Thanks for showing what used to be. I live in the Philadelphia, PA area. Our city transit system used to be PTC in the 1950’s till it was taken over by the National City Lines and many of the streetcar lines were converted to buses. We were fortunate in that our two railroad operated suburban train systems operated by the Reading Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad were electrically operated and most are still in existence under our regional transit authority SEPTA. In the city the subway-surface trolley system still exists as well as one surface trolley line. SEPTA also took over several suburban transit companies and on the Red Arrow system still operates two suburban trolley lines that run mostly on private right of way as well as one third rail grade separated interurban type system. At least in the Bay Area they did recreate some of the lost transit by building the BART rail system as well as saving the MUNI line trolley system.
And the irony for the Los Angeles area is that what was largely the Red Line has been restored as the light rail. The predecessor to the MTA in Los Angeles was a major player in the destruction of the Red Line. I remember seeing the trolley cars stacked in Los Angeles harbor prior to be shipped overseas to be scrapped.
If you ask me streetcars need to be expanded across the Bay area again... Modern battery-electric models are now more quiet and comfortable than ever and could do the job effortlessly...
Yep. SF retained its streetcar network and is expanding it. San Jose let it wither but built it back up again since the 80s. Even freaking Marin county brought back their interurban in the form of SMART. Only Oakland keeps making plans to bring back the streetcars again and again in the form or modern light rail but the politicians keep messing it up! We need to bring the streetcars back in Oakland!
Some mention of route-setting and control would be interesting, as well as power generation and distribution. Unseen and unappreciated, but absolutely essential factors.
I lived in the area at this time and recall much of this. There was a tunnel going under the bay that we took. I recall always being most uneasy while under water, fearing what would happen if it should ever break! Also I remember traveling from Oakland (1948) to San Fran by rail. Was there such a thing operating then, underneath the Oakland Bay Bridge? Everything about living in that area I recall with much fondness, 'till moving to Portland in '52.
@@charlessmileyvideos Aha! Sure. Thank you. A little boy's perception of so long a time ago, might well make for such a confusion much later. Your work here is most interesting (and provocative of nice memories) as well as valuable.
If you ask me, Caltrans should have built a tunnel for the trolleys from the East Bay to the Transbay Terminal before retrofitting the bridge for interstate route I-80.
Thanks for showing what used to be. I live in the Philadelphia, PA area. Our city transit system used to be PTC in the 1950’s till it was taken over by the National City Lines and many of the streetcar lines were converted to buses. We were fortunate in that our two railroad operated suburban train systems operated by the Reading Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad were electrically operated and most are still in existence under our regional transit authority SEPTA. In the city the subway-surface trolley system still exists as well as one surface trolley line. SEPTA also took over several suburban transit companies and on the Red Arrow system still operates two suburban trolley lines that run mostly on private right of way as well as one third rail grade separated interurban type system. At least in the Bay Area they did recreate some of the lost transit by building the BART rail system as well as saving the MUNI line trolley system.
I rode the Key System in the 1950's. A wonderful Inturban.
And the irony for the Los Angeles area is that what was largely the Red Line has been restored as the light rail. The predecessor to the MTA in Los Angeles was a major player in the destruction of the Red Line. I remember seeing the trolley cars stacked in Los Angeles harbor prior to be shipped overseas to be scrapped.
There are a few of us who have reminded ourselves of what it used to be like
Do not get me started on that hulk of a terminal
I want it back
If you ask me streetcars need to be expanded across the Bay area again... Modern battery-electric models are now more quiet and comfortable than ever and could do the job effortlessly...
Yep. SF retained its streetcar network and is expanding it. San Jose let it wither but built it back up again since the 80s. Even freaking Marin county brought back their interurban in the form of SMART.
Only Oakland keeps making plans to bring back the streetcars again and again in the form or modern light rail but the politicians keep messing it up! We need to bring the streetcars back in Oakland!
Some mention of route-setting and control would be interesting, as well as power generation and distribution. Unseen and unappreciated, but absolutely essential factors.
I lived in the area at this time and recall much of this.
There was a tunnel going under the bay that we took.
I recall always being most uneasy while under water,
fearing what would happen if it should ever break!
Also I remember traveling from Oakland (1948) to
San Fran by rail. Was there such a thing operating
then, underneath the Oakland Bay Bridge?
Everything about living in that area I recall with much
fondness, 'till moving to Portland in '52.
There was a short "Tube" from Oakland to Alameda but not a one under the bay to SF until BART was built much later.
@@charlessmileyvideos
Aha!
Sure.
Thank you.
A little boy's perception of so long a time ago, might well make for such a confusion much later.
Your work here is most interesting (and provocative of nice memories) as well as valuable.
If you ask me, Caltrans should have built a tunnel for the trolleys from the East Bay to the Transbay Terminal before retrofitting the bridge for interstate route I-80.
Well Key System founder, Borax Smith, proposed that bay-tube around 1915 (IIRC). People laughed. Go figure. BART made the tube decades later.
How was this color film taken?
It was remastered and colored
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