Back in the '50's, in New Orleans, we lived a few blocks from the car barn. They were removing several streetcar lines, and we'd see a flat bed truck trailer go by with half a streetcar on it, then a little later we'd see the other half go by. It was sad--it looked like they were brutally torn apart. Many years later, I read that it had been observed in other parts of the country that scrapped cars were littering the countryside, used as sheds or whatever, and they wanted to avoid the unsightly scene.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
You're welcome Miningman, I hope everyone gets to see and enjoy them.
I'm scratching my head at "...cut in half to prevent re-use..." Re-use by whom? Scrapping is scrapping, and if some-one else was interested in purchasing the cars for re-use what would Public Service care, as long as they made money on it? I guess we'll never know. It's a bit of a puzzler.
I found the shots of the New York Central's Weehawken terminal very interesting, it was the terminus for the West Shore Line, now CSX's River Subdivision, although CSX doesn't go there anymore, the River Sub terminates in a yard in North Bergen NJ now, that Weehawken facility's long gone.
You know, my second-oldest memory is of a steam locomotive on the West Shore, I can close my eyes and still see it, the NYC ran steam there as late as 1956 from what I've read, which would have made me three years old at the time.
My oldest memory? That's of a very beautiful young woman at the kitchen sink, and then a very handsome young man with a brown-bag lunch coming in and kissing her goodbye, as he was leaving for work.
OK now, everybody say "Awwwwwww..."
As the great Sir Winston Churchill said in the brilliant opening of his autobiography, "Who is it can say when memory begins?"
Very very nice Firelock76. Thanks for finding and posting these.
The song is terrific...now that requires some talent to pull that off.
The NJ transit systems films are enough to bring a tear to the eyes of even Dave K. Love that scene as they go by a New York Central service facility with steam locos on the ready. Who's the guy on a horse? Must be the police.
They are an excellent little video to show to new generations as to what we have lost. Those streetcars could turn on a dime literally and the films really do demonstrate that several times.
They cut the cars in half, even with the poles still up, to prevent re-use.....good grief. That is the kind of stuff that stabs us old softies right in the gut.
Clean, efficient, reliable mass transit the way it's supposed to be.
Hey! Watch that "Heavy dew? Half the schools in NJ would be closed" stuff!
We was tough in the Jersey 'burbs! Walked ten miles to school in the snow, uphill in both directions, in MAY!
Seriously, the Paramus NJ school system (Which Lady Firestorm and I attended) was served by an independant school bus company at the time. (1960's) Their criterion was if a school bus could get up the Century Road hill in the snow, schools opened. If it couldn't, no school.
Very rarely were schools closed for snow. Now, down here in the Richmond VA area where we live now they close the schools for a heavy frost!
Oh, and I remember "Rambling With Gambling" very well indeed! Very enjoyable radio show, and I really enjoyed it when John Gambling's father, John B, who originated the show in 1925 used to fill in for his son. John B. had a very charming British accent and was a World War One veteran.
Talk about triggering a memory, on one show where John B. filled in for his son he played a song called "A Scottish Soldier" that I never forgot and I didn't hear again for nearly forty years. Heard it at a Scottish festival here in Richmond, stopped me dead in my tracks when I heard it, and found it on You Tube not too long ago. Here it is, and any veterans out there will appreciate it, if you've ever worn a uniform you'll "get it." Very moving.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OSOKUmyTUY
Really drifting away from trolleys at this point!
OK, getting us back to trolleys...
Found a really neat video of Public Service trolleys in Union City NJ in 1949. Priceless, both for the trolleys AND the automobiles! And remember, these trolleys were probably the last of the last, aside from the Newark subway trolleys which survive today, although they certainly don't look like these cars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5COMjqDULX4
Pretty good, huh? Want some more? OK, I'm eager to please! Here's some more Public Service action, from Union City NJ to Weehawken, to Newark, to Caldwell, and points all 'round. In addition to the trolleys look for the "All Service Vehicles" and the PCC's, plus some Public Service buses. Thank goodness for those who had the foresight to capture these scenes on film!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZraaMXh3WS8
Fascinating for me since I have no memories of these things at all, except the buses.
Yeah, me too. My mother had the kitchen radio permanently tuned to WOR with Rambling with John Gambling. They would have school closing annnouncments on that station. Heavy dew? Half the schools in New Jersey would be closed. Major blizzard? Nope, on Long Island you've got to go to school!
It seems as a kid in the New York area in the 50s, I watched as much of independent channel 5, 9, 11, and 13, as the network channels.
Not at all! "King Kong," "Son of Kong," and "Mighty Joe Young" were over on Channel 9, WOR. If memory serves they came on in the early afternoon right after "March Of The Wooden Soldiers" finished on Channel 11.
