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In  the  vanguard  of  the  interurban  era  in  1893,  the  Sandusky,  Milan  & 
Norwalk  Electric  Railway  opened  service  on  the  Ohio  shore  of 
Lake  Erie.  Rolling  through  pre-1900  Sandusky,  the  little  white 
combine  was  headed  toward  Thomas  Edison's  birthplace,  Milan. 
This  company  was  later  absorbed  by  the  Lake  Shore  Electric  Railway. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


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LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


388.46 

M58i 

COD. 2 


I  .  H  .  8  . 


Detroit  United  Railway's  parlor  car  Genesee  ran  to  Toledo  in  the  1920's.     O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


THE 
INTERURBAN 


BY  WILLIAM    D.  MIDDLETON 


A     KALMBACH       R       PUBLICATION 


Library  of  Congress  Catalog  Card  Number: 
61-10728 


First  printing,   1961.    Second  printing,   1961.    Third  printing,   1965.    Fourth  printing,   1968. 


©  1961,  by  William  D.  Middleton.   All  rights  reserved.   This  book  may  not 
be  reproduced  in  part  or  in  whole  without  written  permission  from  the  pub- 
lisher, except  in  the  case  of  brief  quotations  used  in  reviews.    Published  by 
Kalmbach  Publishing  Co.,  Milwaukee  3,  Wisconsin.   Printed  in  U.S.A. 


38- 


To  Dorothy, 
who  was  courted  with  the  occasional  assistance  of  the 
North  Shore  Line,  and  who  has  traveled  a  good  many 
interurban  miles  since  then  with  remarkable  forbearance. 


1*  OR  the  great  assistance  of  many  individuals  in 
the  preparation  of  this  volume  the  author  extends 
his  most  sincere  appreciation.  The  magnificent  selec- 
tion of  pictorial  material  within  its  covers  would 
have  been  impossible  without  the  generosity  of 
dozens  of  photographers  and  collectors,  whose  con- 
tributions are  individually  credited  at  the  end  of 
each  caption.  Much  of  the  historical  material, 
which  would  otherwise  have  been  all  but  unobtain- 
able, was  drawn  from  the  painstaking  publications 
of  the  numerous  railroad  enthusiast  groups.  Of  par- 
ticular help  were  those  of  the  Electric  Railroaders' 
Association,  the  Electric  Railway  Historical  Society, 
the  Central  Electric  Railfans'  Association,  Interur- 
bans,  and  individual  chapters  of  the  National  Rail- 
way Historical  Society.  For  their  kind  help  in  locat- 
ing scarce  material,  suggestions  and  advice  of  every 
description,  and  assistance  in  compiling  the  listings 
contained  in  the  appendix,  special  thanks  are  due 
J.  D.  Alrich  of  the  General  Electric  Company,  John 
Baxter,  Morris  Cafky,  E.  Harper  Charlton,  William 
J.  Clouser,  H.  T.  Crittenden,  O.  R.  Cummings, 
Everett  L.  DeGolyer  Jr.,  Frank  P.  Donovan  Jr.,  Hall 
E.  Downey  of  General  Railway  Signal  Company, 
Donald  Duke,  Charles  Goethe,  William  R.  Gordon, 
Ross  B.  Grenard  Jr.,  Herbert  H.  Harwood  Jr.,  LeRoy 
O.  King  Sr.,  LeRoy  O.  King  Jr.,  Randolph  L.  Kulp, 
Edward  S.  Miller,  Louis  C.  Mueller,  Foster  M.  Palm- 
er, Frank  B.  Putnam  of  the  Security  First  National 
Bank,  Los  Angeles,  Robert  J.  Sandusky,  Martin 
Schmitt  of  the  University  of  Oregon  Library,  Robert 
A.  Selle,  Donald  K.  Slick,  John  Stern,  Paul  String- 
ham,  Stan  F.  Styles,  Elmer  G.  Sulzer,  Ira  L.  Swett, 
Francis  B.  Tosh,  James  W.  Walker  Jr.,  Robert  S. 
Wilson,  and  Jeffrey  K.  Winslow.  Particular  thanks 
go  to  Freeman  H.  Hubbard,  editor  of  Railroad 
Magazine,  for  making  available  valuable  material 
in  the  magazine's  files,  and  to  Stephen  D.  Maguire, 
editor  of  Railroad  Magazine's  Electric  Lines  De- 
partment, whose  extensive  personal  collection  was 
made  available  to  the  author  and  who  furnished 
many  excellent  suggestions.  Special  thanks  are  also 
due  Bill  Krueger  and  John  Hogan  of  Campus 
Camera  Inc.,  Madison,  Wis.,  for  their  careful  proc- 
essing of  many  of  the  photographs  appearing  in 
this  volume,  and  to  Bert  Misek  for  his  equally  skill- 
ful handling  of  negatives  from  the  George  Krambles 
collection. 


