Hi merc cadoosis, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Back when I took these and other photos (in the old film days), I never imagined I would be able to share them through the technology that exists today. I hope you will have a look at some of my other YT presentations and enjoy them as much. Cheers, tassiebaz.
When I was a little kid the trolleys still turned around at the Carrick loop. Never understood why they didn't run them all the way down Brownsville rd. Then they took them away and replaced them with busses. But they still ran thru Beechview. Didn't make sense when I was five years old, doesn't make sense now. Every city got swindled by GM.
@@jimwalsh233 That is why Pittsburgh Streetcar peaked in 1927 and LA.s streetcars peaked in 1944. Most urban streetcars did well till 1946. The decline prior to WWII were interurbans going through rural areas or small cities streetcar lines closing down. The interurbans had always been marginal, seen more as competition to steam rail then passenger service. The small cities did no like to spend the money to do basic maintenance to the system, even through long term the streetcars were cheaper then the buses that replaced them. Electric cars lasted twice as long as gasoline and diesel buses and cost less to maintain and hauled more passengers per trip but cost more up front. the tracks and overhead wire was also a low cost maintenance issue. The above was enough to kill off most rural and small city streetcars but it required more post WWII to get rid of urban streetcars. As to the report on the net that everyone cites, it starts to early, the real issue started post WWII when do to restrictions on finance (it was illegal to buy a car on time if the time was more then 18 months for example in the post WWII period of the late 1940s) it was easy to get finance for buses but not streetcars. GM used its gains from WWII to give generous terms for its buses while it was impossible to get any similar terms to buy Streetcars. GM was also known to bribe local officials by giving them deals on their private automobiles. Technically these deals were "legal" but very unethical.
Hi Mark, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. When I took those pictures, I never imagined I'd be able to share them this way with interested people, but I'm sure glad I can. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi Frank, I believe there are some pictures on Brownsville Road near the end of the presentation, starting at about 19:30 and onwards. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi @Not4nought, I'm glad you located the pictures you were looking for and enjoyed them. I appreciated you taking the time to let me know. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Since this was my turf growing up as a boy riding one excursion passes on Sundays, a number of things jumped out at me. I'm going to post these things individually to avoid having a big run-on message.
I'm from the south hills and its really cool to see the streetcars in the old neighborhood. My dad worked at the south hills junction when the street cars needed repaired. I remember being a kid and he'd let me sit in the seat and move the switch to ring the bells. Good memories. Just wonder why they don't have them anymore. With vehicles going green it's like they were ahead of there time. Just curious. Anyway thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Hi Raymond, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Your area still has two streetcar routes running, to South Hills Village and to Library via South Hills Junction, with newer streetcars. At one time, the Pittsburgh region had 68 streetcar routes with 666 PCC streetcars. During the 1950s and 1960s, these were abandoned in favor of buses for various reasons. At least you still have the 2 lines. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
I believe Pittsburgh had the most unique streetcar system in the country. Pitt Railways ran trolleys on streets that most systems would not even provide service on! Trolleys on downtown streets, trolleys in the countryside, and trolleys in backyards- there was NO other system that had such variety in routes. Such a shame that several of the "premier" routes could not be saved. Fineview, Mt Washington etc etc, would be a tourist mecca today- BUT it was not to be. AND damn politics was all to blame. Pittsburgh Railways was making money and wanted to upgrade many of it's services- BUT in the end politics and PAT took care of that.
Hi Reg, I agree with you about the uniqueness of Pittsburgh's streetcar system. They could have run through trolleys between Fineview and Mt Washington and it would have been great. Unfortunately, it's only a good memory in Pittsburgh and many other US cities. Regards, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz to this day, I don't understand why they opted for stinky buses, when these were clearly more environmentally friendly, and they ran in all weather. They went from forward thinking to ass backwards...LOL
Hi @@beer6118, Many cities that ran streetcars got rid of them all about the same time. Have a look at the following link for some very interesting information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy Of course, now there is a rebirth of "light rail" in many places. Regards, tassiebaz
I was told by an old-timer at the Pennsylvania trolley museum and I believed him to be credible, that at the point the Smithfield Street bridge was deteriorating, they had an operating rule that no two streetcars could be on the same span at the same time. What that meant is that a streetcar would have to wait on the pier in the middle of the bridge until the streetcar in the opposite direction had passed. If you're looking at reasons why the streetcars were doomed, that's just one example.
Hi Art, This particular comment is an example of YT not notifying me that it was there, but I still could find it on YT Studio and respond. I believe that about the Smithfield St Bridge. Luckily they found a way to bypass the bridge, but too late for most of the routes. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Another little detail that I noticed as a child about the Smithfield Street bridge, and it’s visible in some of these videos - is there is a rail that goes off at an angle. It was an expansion joint to reduce the stress on the bridge from thermal expansion and contraction
Here’s another thing I learned from my visit to the Pennsylvania trolley museum about 20 years ago from the old timer who used to drive street cars. PAT’s original plan was that after the streetcar tracks were removed, the East side of the bridge would become a busway. There is a repeating pattern here, which is the people who developed this plan assumed the bridge was symmetrical, and both sides were equally wide. Apparently nobody went and measured it. They discovered that the streetcar side was narrower than the other side, and was not wide enough to accommodate buses in both directions. If you see TH-cam, suppressing my comments, feel free to just re-post them and mentioning me if you want to.
Hi Dennis, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I'm glad you liked the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Cheers, tassiebaz.😃
Hi Kathy, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Those of us who lived through those times all miss the good old days. At least we have the memories. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😁
Hi Dick, I am glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for taking the time to comment to let me know. TH-cam is a great way to share my memories with folks who have similar interests. Thanks again. tassiebaz
One of the pictures shows the P&LE canopy. I remember that structure from around 1960, probably riding to Forbes field for the World series as a 4 year old. It was a very scary place as it was dark sand there were lots of birds roosting there flying around. Operationally, that was a very important stop. Downtown was a free zone where people could get on and off using both doors. Because of the congestion in downtown, people would ride a streetcar that went by where they worked. They could then switch streetcars at the P&LE stop for free. But as soon as you went through the tunnel, or up Arlington avenue, then you would be required to pay. The entire zone-based fare system is a story unto itself. Fares were not collected downtown. On the inbound side you paid the fare based on where you were getting on the street car. On the outbound side, you paid the driver when you got off, and hopefully you knew what zone you are in to know how much money you needed to give him.