Oh hell, yeah! March of the Wooden Soldiers- every Thanksgiving. Look close, you see a mouse tossing a brick at a cat; A tribute to the best cartoonist ever to live, the late, lamented George Herriman of Krazy Kat legend! And then there's King Kong and his little brother, Mighty Joe Young! Every Thanksgiving too or am I wrong about the apes?
54light15 Speaking of Officer Joe, there's Captain Jack McCarthy- I recall him announcing the St. Patrick's Day parade and I recall him getting loaded near the end. The story was that people would give him shots of Jameson's during the commercials.
Speaking of Officer Joe, there's Captain Jack McCarthy- I recall him announcing the St. Patrick's Day parade and I recall him getting loaded near the end. The story was that people would give him shots of Jameson's during the commercials.
OH, so THAT'S why his Irish brogue got heavier and heavier as the parade went on! I always wondered.
I'll say this much, both Captain Jack and Officer Joe had wonderful speaking voices. In addition to the kids shows they hosted they also did station voice-over's, newscasts, you name it. Ol' WPIX in New York had quite a staff of pinch-hitters.
Speaking of WPIX, anyone remember this on Channel 11 Thanksgiving Day?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC5Ltba-dUM
Hey, they left out the bayonet charge! I'm gonna fix that right now! OOO-RAH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDdhg8CyeUo
All you old Channel 11 kids are gonna love this!
Absolutely nothing to do with trolleys, I know, but as long as we're on a New York area nostalgia roll we've just got to go with it, right?
Terrific scenes of steam, a wide variety, and equipment, for Sante Fe fans and steam historians. Lots there in the opening scene at the roundhouse.
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/97331975
http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/16/obituaries/joseph-bolton-3d-75-officer-joe-on-wpix.html
Firelock76 Hard to believe Officer Joe would be over 100 years old now if he wasn't still dead.
I did not know as a kid that Joe Bolton had a LONG career in broadcasting, starting in 1927, and was a respected senior figure when he took up kids' programming (I was too young to remember anything but the Stooges and Dick Tracy).
I have to wonder who is programming sidebars these days: Joe’s 100th anniversary came back in 2010. It's not exactly breaking news. [Corrected from confusing and mistaken statement that he died that year]
Firelock76 I mean, what kid doesn't enjoy seeing grown men making total fools of themselves?
Me. I remember in grade school hearing other kids talking about them, but when I did see them as a short feature at a movie, I thought it was all just stupid violence. Then, in my fifties, I started watching them on TV re-runs and started to appreciate them. Second childhood?
I find You Tube videos pop up whenever they pop up. Seems it's whenever the poster feels like posting it.
On the other hand, it may have been there for a while. Sometimes they show themselves if they've got something to do with another posted vid.
I was suprised myself that Joe Bolton got his start in broadcasting at the age of 17, can you imagine the mature speaking voice he had at that age to make it in radio?
I'll say this much for him, even though he never was a real one Joe Bolton really looked like a New York City cop!
A correction: Joe died in 1986. The You Tube video's from 2010.
He's still dead- I'm still laughing!
Firelock76Hard to believe Officer Joe would be over 100 years old now if he wasn't still dead.
If it helps any, he is over 100 years old now even if he is still dead.
I have to wonder who is programming sidebars these days: Joe died in 2010. It's not exactly breaking news.
I remember Officer Joe very well myself, also how enjoyable it was to come home from a hard day at school and turn on the Stooges. I mean, what kid doesn't enjoy seeing grown men making total fools of themselves?
Hard to believe Officer Joe would be over 100 years old now if he wasn't still dead.
Good times.
Firelock, thanks for the Palisades videos- I sure remember the song. On the first one, the guy in the bowler hat at .43 I am sure is Fatty Arbuckle. When the video came up, on the side was another about Officer Joe Bolton's 100th birthday- I loved that guy! Officer Joe and the Three Stooges, what a great thing to watch after school.
CSSHEGEWISCH is correct.
I stand corrected.
MidlandMike I always wondered what was meant by "radial railway".
I always wondered what was meant by "radial railway".
I believe it refers to a rail system with very tight radius curves.
My God, when did Freddie "Boom-Boom" Cannon turn 80?
And I stand corrected, Palisades Park was opened by Bergen Traction Company, I though it just sprang up as an independent operation.
Bergen Traction eventually became part of the Public Service Co-Ordinated Transit trolley system.
