Same PCC cars, same narrow industrial streets as in my hometown of Pittsburgh. But we had cobblestones laid between the rails on many routes, even main streets. Thanks for posting these videos!
Thanks for the update. I'm a Johnstown native and as I remember the last visible tracks there were on the Southmont line. There was an old passing siding on Thoburn Street. I think it was paved over in the 1980's. It lasted a long time because the street was concrete.
I live in San Francisco and they have a histroic trolley collection called the F Line. They have restored Trollies from all around the county, and world, that run on a regular basis. We have one of those PCC cars here. I rode that Trolley car the other day. Well not same one in the video, but it did come from Pa. The same color scheme.
General Motors encouraged many cities to get rid of their trolley systems so they had a steady stream of bus orders. the trolleys were rarely replaced and kept running with spare parts for years. the tracks came up almost immediately after decommission with the West penn Railways so they couldn't change their minds!
Very nice footage! When I think of the quintessential small town USA trolley line, JTC. is at the forefront. Incidentally, while JTC 350 is preserved at the PA Trolley Museum it can't operate because of a gauge difference (JTC had standard gauge- Pittsburgh was 6" wider). Your best bet is at the Rockhill Trolley Museum (by East Broad Top Railroad in Orbisonia, PA). They have 350's sister- 355 (which was recently restored) and double truck Birney car 311 (which is also in this movie).
So what happened after 1960? I suppose streetcar system was closed... But what was the reason? It is a pity that so many US cities deleted streetcars! I hope more streetcar and LRT will return. I like PCC. I live in Czech Republic in Central Europe. Our tram systems survived and we are still using your PCC conception.
The Johnstown PCC's were unusually long. The basic PCC design allowed for variations - muti-unit (Cleveland, Boston), three sets of doors with two man crews (Chicago), underground current collection (Washington DC), foot petals bs hand controls In one shot , the back end of the turning PCC has so much overhang in back it intrudes into the the space of the tracks in the opposite direction.
Rockhill Museum operates 355 and 311. 311 is double-truck Birney acquired from Bangor, ME by JTCo in 1940. Also, JTCo 350 has been regauged and now operates at PTM. Also 356 and 357 are at Shoreline Trolley Museum, Branford, CT. 357 operates, 356 is under repair for collision damage. 358 is at Trolley Museum of New York, Kingston, NY. Sadly, 352 was destroyed by fire at National Capital Trolley Museum on September 28, 2003. Hope this helps.
This video reflects the period at the end of the streetcar operation. It has nothing to do with today, so any comment about whether or not the streetcar system should or should not be rebuilt is meaningless.
@krizvasa I think by then parts were getting scarce for the decades-old cars, but from what I have read, the official reason given was that Johnstown was about to introduce one-way traffic patterns to downtown. Most of the routes were tracks embedded in the street for which bus service could easily replace the trolleys. Johnstown does have some unusually wide streets, though, which is a carryover from the days of the trolleys.
I alway wondered what Car 350 looking like when it is running. PTM is hoping someday to restore 350 to operating condition. It is to bad that none of the Johnstown PCC's were preserved. I would have enjoyed them.
It is very bad idea to destroy tram system in the city. Trams are space effective, environmentally friendly. They usually encourage people to use public transport. I wish every city to have good tram system. Trams create cities much more human and nice...
Same PCC cars, same narrow industrial streets as in my hometown of Pittsburgh. But we had cobblestones laid between the rails on many routes, even main streets. Thanks for posting these videos!
Memories! Live in Pittsburgh now, but I was 32 before I moved away.
Thanks for the update. I'm a Johnstown native and as I remember the last visible tracks there were on the Southmont line. There was an old passing siding on Thoburn Street. I think it was paved over in the 1980's. It lasted a long time because the street was concrete.
I remember riding the Trolly's as a child, I have several old Johstown Traction Compay trolly tokens in my collection
I live in San Francisco and they have a histroic trolley collection called the F Line. They have restored Trollies from all around the county, and world, that run on a regular basis. We have one of those PCC cars here. I rode that Trolley car the other day. Well not same one in the video, but it did come from Pa. The same color scheme.
General Motors encouraged many cities to get rid of their trolley systems so they had a steady stream of bus orders. the trolleys were rarely replaced and kept running with spare parts for years. the tracks came up almost immediately after decommission with the West penn Railways so they couldn't change their minds!
Excellent coverage..thanks for sharing.Canada.
Very nice footage! When I think of the quintessential small town USA trolley line, JTC. is at the forefront.
Incidentally, while JTC 350 is preserved at the PA Trolley Museum it can't operate because of a gauge difference (JTC had standard gauge- Pittsburgh was 6" wider).
Your best bet is at the Rockhill Trolley Museum (by East Broad Top Railroad in Orbisonia, PA). They have 350's sister- 355 (which was recently restored) and double truck Birney car 311 (which is also in this movie).
Thanks for uploading Richard's film. Love seeing the colour footage.
JTC car 350, which is featured in the first part of this video has been preserved at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington Pa.
So what happened after 1960? I suppose streetcar system was closed... But what was the reason? It is a pity that so many US cities deleted streetcars! I hope more streetcar and LRT will return. I like PCC. I live in Czech Republic in Central Europe. Our tram systems survived and we are still using your PCC conception.
The Johnstown PCC's were unusually long. The basic PCC design allowed for variations - muti-unit (Cleveland, Boston), three sets of doors with two man crews (Chicago), underground current collection (Washington DC), foot petals bs hand controls
In one shot , the back end of the turning PCC has so much overhang in back it intrudes into the the space of the tracks in the opposite direction.
Chicago, Shaker Heights and some of Detroit's PCCs were also longer; DC's were shortened so they could fit on their shop's transfer tables
Rockhill Museum operates 355 and 311. 311 is double-truck Birney acquired from Bangor, ME by JTCo in 1940. Also, JTCo 350 has been regauged and now operates at PTM. Also 356 and 357 are at Shoreline Trolley Museum, Branford, CT. 357 operates, 356 is under repair for collision damage. 358 is at Trolley Museum of New York, Kingston, NY. Sadly, 352 was destroyed by fire at National Capital Trolley Museum on September 28, 2003. Hope this helps.
This video reflects the period at the end of the streetcar operation. It has nothing to do with today, so any comment about whether or not the streetcar system should or should not be rebuilt is meaningless.
@krizvasa I think by then parts were getting scarce for the decades-old cars, but from what I have read, the official reason given was that Johnstown was about to introduce one-way traffic patterns to downtown.
Most of the routes were tracks embedded in the street for which bus service could easily replace the trolleys. Johnstown does have some unusually wide streets, though, which is a carryover from the days of the trolleys.
@Glentrasna The trackless trolleys ran from @1951 to 11 November 1967. Then, they ceased operations.
Thanks for the list- However, 350 currently sits on a pair of broad gauge shop trucks at PTM for display in their new building. It does not operate.
I alway wondered what Car 350 looking like when it is running. PTM is hoping someday to restore 350 to operating condition. It is to bad that none of the Johnstown PCC's were preserved. I would have enjoyed them.
Bet Johnstown was a great place back then. It's almost a total loss today.
The same electricity that powered the streetcars.
It is very bad idea to destroy tram system in the city. Trams are space effective, environmentally friendly. They usually encourage people to use public transport. I wish every city to have good tram system. Trams create cities much more human and nice...