The  Coming  of  the   Interurban 
The  Interurban  Era 
The  Interurban  Car 
Roadside  and   Rural 

The  New  England  Trolley 
Through  Eastern  Hills  and   Valleys 
The  Middle  Atlantic   States     - 
Trolley   Sparks  in  Dixieland 

The  South  Atlantic  States 
The   Interurban's  Midwest  Empire 

The  North  Central  States 
The  McKinley  Lines 

Illinois  Traction  System 
Insull's  Interurbans 

The  Great  Chicago  Systems    - 
Way  Down  South 

The  South  Central  States 
To  Far  and  Lonely  Places 
The  Mountain  States 
In  the  Far  West 

The  Pacific  States 
Red  Cars  in  the  Southland 

Pacific  Electric   Railway 
Maple  Leaf  Traction 

Canada's   Interurbans 
Traction  in   the  Tropics 
Wrecks  and  Other  Mishaps 
Trolley  Freight     - 
Exit  the  Interurban 
Interurban  and   Rural  Railways  in   the 

United   States,  Canada,   and  Mexico 
Principal   Interurban  Carbuilders    - 
Principal  Types  of  Rolling  Stock, 

Important  Components,  and  Accessories 
Electrification   and   Current  Collection 
Electric   Railway   Museums  in   the 

United  States  and  Canada 
Bibliography 


10 
30 


72 


90 


138 


190 


206 


246 
270 
302 

326 

354 
368 
380 
394 

414 

418 

421 

4*5 

4*7 
429 


IN  the  long  history  of  transportation  development 
in  North  America  the  interurban  era  is  little  more 
than  a  recent  incident.  In  business  terms  the  elec- 
tric interurbans  must  be  considered  a  notable  failure, 
and  even  in  terms  of  public  utility  their  span  of 
useful  service  was  exceedingly  brief.  Few  of  them 
operated  much  more  than  two  decades  before  their 
role  of  local  passenger  carrier  and  light  freight  haul- 
er had  largely  been  usurped  by  rubber-tired  trans- 
port. Yet  there  was  a  time  when  they  seemed  to  hold 
unlimited  promise  for  the  future,  and  a  good  num- 
ber of  persons  considered  the  age  of  universal  elec- 
tric transportation  to  be  just  around  the  corner. 

To  many  adult  Americans,  now  as  much  slave 
as  they  are  master  of  their  automobiles,  the  inter- 
urban railways  linger  among  pleasant  memories  of 
an  unhurried,  less  sophisticated  time  in  the  recent 


past.  My  father  still  recalls  the  arrival  of  the  first 
"Crandic"  interurbans  in  Iowa  City  during  his  un- 
dergraduate years  at  the  University  of  Iowa.  My 
mother,  raised  in  Framingham,  Mass.,  remembers 
with  pleasure  frequent  girlhood  excursions  to  Bos- 
ton on  the  fast  cars  of  the  Boston  &  Worcester  "Trol- 
ley Air  Line"  ( the  closed  cars  made  her  queasy,  but 
the  big  open  trolleys  were  wonderful ) .  And  when 
Great-Aunt  Viola  joined  the  family  in  Maine  for 
the  summer,  she  invariably  arrived  from  Boston 
aboard  the  Shore  Line  trolley.  One  of  my  own 
earliest  memories  is  of  the  big  red  interurbans  of 
the  Clinton,  Davenport  &  Muscatine,  which  raced 
along  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  past  my 
uncle's  home  in  Le  Claire  with  what  seemed,  to  a 
small  boy's  eyes,  blinding  speed. 