The number 40 Washington route climbed up the hill as it passed South Hills Junction through what now appears to be called Jasper street. When the wholesale abandonment began and the car houses were converted to buses, particularly the one in Oakland, PAT had too many old cars and nowhere to park them, so route 40 was abandoned and the tracks heading up the hill became the final resting place of the older cars, pending being scrapped in the area on the area to the north of the tracks heading up to Warrington Avenue.
Hi Art, I seem to remember the cars parked on the old Route 40 right-of way. South Hills Junction was a really mesmerizing place in its heyday. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I remember driving my '55 Chevy in the city and when it rained the tracks were quite slick and after many years of use the tracks had pushed down below the level of the cobble stones and getting the wheels of the Chevy in the tracks when wet made it difficult to get out!
These images are amazing. I ride my bike to and from work on almost these exact paths. The structures have changed so much...and those tracks would really make my ride interesting. Heh. Thanks for sharing!
The GM Street car myth is just that, a myth. The truth be is rail transit was in decline starting to get the in the 1920. Buses were replacing Streetcars be starting then
By the time these films were made, the interurban routes to Washington and to Charleroi had ended. At the beginning, you see the street cars that have a light mounted up above the windshield which is the marker that they were interurban cars. The PCCs were designed to be street cars, and were poorly suited for interurban use. Their cruising speed was only 35 mph, although they could go faster downhill. (In contrast, the North and South Shore interurbans in Chicago ran at 80 mph in the 1930s) In Pittsburgh, the trolley pole had a small spinning wheel, unlike the shoe design in Philadelphia. At full speed, it was very easy for the pole to come off the wire and often take down the supporting wires with it in the middle of nowhere. I think the oddball interurban cars with two trolley poles were intended as rescue cars. They could run backwards until they reach the stranded car and then hook up a tow bar. The interurban routes were mostly single track. With the infrequent scheduling, winters were particularly problematic. In an ice storm, ice would build up on the wires. PCC cars were not designed to be snow plows. While they were fairly heavy, interurban cars were much heavier to give them more ability and traction to push snow aside without derailing.
Hi Art, Yes the interurbans were gone. But so was the entire west end, some of the north side lines, the McKeesport routes, and several other lines. I did get to ride the 87 out to Wilmerding (seemed to take forever) ad a few of the other real gems before they were gone. Philadelphia city division actually had wheels on the trolley poles until the mid to late 70s when they converted to shoes. The Red Arrow lines always had shoes in my memory. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz Art Stone mentioned that PCC cars were not ment for fast interurban service. He mentioned the trolley wheel vs shoe also. While an off the shelf PCC car may not do well in interurban higher speed service Red Arrow Lines last trolleys were modified PCC cars from St. Louis Car Company with cabs at both ends and higher horsepower motors and ran in fast service when they were first used on the WestChester line and always used shoes as far as I know. When that was abandoned they ran them over any other route. There was a section of the Media line after Springfield station that had single track and stations rather far apart. In that area the St. Louis cars would still travel rather fast.
@@johnchambers8528 Thanks for your informative comment. Cheers, tassiebaz. I do recall that the Cleveland Shaker Heights cars got up to some speed. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz I did visit Cleveland and road the Shaker Heights line. I do remember that those PCC cars did run rather fast between many of the outer stations.
Hi cass, Thanks for watching and for your comment. The "good old days" were just that. When you came out the other side of the Mt. Washington tunnel to South Hills Jct., it was like another world. I've ridden the "new" system, and while it is safe and efficient, I still prefer the way things were. You just can't stop progress. Regards, tassiebaz.
At South hills Junction, there was a peculiar third track in the general area of where route 40 went up the hill. It turns out, that was where they parked the bank car on payday to pay the trolley workers. South hills Junction was generally where they did the driver changes and swapped out the fare boxes. The fare boxesâ were taken into the administration building where the money was counted. There was an elaborate network of call boxes that were connected to the administration building. The driver would get out of the streetcar, do something at that box which then recorded the time at which his streetcar arrived at that point. This will seem counterintuitive, but the driver would get in trouble if they arrived early. Inexperienced drivers think their job is to drive as fast as possible, when really their job is to stay on schedule. If you get ahead of schedule, then people miss you because you arrived early. The further ahead of the schedule you get, the more ahead of schedule you get because there are no passengers.
Hi Art, Thanks for the interesting facts about the bank car, which I did not know about. I knew about the situation with the drivers running early, as it is similar to what happened in Philadelphia. Some drivers there intentionally ran early to avoid passengers, counter to what the purpose of their job was. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz The wikipedia article on Pittsburgh Railways has a car roster that lists M1 as the bank car. The cynic in me wonders if the idea of paying in cash was so the shop steward got bribed with it.
I visited Pittsburg several times and got to ride the PCC cars near the end of their service while they still ran on the streets Downtown the first time I visited. It was interesting later to see them with pantographs and running in the subway. I did get to ride the route over the hill instead of through the tunnel and thought that was very scenic especially inbound to the city as you saw the skyline of downtown Pittsburgh as you came downhill. I am glad that they did save the south side routes of today but would hope they reopen the hillside route on a regular basis again instead of only using it when maintenance is being done in the tunnel. One thing I did notice particularly on the video with the still shots of the PCC’s you could see why one of the reasons the trolley routes were abandoned. Both the track and the cars themselves looked in bad shape. There was much rust at the bottom of the PCC cars and the track looked poor in many parts of the street running. With poor funding from both the state and counties PAT Transit just could not afford to keep such a large system running. The same could be said about the Philadelphia surface trolley system.
Hi John, Thanks for watching and for your insightful comment. Pittsburgh trolley lines were like nowhere else. I missed the West End, but most of the rest of the system was still running when I first got there. I made many trips after that to enjoy and finally commiserate when lines were closed. Much of the streetcar abandonment was due to specific decisions by management who had interest in operating buses and didn't put much into maintenance. At least some sense prevailed, and the two South side lines were saved as well as the diversion. It's a shame it wasn't more. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😄
I grew up on the south side, 1960, on cabot way, just up from the terminal bldgs. House was torn down but the memories remain. I recall many fun trolley rides to/from downtown (dahntahn). I was always fascinated by the route numbers on the streetcars. Fare was 25 cents. Transfer was another nickel. I noticed all those cobblestones! Did anyone else notice how many millions were laid down? And...all those pot holes? Anyone recall the old Brady Street Bridge? The perfect example of a carpet-bombed bridge. Check out the gasoline prices...I noticed one for 28 cents/gallon.
