You mean when bankrupt streetcar companies sold their systems to GM, and GM did what the old company was going to do anyway, stop running the streetcars because they lost money? GM paid money for bankrupt streetcar systems, shut them down, and then they did something that the old company would not have done, GM put buses in service on the old streetcar routes. Yep, GM went above and beyond what they were obligated to do for public transportation. But the choo choo fetishists are only aroused by rails, so GM is the wicked witch in their eyes. It's interesting that the companies that built the streetcar systems don't get any hate because they only built the systems to get people to buy the far-flung houses and real estate that the company was actually making its money off of. They are the ones who built the stretched out suburbs.
Before they developed electric motors to where they could power a streetcar, they came up with cable cars. Cable cars didn't last very long, roughly 20 years. As soon as the electric streetcars were developed, the cable cars were taken out of commision. They had them in several cities around the world, and all of the big cities in the U.S. San Francisco kept their cable cars running in the steepest areas of town because streetcars couldn't climb the hills due to lack of traction. Many people think San Francisco is the only town that ever had cable cars, but they were very common. They are inefficient with power because the cable runs through hundreds of shivs (pulleys) that allow the cable to go around corners. Other shivs keep the cable at the right height in the trench. Another problem with them is how complicated it is run multiple routes in a town with crossing cables. The car operator on a line with the "bottom cable" has to release his grip to drop the cable when he comes to an intersection with a crossing cable. The car coasts across the intersection, then the operator drops his grip back down to pick his cable up again. The operators on the line with the "top cable" didn't have to drop and pick up again. Cables wear out, and a frayed cable can snag on a car's grip making it impossible for it to stop. Cars have crashed because the cable was not able to be released. Cable cars are quaint, and they work on hills where streetcars won't, but they are not a perfect solution.
Dunedin, New Zealand was one such city with cable cars thanks to its steep hills. There’s a preservation group that’s saved two of the original cable cars that operated in Dunedin that have been restored and the ultimate goal is to rebuild one of the cable car routes and operate them as a tourist attraction as well as a public transit service. dunedincablecars.co.nz/index.html
@@ChrisJones-gx7fc That's interesting. Are the original tracks and cable conduits still in the ground? They will have to deal with a lot of challenges, and expenses to get a system running if they have to make a new cable conduit system from scratch.
I wouldn't count on the iphone games being of any interest to ray norton, but i do have the hiawatha locomotive as part of my locomotive collection in a game called "Trainstation:the game on rails" the game on my phone also mentions it being a train set as seen behind him as opposed to being a stand alone locomotive
Ray Norton was one of the fine gentlemen that fostered my interest in O Scale 2 rail. Thanks Ray, he will be missed.
Loved watching these as a kid. Thanks for uploading them.
18:33 this shot....
ahhh the nostalgia just needs Tremont and Gulf 30s old whistle
The Heber Valley Railroad used to have steam trains operating there. Today both of the steam locomotives are in restoration.
I’ll never forget the good old days at Heber Valley.
12:44.
13:10.
I've been watching Tracks Ahead for years and never seen this episode so this was really marvelous to watch! Thanks!
Beautiful
I'm so happy that the San Francisco Transit was not affected by the General Motors scam.
You mean when bankrupt streetcar companies sold their systems to GM, and GM did what the old company was going to do anyway, stop running the streetcars because they lost money?
GM paid money for bankrupt streetcar systems, shut them down, and then they did something that the old company would not have done, GM put buses in service on the old streetcar routes. Yep, GM went above and beyond what they were obligated to do for public transportation. But the choo choo fetishists are only aroused by rails, so GM is the wicked witch in their eyes.
It's interesting that the companies that built the streetcar systems don't get any hate because they only built the systems to get people to buy the far-flung houses and real estate that the company was actually making its money off of. They are the ones who built the stretched out suburbs.
San Francisco has the oldest light rail system in the world and it is home of the Cable Cars
Before they developed electric motors to where they could power a streetcar, they came up with cable cars. Cable cars didn't last very long, roughly 20 years. As soon as the electric streetcars were developed, the cable cars were taken out of commision. They had them in several cities around the world, and all of the big cities in the U.S. San Francisco kept their cable cars running in the steepest areas of town because streetcars couldn't climb the hills due to lack of traction. Many people think San Francisco is the only town that ever had cable cars, but they were very common. They are inefficient with power because the cable runs through hundreds of shivs (pulleys) that allow the cable to go around corners. Other shivs keep the cable at the right height in the trench. Another problem with them is how complicated it is run multiple routes in a town with crossing cables. The car operator on a line with the "bottom cable" has to release his grip to drop the cable when he comes to an intersection with a crossing cable. The car coasts across the intersection, then the operator drops his grip back down to pick his cable up again. The operators on the line with the "top cable" didn't have to drop and pick up again. Cables wear out, and a frayed cable can snag on a car's grip making it impossible for it to stop. Cars have crashed because the cable was not able to be released. Cable cars are quaint, and they work on hills where streetcars won't, but they are not a perfect solution.
Dunedin, New Zealand was one such city with cable cars thanks to its steep hills. There’s a preservation group that’s saved two of the original cable cars that operated in Dunedin that have been restored and the ultimate goal is to rebuild one of the cable car routes and operate them as a tourist attraction as well as a public transit service. dunedincablecars.co.nz/index.html
@@ChrisJones-gx7fc
That's interesting. Are the original tracks and cable conduits still in the ground?
They will have to deal with a lot of challenges, and expenses to get a system running if they have to make a new cable conduit system from scratch.
@@deezynar I believe it is all from scratch (unless the original track was just paved over but I don’t believe so). It’s a long term goal for them.
I wouldn't count on the iphone games being of any interest to ray norton, but i do have the hiawatha locomotive as part of my locomotive collection in a game called "Trainstation:the game on rails" the game on my phone also mentions it being a train set as seen behind him as opposed to being a stand alone locomotive
only in america are trams called streetcars....and trolleybuses called trolleys
I wish I was there when they were doing the naming.
Yes, only America has the right names.
Is this show still on?
Who told the doofus that a trolley pole is called a pantograph?
Awesome video... If you have a sec. checkout my video "CHERRY VALLEY MODEL RR CLUB, O SCALE LAYOUT" (pretty nice two rail layout)... Thanks, Moses...
I've seen the Cherry Valley video. Marvelous!