In  attempting  to  record  something  of  the  color- 


ful  era  of  the  interurbans  I  have  been  confronted 
with  the  problem  of  deciding  just  what  was  an  in- 
terurban,  for  the  intercity  electric  railway  existed 
in  almost  infinite  gradations  between  what  were  lit- 
tle more  than  long  streetcar  lines  and  systems  that 
were  virtually  identical  to  electrified  steam  trunk 
lines.  E.  D.  Durand,  while  he  was  Director  of  the 
Census,  defined  an  interurban  as  "a  railway  having 
less  than  half  its  track  within  municipal  limits." 
Many  electric  railway  enthusiasts  have  limited  the 
term  interurban  to  systems  meeting  rigid  standards 
of  high-speed,  intercity  operation  over  private 
right  of  way,  and  some  refuse  to  grant  interurban 
status  unless  the  company  transported  mail  and  ex- 
press on  the  cars.  One  railroad  fan  considered  a 
line  an  interurban  only  if  the  cars  had  railroad 
roofs  and  lavatories.   None  of  these  definitions  have 


been  adhered  to  slavishly  here,  and  the  occasional 
appearance  within  this  volume  of  electric  rail- 
ways meeting  none  of  these  criteria  represents  no 
more  than  personal  preference.  It  is  hoped  that 
these  lapses  will  be  excused  by  those  with  more  rigid 
definitions. 

Wherever  possible  I  have  chosen  illustrative  ma- 
terial that  is  previously  unpublished  or  has  been 
but  little  seen,  but  where  completeness  of  coverage 
has  occasionally  required  the  use  of  illustrations 
that  have  been  widely  published  in  other  works  on 
the  subject,  they  have  been  used  without  hesitation. 


William  D.  Middleton 


Gblciik,  Turkey 
August  I960 


10 


The  Coming  of  the  Interurban 


Splendid  in  its  newness,  this  Union  Traction  Company  in- 
terurban sped  through  rural  Indiana  on  a  Fort  Wayne 
Limited  schedule.  General  Railway  Signal  Company. 


••:•# 


6 


>*>    *t 


#; 


* 


The  Coming  of  the  Interurban 


A.  HISSING  SOUND  from  the  copper  wire  draped 
overhead,  the  urgent  clatter  of  whirling  steel  wheels 
on  rail  joints,  and  a  wailing  air  horn  that  com- 
manded respect  and  attention  signaled  its  coming. 
Shoving  a  massive  arc  headlight  and  a  wooden  cow- 
catcher of  imposing  dimensions  before  it,  the  in- 
terurban came  racing  across  the  countryside,  faster, 
it  seemed,  than  anything  else  of  man's  invention. 
Trackside  vegetation  bent  aside  suddenly  at  its 
passing;  there  was  the  brief  odor  of  ozone  and  hot 
grease  from  the  spinning  traction  motors;  and  pas- 
sengers, reclining  in  plush-upholstered  ease  within, 
looked  down  idly  from  the  Gothic  windows  of  their 
varnished  vehicle.  And  then  it  was  gone,  leaving 
behind  only  a  dust  cloud  and  a  gently  swaying 
trolley  wire. 

The  interurban  was  an  American  transportation 
phenomenon.  Evolved  from  the  urban  streetcar,  the 
interurban  appeared  shortly  before  the  dawn  of  the 
20th  century,  grew  to  a  vast  network  of  over  18,000 
miles  in  two  decades  of  exuberant  growth,  and  then 
all  but  vanished  after  barely  three  decades  of  use- 
fulness. But  within  its  brief  life  span  the  interurban 
bridged  the  gap  between  a  horse  and  buggy  nation 
and  a  modern  America  that  rides  on  rubber  over 
endless  lanes  of  concrete  and  asphalt.  It  changed 
the  ways  of  rural  life  forever,  and  frequently  set  a 
pattern  for  metropolitan  growth  that  continues  even 
today. 