Hi Mack, Thanks for watching and for your interesting comment. Sounds like you've got some great memories of the good old days. Cobblestones are a strong, natural material, originally collected from riverbeds where the flow of the water made them round. When set in sand or bound with mortar, cobblestones once proved perfect for paving roads. With the strength of cobblestone, no ruts developed in the streets and are now considered trendy. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Hi Luke, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I experimented with some audio but had some concerns about copyright issues. I even tried computer-generated "music", but really wasn't satisfied with the results so stayed silent on my presentations. Glad you enjoyed it. Regards, tassiebaz.
The beltzhoover route had a very peculiar path through downtown. I think it changed over time and maybe even depending on the day of the week. My memory is that it went down Smithfield Street, but instead of turning right at 6th Street, it continued straight onto Liberty avenue. It then circled behind the Greyhound bus station and then returned via Liberty avenue and Wood Street back to the Smithfield Street bridge
Hi Art, I think you are absolutely correct. I seem to remember Route 44 Knoxville circling behind the Greyhound bus station. I'm not from Pittsburgh, but visited quite a bit, and it seemed like the routes always seemed to go different ways. I've got one of the last issue Pittsburgh Railways Transit Guide and it shows Route 49 going over the Smithfield Street bridge, right on Ft. Pitt Blvd, left on Grant St., hard left onto Liberty Ave., to Wood St, and back to Fort Pitt Blvd. The other routes that used this routing include 35, 36, 37, 47, 49, and 50. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Hi ts15210, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I wish we could replicate the ride you did, but I don't think it can happen. At least there are some streetcars (light rail) still operating in the area. Regards, tassiebaz.
Part of the reason for that was the braking was done primarily using dynamic braking, with the energy being sent to a set of resistors under the seats that got hot, and then the heat needed to be dissipated. The fans in the ceiling couldn’t do anything unless the ventilation on the front end was open. Because the driver was in front of the heat, they didn’t necessarily realize that their passengers were roasting.
Hi cybernightzero5891, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'll venture an educated guess that the picture is on Grant near Fifth. I think the 48 Arlington went up Smithfield and back down on Grant. Everything does look very different in the almost 60 years ago since the picture was taken and I'm not a Pittsburgh native. Perhaps someone from the area who has knowledge of the good old days can verify or correct this. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😃
Several of the pictures depict the derailer at the South hills junction. The Mount Washington tunnel is very steep, so this was to prevent a runaway hurtling through the tunnel. The driver had to make the switch go back to straight, which proved that his trolley was still on the wire and he was in control. Sometime after they switched to pantographs and got rid of the Smithfield Street access, A streetcar did lose control and continued straight after exiting the tunnel, winding up slamming into a transformer former P&LE station (now Station Square)
Hi Art, Another YT notification failure. I found an article about the streetcar accident you mentioned, Oct 28, 1987, at www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-28-mn-11441-story.html. In the LA Times, no less. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz as near as we've been able to figure out, and it's just not you, comments are run through some sort of an AI filter that evaluate whether the comment is high quality. If it fails the test, it is quietly discarded - it is treated like a shadowban where the author sees their comment, but nobody else does. If you turn on notifications, sometimes you will see a reply to a comment that it subsequently suppresses. I noticed a picture on the Brookline history page showing the derailer in front of the administration building, with wooden cars, so it apparently has been there pretty much forever. The introduction of the all-electric PCC cars created new problems which might partly account for that accident. I have heard two different explanations. My father was an amateur radio operator and had made friends with the guy who came down from Cleveland to oversee the upgrades. When the all-electric car has the trolley come off the wire, it had onboard batteries that would apply the brakes and open one of the front doors so the driver could get out to put the trolley back on the wire. One version that I heard was that with the pantagraphs, they were no longer monitoring the batteries since the pantagraph was supposed to automatically re-engage the wire.
@@ArtStoneUS Hi, Yes, I figured out I wasn't getting notified about all the comments made. Then I found I could see them (still don't know if I'm missing some) through my account in YT studio. Sounds logical about the pantograph, but logic doesn't always work in operational situations. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz PCCs have three brake systems. The least important is the magnetic brakes. Between the wheels, you can see the electromagnet. Its sole purpose is to keep the car from rolling while it is stopped. Above 2? Mph it will not activate as that would rip it off. The second type is mechanical / friction. It works the same as the brakes on your car - friction pads convert the kinetic energy to heat. For them to work, the pads have to be maintained. Since the trolley pole on an all-electric PCC can come off the wire, the emergency brake application cannot depend on the power from the wire. These brakes were designed to be fail safe - electric power held the pads away from the wheels. They had springs, so in the event of power loss, the brakes would automatically engage. Another important aspect of braking is the sand. The sand was stored over the wheels. In the event of heavy or emergency braking, or loss of traction on wet rails, sand would dump onto the rails to increase traction. An important part of the pretrip inspection was to make sure the sand box was not empty. An inattentive driver might not perform that and then find out that the braking is compromised. The third set of brakes are dynamic brakes - meaning turning the electric motors into generators. The generator provides resistance to the spinning wheel. The electric energy is sent to resistor banks under the seats in the front of the car. Newer types of commuter rail have regenerative braking - meaning the energy is reused rather than wasted as heat. They might apply voltage to the overhead wires to power other vehicles, or spin up a flywheel that powers the railcar lighting. The problem with dynamic braking is it does not work unless the car is moving fairly fast. Below about 15 mph, you are mostly dependent on the mechanical brakes. The huge downside to dynamic braking is it turns the electric energy into heat. That's great in Pittsburgh in the middle of winter, but horrible in summer since the original PCCs had no air conditioning and poor ventilation. It also explains why most subway systems are perpetually very warm. Each time the subway cars apply their dynamic brakes they're dumping large quantities of heat into the tunnel with nowhere to go.
@@ArtStoneUS Hi, Thanks for another interesting, informative, and comprehensive description. I hope that others with similar interests get the opportunity to read and enjoy this👍. Cheers, tassiebaz.
