Of the many places in and around Pittsburgh where I lived at, when you recorded this video I would've been living on Nobles Lane. The Overbrook line was just a little walk down the hill. Or maybe I was living in Dravosburg then... Memories tend to blur over time, and I was drunk most of the time then anyways. Either way, when I was a little kid the trolleys still turned around at the Carrick Loop. When my parents were young, there were interurbans all the way to Little Worshington. Trolleys everywhere, trains everywhere... My dad took the train from Monessen to Pittsburgh everyday to go to Robert Morris.
At some point, the Port Authority decided they could make revenue by turning the streetcars into advertisements. Before that, the cars were red body with cream on the roof. The car in San Francisco that mimics the Pittsburgh streetcars is painted in that color scheme.
@@ArtStoneUS There's some interest at Market Street Railway (the non-profit that maintains/retrofits the F Market streetcars) in painting a streetcar in the "Mod Desire" scheme. I think that would be so cool and it seems like a good fit for San Francisco. :)
@@Rubycon99 the reason that the streetcar museum in Washington Pennsylvania has the "streetcar named desire" is because New Orleans used the non-standard "Pennsylvania Broad Gauge" used in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. While San Francisco has the PCC cars with the color schemes of other cities, they run on standard gauge, and mostly came from Toronto and I think they got a few when the subway in Newark NJ switched to LRVs in 2001. New Orleans never had PCC cars and since the Perley Thomas cars there are not standard gauge, you will probably never see one run on Market Street. That would make painting a PCC using the colors of New Orleans a bit anachronistic.
@@ArtStoneUS No, "Mod Desire" was this crazy psychedelic paint scheme one of the Pittsburgh PCCs had with that title written in big pink and yellow letters on the side. :) Actually, most of the original F Market streetcars where from Philadelphia, converted to standard gauge of course. They did get some Newark cars later though, like you said. It's easy to tell which one you're on from the windows. The Philly ones just slide up and down, while the Newark ones have safety bars and levers to roll them up/down like an old car. Muni did acquire some Toronto streetcars, but that was back in the 70's. They left them in their red liverys and just replaced the TCC logo with their briefly used ribbon logo.
The Allentown line was reconstructed to carry the LRV and doubled track there was a 52 Allentown bus service that started at S.H. Jct via Warrington Ave to Mt Oliver St to S 18th onto E Carson into downtown Pittsburgh using the Smithfield st bridge or the 10th st bridge it was one of those bridges
You are right! My bad. I think at that time they were still working on the Dormont/Mt. Lebanon tunnel. I think all the lines were running beyond Washington Junction.via Overbrook. Thanks for the correction.
@@vidwilzvids9587exactly!! Back then it’s as it is now(though now only open when the LRT has a detour/reroute), the road ends near that gate and it’s just tracks.
Better days. Now if you go and record the trolley going from south hills to station square, I'm sure the cops will show up asking what youre doing. Asking for ID. Tryng to get you to jail somehow.
It's been so long since I've been to Pittsburgh so I'm not up on current operations. Hopefully a local will see your question or another channel will show some current operations.
It must have been for the same reasons that other cities did likewise. Somebody with more knowledge than myself about Pittsburgh trolleys can probably provide a more detailed explanation. Maybe a subscriber.
Folks allowed themselves to be suckered and swindled by General Motors into replacing streetcars with busses. That's basically it, in a nutshell, unfortunately.
CrazyBear65 actually I don't see where in most cities the actual citizenry had a lot to say about the demise of the street railways. The transit authorities or municipal governments thought they would be saving money by not keeping up the street railway system and vehicles instead purchasing buses and encouraging more automobiles on the streets and freeways.
1. Trolleys need tracks and rights-of-way maintained but buses can use streets that are already maintained for cars and trucks. 2. Trolleys can't bypass a fire, an accident, a parade, road construction, etc. and buses can easily do this at any time. 3. Trolleys are dangerous for debarking passengers and buses are not. 4. Trolley overhead wires are unsightly and stupid.
@joe stewart What is it with your hatred of trolley’s? Did they personally attack you or something? I see you going after them on everybody’s videos including mine, dropping dislikes for no reason...there’s a lot more serious things to be concerned about...get a life...
Sheeze----it took 13 minutes into the video to finally get outta the South Hills Junction & do a few other city scenes where theres actually some city life----too bad nothing from downtown.
I commend you for the great footage at a time when this technology was rarely available.
I love watching the PCC’s crossing the track switches! So very cool! PWG
I Love this video of the PCC streetcars, I wish I grew up in Pittsburgh.
Of the many places in and around Pittsburgh where I lived at, when you recorded this video I would've been living on Nobles Lane. The Overbrook line was just a little walk down the hill. Or maybe I was living in Dravosburg then... Memories tend to blur over time, and I was drunk most of the time then anyways. Either way, when I was a little kid the trolleys still turned around at the Carrick Loop. When my parents were young, there were interurbans all the way to Little Worshington. Trolleys everywhere, trains everywhere... My dad took the train from Monessen to Pittsburgh everyday to go to Robert Morris.
I always liked Pittsburgh; thought about moving there when I retired. Wife doesn't like cold weather. Thanks for the comment.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks again for the comments.
hello from Mount Oliver!!!!