The  practical  electric  railway  was  not  the  in- 
vention of  one  man,  or  even  of  a  few  men.  The 
period  of  experimentation  that  ultimately  led  to 
electric  transportation  began  about  1830.  In  1834 
Thomas  Davenport,  a  Brandon  (Vt. )  blacksmith, 
built  over  a  hundred  model  electric  railway  motor 
cars  which  operated  by  battery  power.  Eight  years 
later  a  man  named  Davidson  constructed  for  the 
Edinburgh-Glasgow  Railway  a  7-ton  electric  car 
which  attained  a  speed  of  4  miles  per  hour  with 
power  from  an  iron-zinc  sulphuric  acid  battery.  In 
1851  Prof.  Charles  G.  Page,  with  $30,000  appro- 
priated by  Congress,  constructed  a  battery-powered 
locomotive  that  reached  speeds  as  high  as  19  miles 


per  hour  between  Washington  and  nearby  Bladens- 
burg,  Md.  The  contraption  was  far  from  practical, 
however,  and  some  called  it  the  "electromagnetic 
humbug." 

The  development  of  the  dynamo,  or  generator, 
after  1860  and  the  discovery  that  a  dynamo  could 
drive  a  motor  proved  to  be  the  key  to  the  practical 
electric  railway.  Moses  G.  Farmer  operated  one  of 
the  first  cars  with  a  motor  and  dynamo  in  1867,  and 
the  subsequent  experimentation  of  such  men  as  Leo 
Daft  and  Charles  Van  Depoele,  as  well  as  many 
others,  brought  America  to  the  threshold  of  the  age 
of  electric  traction  by  the  late  1880's.  The  construc- 
tion of  the  first  really  successful  electric  railway  at 
Richmond  in  1887  by  a  young  Naval  Academy 
graduate,  Frank  Julian  Sprague,  was  followed  by 
wholesale  electrification  of  America's  animal-  and 
cable-powered  street  railways. 

The  interurban,  a  logical  development  from  the 
electric  street  railway,  soon  followed.  What  was 
perhaps  the  first  interurban — although  it  eventually 
became  no  more  than  a  long  streetcar  line  —  began 
operating  between  the  Twin  Cities  of  Minneapolis 
and  St.  Paul  in  1891  and  soon  forced  severe  curtail- 
ment of  passenger  service  on  the  competing  steam 
railroads.  What  is  most  frequently  regarded  as  the 
first  true  interurban,  the  15-mile  East  Side  Railway, 
began  operating  between  Portland  and  Oregon  City 
in  February  1893.  Another  of  the  earliest  interur- 
bans,  the  20-mile  Sandusky,  Milan  &  Norwalk  in 
Ohio,  began  operation  later  the  same  year. 

A  principal  obstacle  to  the  development  of  long 
interurban  lines  was  the  impracticality  of  transmit- 
ting over  long  distances  the  low-voltage  direct  cur- 
rent used  for  electric  car  operation.  The  introduc- 
tion in  1896  of  distribution  systems  which  employed 
high-voltage  alternating-current  transmission  lines 
and  substations  which  converted  the  power  to  the 
necessary  low- voltage  direct  current  solved  this 
particular  problem,  and  during  the  last  few  years 
of  the  19th  century  the  great  interurban  railway 
boom  began  to  gather  momentum.  The  perfection 
of   a    multiple-unit   control   system    by   Sprague    in 


12 


Operating  over  what  is  generally  regarded  as  the  first  true  interurban  line,  this  big  Oregon  Water  Power  & 
Railroad  Company  car,  with  two  open  trailers  in  tow,  paused  at  Golf  Junction  on  the  Portland-Oregon 
City  line  early  in  the  century.   Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


1898  which  permitted  the  operation  of  a  train  of 
electric  cars  under  the  control  of  a  single  motorman 
in  the  lead  car  was  another  important  aid  to  the 
development    of    interurban    lines. 