During World war II the federal government permitted the streetcar companies (St.Louis car company) to continue to make new streetcars for use in Pittsburgh despite wartime rationing. This was because they recognized the importance of steel production. The 1600 series streetcars made during the war have the quirk that they lack the ornamental trim around the headlights. Over time, parts may have been cannibalized or renumbered, so that may not be 100% accurate.
Love these snaps. Street car 44 would put me to sleep at night on Charles Street. I could hear the rails as it approached; it would grow loud then trail off into silence. Just wish some of the phots were labeled with locations.
Hi David O, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Sorry I didn't put more locations on the presentation. I had some notes about where the pictures were taken, but was unsure about their accuracy (not being a native to Pittsburgh and having made them about 50 years ago). I relied on the street signs on many pictures. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the memories. Regards, tassiebaz.
The steep climb up Arlington Avenue was single track. Either when they paved the Mount Washington tunnel for buses or when they started building the subway, they double tracked Arlington Ave. I think there might have been a passing area part way up the hill but I'm not sure about that. This created a huge bottleneck, which is why you see on one of the pictures the sign saying "via tunnel" .
Hi Art, another one of your valuable comments I had to retrieve from YT. I also thought there was a passing siding somewhere up the hill on Arlington, but when I looked at my track map, it didn't show one. Cheers, tassiebaz
I have now seen two videos, going up and down Arlington Avenue. There was no passing siding - just double tracking the last block or so at the top of the hill. There is a very interesting video that has the date of July 6, 1985 where a fan trip was probably the last three streetcars to go across the Smithfield Street bridge. There is a piece missing that makes it a little confusing. By then the tracks to Grant Street were blocked and the T subway was open. They go down Smithfield Street and the person doing the filming gets off at fourth Avenue . It then appears that the street cars turn up fourth Avenue from Wood Street. I think there was a switch there. They travel up to grant Avenue, go over the bridge and up and down Arlington Ave. Lots of interesting things are said by the people nearby about their memories.
@@tassiebaz the video from July 1985 shows the connection to the panhandle bridge. The video in 1988 shows the track is still single tracked, and the streetcar they are following down the hill in their automobile shows it using that path. The switch visible in 1985 had been removed a long time ago.
Hi Andy, Sorry, wish I did. Everything on the West End was gone before my first visit to Pittsburgh. Some North Side and East End lines were also gone. Still, the amount that was still running was amazing. Thanks for watching. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Hi byte rite, Thanks for your comment. I didn't have notes on all locations when I did the presentation. Judging by present day Google Maps, I would guess that you are correct and it is Warrington and Estella, although it's changed quite a bit since the picture was taken. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi John, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I remember visiting South Park sometime in the mid to late 60s and seeing part of the demonstration project. Probably even have a couple of pictures somewhere. But, of course, it never went ahead. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I was lucky enough to be able to ride sky bus during the Allegheny county fair. The main thing I remember is we had a very long wait at the building where the cars were controlled. I’m not really sure why. For those who moved away, the Allegheny County Fair died in 2001. PRco had special service during the county fair - it is a little too far to walk to the fairgrounds, so there was a shuttle bus that took you back-and-forth
Hi Tom-b1r9r, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I tried music with some of my videos and didn't really like it. This was the opinion of some of my friends who I showed. I also worried about any copyright issues that might have been involved. In the end, I just decided to go without music. Cheers, tassiebaz
Hi Joe, Thanks for your comment. Yes, I remember remember the 50-Carson Street well but, for some reason, I don't have any pictures of it. Same for the 39-Brookline. Regards, tassiebaz.
My parents never owned a car and, as a kid, I wanted to get out and explore. Every once in awhile (with my homework done, of course) I would take my allowance and buy a Sunday Pass and ride the streetcars to the end of their lines in southern and eastern suburbs all the way to Library and to McKeesport. My parents let me do this at only 9 years old and there were no cell phones or anything. I guess they needed a break as much as I needed to wander.
Hi Joe, Oh, for the good old days, when there were interesting streetcar routes to ride with decent service, but there was not even a thought of any safety concerns with young children being out alone. Regards, tassiebaz.
Although, it does not pertain to Pittsburgh, when my father was stationed at the Pentagon, we used to ride the bus into Washington DC and ride the trolleys, and even go to the Senators games to see "Hammering Harm" drive them out of old Griffith Stadium- AT NIGHT! JUST MY FRIENDS AND I! Ahhhhh a world long gone!
@@tassiebaz You probably do not have a 43 Neeld Loop picture, when I was in High School that was the Streetcar to Catch. Early in the morning the 42/38 Mt Lebanon via Beechview and 42 Dormont streetcars would be packed, but they would run an occasional 43 Neeld Avenue loop car that I could get on and it may even have a seat open. I had days were three to four cars would just pass my stop, there were so packed no one could get in. I was happy to get on one with a little room on it, and really happy if it was a 43 Neeld Avenue loop.
My dad was from Pittsburg I'm from Detroit but I remember the cobble stones and the street cards well. I'm 65
Hi Raymond, Yes, memories from the good old days. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Those are some of the very best photos I've ever seen here on YT. Keep up the good work!
Hi merc cadoosis, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Back when I took these and other photos (in the old film days), I never imagined I would be able to share them through the technology that exists today. I hope you will have a look at some of my other YT presentations and enjoy them as much. Cheers, tassiebaz.
When I was a little kid the trolleys still turned around at the Carrick loop. Never understood why they didn't run them all the way down Brownsville rd. Then they took them away and replaced them with busses. But they still ran thru Beechview. Didn't make sense when I was five years old, doesn't make sense now. Every city got swindled by GM.
The GM Street car conspiracy myth, is just that a myth. Rail transit was in decline in the 1920's
@@jimwalsh233 That is why Pittsburgh Streetcar peaked in 1927 and LA.s streetcars peaked in 1944. Most urban streetcars did well till 1946. The decline prior to WWII were interurbans going through rural areas or small cities streetcar lines closing down. The interurbans had always been marginal, seen more as competition to steam rail then passenger service. The small cities did no like to spend the money to do basic maintenance to the system, even through long term the streetcars were cheaper then the buses that replaced them. Electric cars lasted twice as long as gasoline and diesel buses and cost less to maintain and hauled more passengers per trip but cost more up front. the tracks and overhead wire was also a low cost maintenance issue.
The above was enough to kill off most rural and small city streetcars but it required more post WWII to get rid of urban streetcars.
