only, diesel powered short line.
Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern, eventually became the Waterloo RR and still exists, but no longer in Iowa on it's original line. WLO are the reporting marks.
Ft Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Ry. The trackage the Boone & Scenic Valley RR operates on is exFDDMS. During the season you can even ride a trolley from their depot to the downtown and back.
Des Moines and Central Iowa Ry.
Des Moines Ry. A street and interurban in the Des Moines Metro area. One of their bridges and right of way is now a trail.
Omaha & Council Bluffs Sreet Ry. They used the IC bridge over the Missouri River.
Sioux City Service Co.
Charles City and Western Ry.
The above had passenger service of some kind during WWII. The Mason City and Clear Lake RR had substituted bus service during the 1930s, but retained an interurban car for service during the winter when the busses couldn't operate on snow covered roads. It still exists as the Iowa Traction RR, using electric operation.
Although not part of the question, two freight only operations existed under wire during WWII.
Iowa Transfer Ry. A switching company in Des Moines. The last I heard, a few years ago, it still exists on paper and the IAIS does any switching.
Southern Iowa Ry. The company lasted longer than WWII, but had abandoned regular passenger service in the 1930s.
Now Des Moines has one of those busses that look like a trolley. Every now and then there is a big push to increase ridership in DM and they tout their trolley. How it's just like what their grandparents used to ride. To me, it's still just a bus.
I don't know how this stacks up with other states, and I have no idea of present day operations. I just thought I'ld write.
Jeff
Hi guys,
Can we start a new version of this for 2009? As you may have noticed, I've been doing some early spring cleaning by locking some of the huge threads around the forum and asking for new editions to be started. This is a process that will be happening more frequently from now on.
Thanks for understanding. Be sure to link back to this edition when you start the new version.
Erik
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