The  origin  of  the  term  "interurban"  (from  the 
Latin  for  "between  cities" )  is  usually  credited  to 
Charles  L.  Henry,  an  Indiana  state  senator  and  later 
a  U.S.  congressman,  who  is  said  to  have  developed 
the  word  to  describe  the  intercity  electric  railways 
he  was  then  planning  after  seeing  the  "intramural" 
electric  railway  at  the  1893  Chicago  World's  Colum- 
bian Exposition.  Henry,  sometimes  called  the 
"father  of  the  interurban,"  was  a  pioneer  in  Indiana 
interurban  development  and  completed  the  state's 
first  11-mile  line  in  1897,  which  he  later  built  into 
the  400-mile  Union  Traction  Company,  serving 
much  of  central  Indiana. 

The  interurbans  seemed  to  fill  a  travel  void  for 
much  of  America.  Aside  from  what  slow,  infrequent, 
and  grimy  local  passenger  service  might  be  avail- 


able from  the  steam  railroads,  rural  America  was 
pretty  well  restricted  to  whatever  lay  within  horse 
and  buggy  range.  The  interurbans  were  bright  and 
clean,  stopped  almost  anywhere,  and  ran  far  more 
frequently  than  the  steam  trains,  for  one  car  made 
a  train.  Once  in  town  the  cars  usually  operated 
through  the  streets  and  went  right  downtown.  They 
were  almost  always  cheaper  than  steam  trains,  too. 
Small-towners  and  farm  folk  alike  swarmed 
aboard  the  new  electric  cars  to  spend  a  day  in  the 
city,  shopping  or  just  seeing  the  sights.  Equally  im- 
portant, the  fast  package  and  light  freight  service 
opened  up  new  markets  for  farmers  and  made  big 
city  merchandise  quickly  available  to  the  local  shop- 
keeper. The  commercial  traveler,  or  "drummer," 
took  to  the  interurbans  with  enthusiasm  for  they 
carried  him  to  the  heart  of  the  business  district, 
often  right  to  his  hotel  tloor,  and  the  frequent 
schedules  made  it  possible  to  cover  more  cities  and 
towns  in  a  day  than  he  could  on  the  steam  trains. 


13 


Among  the  earliest  interurbans  was  the  Sandusky,  Mi- 
lan &  Norwalk,  which  opened  in  1893.   This  photo- 
graph was  taken  in  Norwalk,  O.,  in  1900.    JOHN  A. 
Rehor  Collection. 


Indiana  lawyer,  state  senator,  and  U.  S.  congressman  Charles  L.  Henry 
was  credited  with  originating  and  popularizing  the  word  "interurban"  and 
became  known  as  the  "father  of  the  interurban."   The  first  section  of  his 
Union  Traction  Company,  opened  in  1898,  was  Indiana's  first  interurban. 
Until  his  death  in  1927  Henry  remained  an  indefatigable  advocate  of  in- 
terurban railways.   Harris  &  Ewing,  from  Indiana  Historical  Society. 


14 


X 


Motorized  construction  equipment  was  still  in  the  future  even  during  the  last  years  of  interurban  de- 
velopment, when  the  Salt  Lake  &  Utah  constructed  its  line  into  Payson,  Utah,  on  the  eve  of  World 
War  I.   Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


A  Milwaukee  Northern  Railway  track  gang  pushed  north  into  the  village  of  (  edai  burg.  Wis.. 
in  the  winter  of  1906-1907.    The  Milwaukee  Northern  builders.  Comstock.  Haigh  c   II  'alker 
Company  beat  Milwaukee  Electric' s  John  I.  Beggs  to  the  routes  north  of  Milwaukee.    A  planned 
Fond  du  Lac  branch,  which  would  have  left  the  Shebo\gan  line  here,  was  never  built. 
David  A.  Strassman  Collection. 


15 


Payson,  Utah,  devoted  itself  to  hilarity  in  1916  upon  completion  of  the  Salt  Lake  &  Utah  in- 
terurban  into  town  from  Salt  Lake  City.    Shortly  after  arrival  of  a  special  train  bringing  300 
guests  from  Salt  Lake,  SL&U  President  W .  C.  Orem  and  other  dignitaries  addressed  the  crowd 
from  a  flag-bedecked  flat  car,  and  Gladys  Orem,  daughter  of  President  Orem,  and  Payson  carni- 
val queen  Mrs.  George  Done  drove  a  golden  spike.    A  parade  of  200  automobiles  and  a  two- 
day     carnival   followed.     FRED    FELLOW    COLLECTION. 