As to the report on the net that everyone cites, it starts to early, the real issue started post WWII when do to restrictions on finance (it was illegal to buy a car on time if the time was more then 18 months for example in the post WWII period of the late 1940s) it was easy to get finance for buses but not streetcars. GM used its gains from WWII to give generous terms for its buses while it was impossible to get any similar terms to buy Streetcars. GM was also known to bribe local officials by giving them deals on their private automobiles. Technically these deals were "legal" but very unethical.
Wonderful memories of those great rides on the trollies. The shots are so crisp considering their age. Nice post. Thumbs up
Hi Mark, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. When I took those pictures, I never imagined I'd be able to share them this way with interested people, but I'm sure glad I can. Regards, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz i wish you had some of the carrick trolleys on brownsville rd
Hi Frank, I believe there are some pictures on Brownsville Road near the end of the presentation, starting at about 19:30 and onwards. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi @Not4nought, I'm glad you located the pictures you were looking for and enjoyed them. I appreciated you taking the time to let me know. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Since this was my turf growing up as a boy riding one excursion passes on Sundays, a number of things jumped out at me. I'm going to post these things individually to avoid having a big run-on message.
Hi Art, Thanks for watching. I'll look forward to seeing your detailed comments. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I'm from the south hills and its really cool to see the streetcars in the old neighborhood. My dad worked at the south hills junction when the street cars needed repaired. I remember being a kid and he'd let me sit in the seat and move the switch to ring the bells. Good memories. Just wonder why they don't have them anymore. With vehicles going green it's like they were ahead of there time. Just curious.
Anyway thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Hi Raymond, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Your area still has two streetcar routes running, to South Hills Village and to Library via South Hills Junction, with newer streetcars. At one time, the Pittsburgh region had 68 streetcar routes with 666 PCC streetcars. During the 1950s and 1960s, these were abandoned in favor of buses for various reasons. At least you still have the 2 lines. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
I believe Pittsburgh had the most unique streetcar system in the country. Pitt Railways ran trolleys on streets that most systems would not even provide service on! Trolleys on downtown streets, trolleys in the countryside, and trolleys in backyards- there was NO other system that had such variety in routes. Such a shame that several of the "premier" routes could not be saved. Fineview, Mt Washington etc etc, would be a tourist mecca today- BUT it was not to be. AND damn politics was all to blame. Pittsburgh Railways was making money and wanted to upgrade many of it's services- BUT in the end politics and PAT took care of that.
Hi Reg, I agree with you about the uniqueness of Pittsburgh's streetcar system. They could have run through trolleys between Fineview and Mt Washington and it would have been great. Unfortunately, it's only a good memory in Pittsburgh and many other US cities. Regards, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz to this day, I don't understand why they opted for stinky buses, when these were clearly more environmentally friendly, and they ran in all weather. They went from forward thinking to ass backwards...LOL
Hi @@beer6118, Many cities that ran streetcars got rid of them all about the same time. Have a look at the following link for some very interesting information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy
Of course, now there is a rebirth of "light rail" in many places. Regards, tassiebaz
it was due to the coloreds.
@@beer6118 I got your "environment" right here you idiot.
I was told by an old-timer at the Pennsylvania trolley museum and I believed him to be credible, that at the point the Smithfield Street bridge was deteriorating, they had an operating rule that no two streetcars could be on the same span at the same time. What that meant is that a streetcar would have to wait on the pier in the middle of the bridge until the streetcar in the opposite direction had passed. If you're looking at reasons why the streetcars were doomed, that's just one example.
Hi Art, This particular comment is an example of YT not notifying me that it was there, but I still could find it on YT Studio and respond.
I believe that about the Smithfield St Bridge. Luckily they found a way to bypass the bridge, but too late for most of the routes. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Another little detail that I noticed as a child about the Smithfield Street bridge, and it’s visible in some of these videos - is there is a rail that goes off at an angle. It was an expansion joint to reduce the stress on the bridge from thermal expansion and contraction
Here’s another thing I learned from my visit to the Pennsylvania trolley museum about 20 years ago from the old timer who used to drive street cars.
PAT’s original plan was that after the streetcar tracks were removed, the East side of the bridge would become a busway.
There is a repeating pattern here, which is the people who developed this plan assumed the bridge was symmetrical, and both sides were equally wide. Apparently nobody went and measured it. They discovered that the streetcar side was narrower than the other side, and was not wide enough to accommodate buses in both directions.
If you see TH-cam, suppressing my comments, feel free to just re-post them and mentioning me if you want to.
Excellent images of those grand old cars! And great views into Pittsburgh history
Hi Dennis, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I'm glad you liked the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Cheers, tassiebaz.😃
I sure miss those days!
Hi Kathy, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Those of us who lived through those times all miss the good old days. At least we have the memories. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😁
Hi Dick, I am glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for taking the time to comment to let me know. TH-cam is a great way to share my memories with folks who have similar interests. Thanks again. tassiebaz
Hi there!
Do you still go to Pittsburgh or are you living there now?
I have a house in Wilkinsburg, PA, and I am an Australian.
One of the pictures shows the P&LE canopy. I remember that structure from around 1960, probably riding to Forbes field for the World series as a 4 year old. It was a very scary place as it was dark sand there were lots of birds roosting there flying around.
Operationally, that was a very important stop. Downtown was a free zone where people could get on and off using both doors. Because of the congestion in downtown, people would ride a streetcar that went by where they worked. They could then switch streetcars at the P&LE stop for free. But as soon as you went through the tunnel, or up Arlington avenue, then you would be required to pay.
The entire zone-based fare system is a story unto itself. Fares were not collected downtown. On the inbound side you paid the fare based on where you were getting on the street car. On the outbound side, you paid the driver when you got off, and hopefully you knew what zone you are in to know how much money you needed to give him.
Hi Art, Thanks for sharing those interesting memories. I love hearing about the good old days. Cheers, tassiebaz.
The number 40 Washington route climbed up the hill as it passed South Hills Junction through what now appears to be called Jasper street. When the wholesale abandonment began and the car houses were converted to buses, particularly the one in Oakland, PAT had too many old cars and nowhere to park them, so route 40 was abandoned and the tracks heading up the hill became the final resting place of the older cars, pending being scrapped in the area on the area to the north of the tracks heading up to Warrington Avenue.