Washington, Pa. and the Arden trolley museum at Washington still operates today…..ms~~~
The Budweiser trolley suvived the pcc cutback in 1988
That was 1745; is it still around? Thanks for the comment.
It's so interesting that Pittsburgh didn't seem to have a set livery for its trolleys. Does anyone know why?
I'm sure it's a long story involving opposing political persuasions. I'm sure somebody knows the details.
At some point, the Port Authority decided they could make revenue by turning the streetcars into advertisements. Before that, the cars were red body with cream on the roof. The car in San Francisco that mimics the Pittsburgh streetcars is painted in that color scheme.
@@ArtStoneUS There's some interest at Market Street Railway (the non-profit that maintains/retrofits the F Market streetcars) in painting a streetcar in the "Mod Desire" scheme. I think that would be so cool and it seems like a good fit for San Francisco. :)
@@Rubycon99 the reason that the streetcar museum in Washington Pennsylvania has the "streetcar named desire" is because New Orleans used the non-standard "Pennsylvania Broad Gauge" used in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. While San Francisco has the PCC cars with the color schemes of other cities, they run on standard gauge, and mostly came from Toronto and I think they got a few when the subway in Newark NJ switched to LRVs in 2001.
New Orleans never had PCC cars and since the Perley Thomas cars there are not standard gauge, you will probably never see one run on Market Street. That would make painting a PCC using the colors of New Orleans a bit anachronistic.
@@ArtStoneUS No, "Mod Desire" was this crazy psychedelic paint scheme one of the Pittsburgh PCCs had with that title written in big pink and yellow letters on the side. :)
Actually, most of the original F Market streetcars where from Philadelphia, converted to standard gauge of course. They did get some Newark cars later though, like you said. It's easy to tell which one you're on from the windows. The Philly ones just slide up and down, while the Newark ones have safety bars and levers to roll them up/down like an old car. Muni did acquire some Toronto streetcars, but that was back in the 70's. They left them in their red liverys and just replaced the TCC logo with their briefly used ribbon logo.
The Allentown line was reconstructed to carry the LRV and doubled track there was a 52 Allentown bus service that started at S.H. Jct via Warrington Ave to Mt Oliver St to S 18th onto E Carson into downtown Pittsburgh using the Smithfield st bridge or the 10th st bridge it was one of those bridges
Though it was the south side use to take it to the roller skating ring. It would pull up right in front
The streetcars were great. When my mom would get mad she'd tell me: go play on the tracks. 😂
i have to correct you on the title the overbrook line was open it was the beechview line that was still closed
You are right! My bad. I think at that time they were still working on the Dormont/Mt. Lebanon tunnel. I think all the lines were running beyond Washington Junction.via Overbrook. Thanks for the correction.
I’m glad Philadelphia brought back one of its PCC lines
PCC's are like an amusement ride through the past.
I'd much rather see streetcars than buses.
Why didn't they follow the little transit mobile at the finish of this here film?
It turned onto a "trolleys only" bridge.
@@vidwilzvids9587exactly!! Back then it’s as it is now(though now only open when the LRT has a detour/reroute), the road ends near that gate and it’s just tracks.
Better days. Now if you go and record the trolley going from south hills to station square, I'm sure the cops will show up asking what youre doing. Asking for ID. Tryng to get you to jail somehow.
Doesn’t the PAT still use a PCC for Steelers games or when there’s construction?
It's been so long since I've been to Pittsburgh so I'm not up on current operations. Hopefully a local will see your question or another channel will show some current operations.
Nope. They stopped the PCCs in 1999.
@@DoctorEw220 Not on regular service of course.
Nope, the last PCCs were retired in 1999.
What year did the 52 line close for construction
Don't know. There's no service on the line now but it is occasionally used to bypass the tunnel.
Why did they get rid of most of their streetcar lines?
It must have been for the same reasons that other cities did likewise. Somebody with more knowledge than myself about Pittsburgh trolleys can probably provide a more detailed explanation. Maybe a subscriber.
Folks allowed themselves to be suckered and swindled by General Motors into replacing streetcars with busses. That's basically it, in a nutshell, unfortunately.
CrazyBear65 actually I don't see where in most cities the actual citizenry had a lot to say about the demise of the street railways. The transit authorities or municipal governments thought they would be saving money by not keeping up the street railway system and vehicles instead purchasing buses and encouraging more automobiles on the streets and freeways.
1. Trolleys need tracks and rights-of-way maintained but buses can use streets that are already maintained for cars and trucks. 2. Trolleys can't bypass a fire, an accident, a parade, road construction, etc. and buses can easily do this at any time. 3. Trolleys are dangerous for debarking passengers and buses are not. 4. Trolley overhead wires are unsightly and stupid.
@joe stewart What is it with your hatred of trolley’s? Did they personally attack you or something? I see you going after them on everybody’s videos including mine, dropping dislikes for no reason...there’s a lot more serious things to be concerned about...get a life...
Sheeze----it took 13 minutes into the video to finally get outta the South Hills Junction & do a few other city scenes where theres actually some city life----too bad nothing from downtown.
Sorry. I was just trying to get as many PCC's as I could in the pouring rain. Did you miss Part 1? You'll probably give me a dislike on that one too.