A  1906  Street  Railway  Journal  editorial  observed 
the  "marked  improvement"  in  the  appearance  of 
properties  along  an  interurban.  "These  great  ar- 
teries of  commerce  are  stimulating  and  benefiting  to 
those  sections  of  the  country  through  which  they 
pass,"  concluded  the  Journal. 

John  R.  Graham,  president  of  the  Bangor  Rail- 
way &  Electric  Company,  orating  on  electric  rail- 
ways and  the  farmer  at  a  1914  convention,  noted  that 
"social  conditions  on  the  farm  have  been  greatly 
improved  as  a  result  of  the  electric  railway"  since 
the  advantages  of  the  city  were  easily  available.  The 
problem  of  keeping  the  young  people  down  on  the 
farm  was  solved,  he  declared. 

There  was,  indeed,  much  truth  in  these  pompous 
statements,  for  the  fast,  frequent,  and  inexpensive 
electric  transportation  did  stimulate  local  trade, 
and  helped  to  break  down  the  19th  century  pro- 
vincialism of  many  small  towns  by  opening  up  the 
world  around  them. 

Frequently  the  interurban  had  equally  significant 
effects  on  American  urban  centers.  Just  as  streetcar 
lines  set  the  pattern  for  growth  within  the  city,  the 
interurban  lines  that  radiated  from  the  cities  often 
established  the  direction  of  suburban  growth.  In  the 


older  Eastern  cities  the  pattern  was  already  defined 
by  the  steam  railroad  commuting  lines,  and  the  in- 
terurbans  did  little  more  than  supplement  it;  but  in 
the  newer  cities  of  the  Midwest  and  West,  popula- 
tion frequently  followed  the  electric  cars.  Probably 
no  urban  area's  growth  was  more  greatly  influenced 
by  interurban  development  than  that  of  Los  Angeles 
and  the  Southern  California  communities  around  it, 
which  fused  from  separate  small  towns  into  one 
great  metropolitan  area,  largely  along  the  lines  of 
the  1000-mile  Pacific  Electric  Railway. 

Indianapolis  was  America's  greatest  traction  cen- 
ter, and  interurbans  extended  in  a  dozen  directions 
from  the  city,  making  it  a  great  commercial  center 
for  all  of  Indiana.  During  the  first  decade  after  the 
turn  of  the  century  the  city's  population  growth  of 
38  per  cent  was  largely  attributed  to  the  interurban. 
Comparing  during  the  same  period  the  19  per  cent 
growth  of  St.  Louis,  less  well-endowed  with  interur- 
bans, the  St.  Louis  Republic  observed  rather  petu- 
lantly, "A  city  without  great  wealth,  without  large 
industry,  without  a  university,  without  navigable 
water,  without  coal,  without  natural  beauty  of  site 
has  grown  because  it  made  it  easy  for  its  neighbors 
for  100  miles  around  to  drop  in  before  dinner,  per 


16 


trolley  car,  and  leaving  after  an  early  supper,  to 
get  home  by  bedtime." 

Rooted  in  real  need,  the  electric  railway  boom 
was  nurtured  to  phenomenal  growth  by  its  enthusi- 
astic advocates.  By  1917  over  18,000  miles  of  interur- 
ban  lines  and  nearly  10,000  cars  were  being  operated 
in  virtually  every  state  of  the  Union.  The  network 
reached  its  fullest  growth  in  the  five  central  states 
of  Indiana,  Ohio,  Michigan,  Illinois,  and  Wisconsin 
where  better  than  40  per  cent  of  the  nation's  inter- 
urban  mileage  was  concentrated.  Indiana  and  Ohio 
in  particular  had  virtually  complete  systems. 