Hi Art, I seem to remember the cars parked on the old Route 40 right-of way. South Hills Junction was a really mesmerizing place in its heyday. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I remember driving my '55 Chevy in the city and when it rained the tracks were quite slick and after many years of use the tracks had pushed down below the level of the cobble stones and getting the wheels of the Chevy in the tracks when wet made it difficult to get out!
Hi steven, Thanks for watching and for sharing your memories. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
This is fabulous! Brings back a lot of memories as I lived in the Arlington area as a kid.
Kensington High school
High
These images are amazing. I ride my bike to and from work on almost these exact paths. The structures have changed so much...and those tracks would really make my ride interesting. Heh. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Dan, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Sometimes the streetscapes are as interesting as the vehicles. Regards, tassiebaz.
The GM Street car myth is just that, a myth. The truth be is rail transit was in decline starting to get the in the 1920. Buses were replacing Streetcars be starting then
By the time these films were made, the interurban routes to Washington and to Charleroi had ended. At the beginning, you see the street cars that have a light mounted up above the windshield which is the marker that they were interurban cars. The PCCs were designed to be street cars, and were poorly suited for interurban use. Their cruising speed was only 35 mph, although they could go faster downhill. (In contrast, the North and South Shore interurbans in Chicago ran at 80 mph in the 1930s)
In Pittsburgh, the trolley pole had a small spinning wheel, unlike the shoe design in Philadelphia. At full speed, it was very easy for the pole to come off the wire and often take down the supporting wires with it in the middle of nowhere. I think the oddball interurban cars with two trolley poles were intended as rescue cars. They could run backwards until they reach the stranded car and then hook up a tow bar. The interurban routes were mostly single track.
With the infrequent scheduling, winters were particularly problematic. In an ice storm, ice would build up on the wires. PCC cars were not designed to be snow plows. While they were fairly heavy, interurban cars were much heavier to give them more ability and traction to push snow aside without derailing.
Hi Art, Yes the interurbans were gone. But so was the entire west end, some of the north side lines, the McKeesport routes, and several other lines. I did get to ride the 87 out to Wilmerding (seemed to take forever) ad a few of the other real gems before they were gone.
Philadelphia city division actually had wheels on the trolley poles until the mid to late 70s when they converted to shoes. The Red Arrow lines always had shoes in my memory. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz Art Stone mentioned that PCC cars were not ment for fast interurban service. He mentioned the trolley wheel vs shoe also. While an off the shelf PCC car may not do well in interurban higher speed service Red Arrow Lines last trolleys were modified PCC cars from St. Louis Car Company with cabs at both ends and higher horsepower motors and ran in fast service when they were first used on the WestChester line and always used shoes as far as I know. When that was abandoned they ran them over any other route. There was a section of the Media line after Springfield station that had single track and stations rather far apart. In that area the St. Louis cars would still travel rather fast.
@@johnchambers8528 Thanks for your informative comment. Cheers, tassiebaz. I do recall that the Cleveland Shaker Heights cars got up to some speed. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz I did visit Cleveland and road the Shaker Heights line. I do remember that those PCC cars did run rather fast between many of the outer stations.
talk about a look back in time I wasn't alive yet then but wish I could have been everything looks to be way less hectic great video !
Hi cass, Thanks for watching and for your comment. The "good old days" were just that. When you came out the other side of the Mt. Washington tunnel to South Hills Jct., it was like another world. I've ridden the "new" system, and while it is safe and efficient, I still prefer the way things were. You just can't stop progress. Regards, tassiebaz.
At South hills Junction, there was a peculiar third track in the general area of where route 40 went up the hill. It turns out, that was where they parked the bank car on payday to pay the trolley workers.
South hills Junction was generally where they did the driver changes and swapped out the fare boxes. The fare boxesâ were taken into the administration building where the money was counted.
There was an elaborate network of call boxes that were connected to the administration building. The driver would get out of the streetcar, do something at that box which then recorded the time at which his streetcar arrived at that point. This will seem counterintuitive, but the driver would get in trouble if they arrived early. Inexperienced drivers think their job is to drive as fast as possible, when really their job is to stay on schedule. If you get ahead of schedule, then people miss you because you arrived early. The further ahead of the schedule you get, the more ahead of schedule you get because there are no passengers.
Hi Art, Thanks for the interesting facts about the bank car, which I did not know about. I knew about the situation with the drivers running early, as it is similar to what happened in Philadelphia. Some drivers there intentionally ran early to avoid passengers, counter to what the purpose of their job was. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz The wikipedia article on Pittsburgh Railways has a car roster that lists M1 as the bank car. The cynic in me wonders if the idea of paying in cash was so the shop steward got bribed with it.
@@ArtStoneUS Maybe to avoid taxes?
I visited Pittsburg several times and got to ride the PCC cars near the end of their service while they still ran on the streets Downtown the first time I visited. It was interesting later to see them with pantographs and running in the subway. I did get to ride the route over the hill instead of through the tunnel and thought that was very scenic especially inbound to the city as you saw the skyline of downtown Pittsburgh as you came downhill. I am glad that they did save the south side routes of today but would hope they reopen the hillside route on a regular basis again instead of only using it when maintenance is being done in the tunnel. One thing I did notice particularly on the video with the still shots of the PCC’s you could see why one of the reasons the trolley routes were abandoned. Both the track and the cars themselves looked in bad shape. There was much rust at the bottom of the PCC cars and the track looked poor in many parts of the street running. With poor funding from both the state and counties PAT Transit just could not afford to keep such a large system running. The same could be said about the Philadelphia surface trolley system.
Hi John, Thanks for watching and for your insightful comment. Pittsburgh trolley lines were like nowhere else. I missed the West End, but most of the rest of the system was still running when I first got there. I made many trips after that to enjoy and finally commiserate when lines were closed. Much of the streetcar abandonment was due to specific decisions by management who had interest in operating buses and didn't put much into maintenance. At least some sense prevailed, and the two South side lines were saved as well as the diversion. It's a shame it wasn't more. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😄
Memory Lane!
Hi Phil, Yep, the good old days. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😄
Anyone notice, No US Steel Building ? How many times did I ride on those lines !
I grew up on the south side, 1960, on cabot way, just up from the terminal bldgs. House was torn down but the memories remain. I recall many fun trolley rides to/from downtown (dahntahn). I was always fascinated by the route numbers on the streetcars. Fare was 25 cents. Transfer was another nickel.