Here's a goodie I found, it's a song from 1904 called "On A Good Old Trolley Ride," brought to you courtesy of Mr. Edison's wonderful talking machine and the magic of You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d3TDPE0K2c
Halton Radial Railway Museum is the correct name. Of the Hamilton Street Railway streetcar fleet there is, and they have, only the body of car #521 built by National Steel Car. It is pending restoration.
The museum also has 2 of the HSR trolley buses.
They have a lot of equipment and some of it running on their own track.
Just go to Halton Radial Railway Museum for more information.
Dave Klepper- Thanks so much for that. It's possible that the Halton County Railway Museum has one of Hamiltons cars.
As far as I know, the Hamilton arch-roof cars were built after WWII, and were the last North American streetcars built (until Portland, OR started the true streetcar revival) that were not PCCs, except the interurban-suburban Red Arrow St. Louis-built cars that had double-end PCC bodies, two saved and now being rebuilt as true PCCs for San Francisco E-line streetcar service. All pre-WWII Hamilton cars had deck-roofs, like Atlanta's, still being steel one-man safetly cars. And Hamilton's streetcars were well maintained to the end. As noted, the replacements were trackless trolleys. And I presume at least one Hamilton streetcar was preserved.
Hard to find photos of Hamilton Street Railway streetcars.
I rode these as a kid as described above.
Maybe Dave K. Could shed some light .
Car 417. Note different colour doors compared to car 409 above.
Four photos: Eugene Van Dusen/Joseph Testagrose Collection
HSR 526 on Belt Line route. One of 48 cars built by National Steel Car
Firelock76 Palisades Amusement Park in Cliffside Park NJ, now gone, had a symbiotic relationship with the local trolley lines. No trolley company built it, but they sure made money bringing patrons to the park. If you're from that part of the country like I am, and you remember, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOjvDVO3Jzw
Palisades Amusement Park in Cliffside Park NJ, now gone, had a symbiotic relationship with the local trolley lines. No trolley company built it, but they sure made money bringing patrons to the park.
If you're from that part of the country like I am, and you remember, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOjvDVO3Jzw
Freddy Cannon at 80
http://www.gettyimages.com/license/97299674
Excerpt from NY Times, Sept. 13, 1981
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/13/nyregion/palisades-park-just-a-memory.html?mcubz=3
The park was opened in 1895 by the Bergen Traction Company, a trolley line hoping to attract evening and weekend riders by featuring the park as the carrier's terminus. The park overlooked the Hudson River, straddling what is now Cliffside Park and Fort Lee. Between 1907 and 1909, it introduced a crude potpourri of diversions, including a Ferris wheel, a baby parade and diving horses. In 1910, the Realty Trust Company purchased the property, promising that the park would be ''devoted to families, ladies and children ... a perfectly safe and sane place to visit.'' To lure New Yorkers, the company built a scenic railroad that ran from the ferry slip in Edgewater up to the park. At the time, and despite a local newspaper's praise of the company's efforts, 60 separate affidavits were filed by residents angered over the noise caused by the train's whistle and the park itself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hudson_County_Railway
To get back on track:
They ripped up the tracks in Hamilton and replaced the streetcars with rubber tired trolley buses. I did not like them.
Seemed like every time I glanced at one the driver was outside with that long pole trying to get his contact back with the wires. Everyday common occurance. Especially on turns.
Also the wires created a spaghetti mess in the sky above you, especially at four way corners and other intersections. Looked like heck.
Eventually replaced slowly (started in the 70's but the last late into the 90's) by stinky black smoke belching Diesels. Really hated them. Those things stopped everywhere and when your walking along the sidewalk you would inevitably get skunked by the exhaust as it pulled out from a stop.
Hamilton Street Railway, HSR, ran an express Diesel bus, very limited stops, from Burlington to Hamilton over the Skyway bridge that got me to my Grandma's Fish and Chip shop for Thurs, Friday and Sat. nights where I delivered fish and chips wrapped in newspaper on a bicycle like a crazed weasel. The windows opened on that bus, and I would lean on my elbow at the open window and peer at the great view of the steel works along the shoreline of Bulington Bay. That bus easily hit 75mph over the bridge which is part of the Queen Elizabeth Highway (QEW). It was very lightly patronized, at times I was the only one. Would sit near the back and have a smoke!...t was a safe place where I would not get into trouble. I was 13, 14. That is the one and only good memory of riding a Diesel bus. Looked forward to those trips as my private chauffeur at speed where I could sneak a smoke, lean out the window and the world was mine!
Now that would not happen today under any circumstances. The driver would probably be charged!
None of them had the charm of the streetcars, which I also rode as a youngster wth my mom. Loved that clang clang. The lighting was warm, not like in the buses, and to a kid the car seemed so big and safe...very serious seats and steps! Every time was an adventure.
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