That would be neat if Septa were to revive 23. A section downtown was running as a seasonal tourist loop as recently as the late '90s. I think it was from Girard ave to Bainbridge street, using PCCs painted in the old PTC and Red Arrow colors.
At one time, route 23 was touted as the longest streetcar route in the country. I'm guessing they were referring to modern times.
daveklepperNot all Providence streetcars were burned in Porvidence. Some surplus before WWII went to Washington, DC, and Richmond, VA and ran during WWII there. Providence's post-war trolleybuses went to Boston.
Dave,
I don't remember anything from before WWII as I was not quite 2 years old when the war started. And I did not see the Providence streetcars burned. But in my mind's eye I can see that picture in the "Evening Bulletin" as clearly as if I had seen it yesterday. It was a hugh pile of streetcars and they were all to be burned.
I did find on the internet one reference to Providence streetcars operating as late as 1948. I was 8 years old then and I suppose that is the time I saw the picture. And of course I cannot swear that every last streetcar was in that pyre. But there were a lot of them.
John
PS. Surfing around I also found an article about a guy who found one Providence streetcar and his work restoring it. And the Mayor of Providence wants to bring back streetcars to Providence.
It would also be nice if SEPTA revived 56, which was suspended at the same time as 23 and 15.
Northwest,
I dug out my trusty 1948 PTC map to locate route 56. Do you know if that line is still intact, wire and all?
Did a Google Streetview tour:
East of where Erie Avenue becomes Torresville Avenue, nothing is left.
Tracks and wire are in place from Erie and Torresville to Erie and Germantown Ave, where the tracks connect to the tracks of the 23.
Tracks are gone from Erie and Germantown to the loop at West Hunting Park and 23rd, but oddly the wire is in place.
Other notes of interest:
Luzerne Car barn still exists, and tracks go up from Erie Avenue around the building, but all tracks to the building have been cut and it is in use as a distribution center, with loading docks where the tracks were.
There is a track connection along Old York Road from Germantown Ave to Erie Ave.
Where Germantown Crosses Broad Street, there is a gap in the tracks of the 23.
looks llike 23 is doable, but 56 lots more difficult.
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