I noticed all those cobblestones! Did anyone else notice how many millions were laid down?
And...all those pot holes? Anyone recall the old Brady Street Bridge? The perfect example of a carpet-bombed bridge.
Check out the gasoline prices...I noticed one for 28 cents/gallon.
Hi Mack, Thanks for watching and for your interesting comment. Sounds like you've got some great memories of the good old days. Cobblestones are a strong, natural material, originally collected from riverbeds where the flow of the water made them round. When set in sand or bound with mortar, cobblestones once proved perfect for paving roads. With the strength of cobblestone, no ruts developed in the streets and are now considered trendy. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Need some Skyliners or Vogues for the soundtrack. Great video
Hi Luke, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I experimented with some audio but had some concerns about copyright issues. I even tried computer-generated "music", but really wasn't satisfied with the results so stayed silent on my presentations. Glad you enjoyed it. Regards, tassiebaz.
The beltzhoover route had a very peculiar path through downtown. I think it changed over time and maybe even depending on the day of the week. My memory is that it went down Smithfield Street, but instead of turning right at 6th Street, it continued straight onto Liberty avenue. It then circled behind the Greyhound bus station and then returned via Liberty avenue and Wood Street back to the Smithfield Street bridge
Hi Art, I think you are absolutely correct. I seem to remember Route 44 Knoxville circling behind the Greyhound bus station. I'm not from Pittsburgh, but visited quite a bit, and it seemed like the routes always seemed to go different ways. I've got one of the last issue Pittsburgh Railways Transit Guide and it shows Route 49 going over the Smithfield Street bridge, right on Ft. Pitt Blvd, left on Grant St., hard left onto Liberty Ave., to Wood St, and back to Fort Pitt Blvd. The other routes that used this routing include 35, 36, 37, 47, 49, and 50. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I rode a streetcar from Knoxville school to my Aun't house on Warrington Ave when I was in Kindergarten! Can you imagine that happening now?
Hi ts15210, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I wish we could replicate the ride you did, but I don't think it can happen. At least there are some streetcars (light rail) still operating in the area. Regards, tassiebaz.
Can you imagine a 10-year-old boy being allowed to ride Street Cars all day on Sunday without any adult supervision? 🏆
The 1700 series trolleys had sealed windows and sure were HOT.
Hi Guido, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Part of the reason for that was the braking was done primarily using dynamic braking, with the energy being sent to a set of resistors under the seats that got hot, and then the heat needed to be dissipated.
The fans in the ceiling couldn’t do anything unless the ventilation on the front end was open. Because the driver was in front of the heat, they didn’t necessarily realize that their passengers were roasting.
Use to take the streetcars to go roller skating on the Southside hill it stop right in front of the ring
Hi Terry, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
8:23 is this Stanwix? Wow does it look different today.
Hi cybernightzero5891, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'll venture an educated guess that the picture is on Grant near Fifth. I think the 48 Arlington went up Smithfield and back down on Grant. Everything does look very different in the almost 60 years ago since the picture was taken and I'm not a Pittsburgh native. Perhaps someone from the area who has knowledge of the good old days can verify or correct this. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😃
Several of the pictures depict the derailer at the South hills junction. The Mount Washington tunnel is very steep, so this was to prevent a runaway hurtling through the tunnel. The driver had to make the switch go back to straight, which proved that his trolley was still on the wire and he was in control. Sometime after they switched to pantographs and got rid of the Smithfield Street access, A streetcar did lose control and continued straight after exiting the tunnel, winding up slamming into a transformer former P&LE station (now Station Square)
Hi Art, Another YT notification failure. I found an article about the streetcar accident you mentioned, Oct 28, 1987, at www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-28-mn-11441-story.html. In the LA Times, no less. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz as near as we've been able to figure out, and it's just not you, comments are run through some sort of an AI filter that evaluate whether the comment is high quality. If it fails the test, it is quietly discarded - it is treated like a shadowban where the author sees their comment, but nobody else does. If you turn on notifications, sometimes you will see a reply to a comment that it subsequently suppresses.
I noticed a picture on the Brookline history page showing the derailer in front of the administration building, with wooden cars, so it apparently has been there pretty much forever. The introduction of the all-electric PCC cars created new problems which might partly account for that accident. I have heard two different explanations. My father was an amateur radio operator and had made friends with the guy who came down from Cleveland to oversee the upgrades.
When the all-electric car has the trolley come off the wire, it had onboard batteries that would apply the brakes and open one of the front doors so the driver could get out to put the trolley back on the wire. One version that I heard was that with the pantagraphs, they were no longer monitoring the batteries since the pantagraph was supposed to automatically re-engage the wire.
@@ArtStoneUS Hi, Yes, I figured out I wasn't getting notified about all the comments made. Then I found I could see them (still don't know if I'm missing some) through my account in YT studio.
Sounds logical about the pantograph, but logic doesn't always work in operational situations. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz PCCs have three brake systems. The least important is the magnetic brakes. Between the wheels, you can see the electromagnet. Its sole purpose is to keep the car from rolling while it is stopped. Above 2? Mph it will not activate as that would rip it off.
The second type is mechanical / friction. It works the same as the brakes on your car - friction pads convert the kinetic energy to heat. For them to work, the pads have to be maintained. Since the trolley pole on an all-electric PCC can come off the wire, the emergency brake application cannot depend on the power from the wire. These brakes were designed to be fail safe - electric power held the pads away from the wheels. They had springs, so in the event of power loss, the brakes would automatically engage.
Another important aspect of braking is the sand. The sand was stored over the wheels. In the event of heavy or emergency braking, or loss of traction on wet rails, sand would dump onto the rails to increase traction. An important part of the pretrip inspection was to make sure the sand box was not empty. An inattentive driver might not perform that and then find out that the braking is compromised.
The third set of brakes are dynamic brakes - meaning turning the electric motors into generators. The generator provides resistance to the spinning wheel. The electric energy is sent to resistor banks under the seats in the front of the car. Newer types of commuter rail have regenerative braking - meaning the energy is reused rather than wasted as heat. They might apply voltage to the overhead wires to power other vehicles, or spin up a flywheel that powers the railcar lighting.
The problem with dynamic braking is it does not work unless the car is moving fairly fast. Below about 15 mph, you are mostly dependent on the mechanical brakes. The huge downside to dynamic braking is it turns the electric energy into heat. That's great in Pittsburgh in the middle of winter, but horrible in summer since the original PCCs had no air conditioning and poor ventilation.
It also explains why most subway systems are perpetually very warm. Each time the subway cars apply their dynamic brakes they're dumping large quantities of heat into the tunnel with nowhere to go.
@@ArtStoneUS Hi, Thanks for another interesting, informative, and comprehensive description. I hope that others with similar interests get the opportunity to read and enjoy this👍. Cheers, tassiebaz.
During World war II the federal government permitted the streetcar companies (St.Louis car company) to continue to make new streetcars for use in Pittsburgh despite wartime rationing. This was because they recognized the importance of steel production. The 1600 series streetcars made during the war have the quirk that they lack the ornamental trim around the headlights. Over time, parts may have been cannibalized or renumbered, so that may not be 100% accurate.
Hi Art, Thanks for that information. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Love these snaps. Street car 44 would put me to sleep at night on Charles Street. I could hear the rails as it approached; it would grow loud then trail off into silence. Just wish some of the phots were labeled with locations.
Hi David O, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Sorry I didn't put more locations on the presentation. I had some notes about where the pictures were taken, but was unsure about their accuracy (not being a native to Pittsburgh and having made them about 50 years ago). I relied on the street signs on many pictures. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the memories. Regards, tassiebaz.
I wish you could find pics and videos of the crafton line.
Hi Bob, Me too, but all that I have are already on TH-cam. Many line were already abandoned before my first visit. Regards, tassiebaz.
The steep climb up Arlington Avenue was single track. Either when they paved the Mount Washington tunnel for buses or when they started building the subway, they double tracked Arlington Ave. I think there might have been a passing area part way up the hill but I'm not sure about that. This created a huge bottleneck, which is why you see on one of the pictures the sign saying "via tunnel" .
Hi Art, another one of your valuable comments I had to retrieve from YT. I also thought there was a passing siding somewhere up the hill on Arlington, but when I looked at my track map, it didn't show one. Cheers, tassiebaz
I have now seen two videos, going up and down Arlington Avenue. There was no passing siding - just double tracking the last block or so at the top of the hill.
There is a very interesting video that has the date of July 6, 1985 where a fan trip was probably the last three streetcars to go across the Smithfield Street bridge.
There is a piece missing that makes it a little confusing. By then the tracks to Grant Street were blocked and the T subway was open.
They go down Smithfield Street and the person doing the filming gets off at fourth Avenue . It then appears that the street cars turn up fourth Avenue from Wood Street. I think there was a switch there. They travel up to grant Avenue, go over the bridge and up and down Arlington Ave. Lots of interesting things are said by the people nearby about their memories.
@@ArtStoneUS So the map I have is correct that shows no passing siding pn Arlington on the hill.
@@tassiebaz the video from July 1985 shows the connection to the panhandle bridge. The video in 1988 shows the track is still single tracked, and the streetcar they are following down the hill in their automobile shows it using that path. The switch visible in 1985 had been removed a long time ago.
@@ArtStoneUS Hi, Thanks for the clarification!!! Cheers, tassiebaz 👍
Got anything on routes to the West End, Elliott, Sheraden?
Hi Andy, Sorry, wish I did. Everything on the West End was gone before my first visit to Pittsburgh. Some North Side and East End lines were also gone. Still, the amount that was still running was amazing. Thanks for watching. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@ 5:50 Warrington and Estella- ?
Hi byte rite, Thanks for your comment. I didn't have notes on all locations when I did the presentation. Judging by present day Google Maps, I would guess that you are correct and it is Warrington and Estella, although it's changed quite a bit since the picture was taken. Regards, tassiebaz.
Actually, that view is still pretty much the same. The store is long gone, but the building is still there.
Skybus! The Westinghouse trolley of tomorrow. You can see the concrete bases of a couple of the pylons at South Park.
Hi John, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I remember visiting South Park sometime in the mid to late 60s and seeing part of the demonstration project. Probably even have a couple of pictures somewhere. But, of course, it never went ahead. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I was lucky enough to be able to ride sky bus during the Allegheny county fair. The main thing I remember is we had a very long wait at the building where the cars were controlled. I’m not really sure why.
For those who moved away, the Allegheny County Fair died in 2001. PRco had special service during the county fair - it is a little too far to walk to the fairgrounds, so there was a shuttle bus that took you back-and-forth
What happened to the music???
Hi Tom-b1r9r, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I tried music with some of my videos and didn't really like it. This was the opinion of some of my friends who I showed. I also worried about any copyright issues that might have been involved. In the end, I just decided to go without music. Cheers, tassiebaz
@@tassiebaz i enjoyed the video ... I used to love to ride the streetcars
Don't forget there was also 50-Carson Street.
Hi Joe, Thanks for your comment. Yes, I remember remember the 50-Carson Street well but, for some reason, I don't have any pictures of it. Same for the 39-Brookline. Regards, tassiebaz.
My parents never owned a car and, as a kid, I wanted to get out and explore. Every once in awhile (with my homework done, of course) I would take my allowance and buy a Sunday Pass and ride the streetcars to the end of their lines in southern and eastern suburbs all the way to Library and to McKeesport. My parents let me do this at only 9 years old and there were no cell phones or anything. I guess they needed a break as much as I needed to wander.
Hi Joe, Oh, for the good old days, when there were interesting streetcar routes to ride with decent service, but there was not even a thought of any safety concerns with young children being out alone. Regards, tassiebaz.
Although, it does not pertain to Pittsburgh, when my father was stationed at the Pentagon, we used to ride the bus into Washington DC and ride the trolleys, and even go to the Senators games to see "Hammering Harm" drive them out of old Griffith Stadium- AT NIGHT! JUST MY FRIENDS AND I! Ahhhhh a world long gone!
@@tassiebaz
You probably do not have a 43 Neeld Loop picture, when I was in High School that was the Streetcar to Catch. Early in the morning the 42/38 Mt Lebanon via Beechview and 42 Dormont streetcars would be packed, but they would run an occasional 43 Neeld Avenue loop car that I could get on and it may even have a seat open. I had days were three to four cars would just pass my stop, there were so packed no one could get in. I was happy to get on one with a little room on it, and really happy if it was a 43 Neeld Avenue loop.