The  spectacular  growth  of  the  interurban's  golden 
years  of  expansion  was  not  without  its  price.  Sparked 


by  overzealous  local  boosters  or  glib  promoters  more 
interested  in  fast  money  than  in  soundly  conceived 
electric  railways,  many  a  line  hopefully  went  into 
business  with  little  more  in  outlook  to  sustain  it 
than  local  pride,  and  many  more  never  even  got 
beyond  the  prospectus  stage.  In  1910  the  financial 
editor  of  World's  Work  estimated  that  9  out  of  10 
projected  electric  railways  were  stillborn,  and  Brill 
Magazine  described  the  mortality  of  projected  elec- 
tric railways  as  "something  frightful."  Even  in  1909, 
one  of  the  interurban's  most  prosperous  years,  22 
electric  railway  properties  went  into  receivership. 

Typically,  the  interurban  was  built  largely  with 
local    capital    and    was    quickly    and    cheaply    con- 


A  gay  crowd  at  Santa  Monica  on  April  1,  1896,  attended  the  arrival  of  the  first  Pasadena  &  Pa- 
cific interurban,  which  carried  local  officials  and  prominent  citizens,  and  was  followed  shortly 
by  a  car  loaded  with  Minnesota  tourists.   The  schools  were  dismissed  at  noon,  guns  were  fired, 
bands  played,  and  Gen.  Moses  H.  Sherman,  one  of  the  line's  promoters,  and  Mayor  Pratt 
of   Minneapolis   were   decorated   with   flowers.    The  usual  refreshments  and  oratory  fol- 
lowed.   Historical  Collections,  Security  First  National  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 


r 


This  hat-waving  crowd  of  "Glendale  Boosters"  had  just  arrived  aboard  the  first  train  into  Pacific 
Electric's  new  Subway  Terminal  at  Los  Angeles  in  1925.    Historical  Collections,  Security 
First  National  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 


Milwaukee  Northern  Railway's 
big  Niles  cars  reached  Cedar 
Grove,  Wis.,  August  31,  1908, 
and  citizens  found  out  what  the 
humming  rotary  converter  in 
the  brick  depot  had  brought  to 
their  hamlet.   That  all  were  not 
awed  by  the  first-day  speeches  is 
evidenced  by  the  determined 
contingent  exiting  left,  no 
doubt  heading  uptown  to  discuss 
the  event  over  steins  of  some 
potent  local  lager.   David  A. 
Strassman  Collection. 


18 


mm 


'ivy' 


Indianapolis  was  among  North  America's  greatest  traction  centers,  and  after  1904  electric  cars  from 
the  12  routes  entering  the  city  used  the  new  Indianapolis   I  taction  Terminal.    The  adjacent  nine-storj 
office  building  and  the  great  traiushed  cost  over  a  million  dollars.    In  1 9/ 4.  one  of  the  Indiana  interur- 
bans'  peak  years,  7  million  passengers  passed  through  the  terminal  and  a  dail\  average  of  520  passenger 
cars  and  nearly  100  freight  cars  were  accommodated.    George  Krambles  Collection. 


19 


Occasionally  interurban  promoters, 
too  strapped  for  cash  to  string  trolley 
wire  or  to  build  power  plants,  went 
into  business  with  gasoline  motor 
cars  as  a  temporary  expedient  until 
they  could  round  up  the  necessary 
funds.   One  such  line  was  the  21-mile 
Woodstock   &   Sycamore   Traction 
Company  in  Illinois,  which  started 
operation  in  1911  with  three  of  these 
fearsome-looking  knife-nosed  McKeen 
gasoline  cars.    Among  the  least  suc- 
cessful of  interurban  ventures,  the 
Woodstock   &   Sycamore   was   aban- 
doned in  1918,  before  its  owners 
ever  did  get  around  to  electrification. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


The  roadside  development  often  characteristic  of 
interurbans  is  illustrated  here  by  the  West  Chester 
line  of  the  Philadelphia  Suburban  Transportation 
Company.    The  1914  Jewett  interurban  shown  was 
funked  a  few  months  ajter  this  1949  photograph 
was  made,  but  the  line  itself  continued  to  operate 
for  another  five  years  with  streamlined  equip- 
ment. Charles  A.  Brown. 

structed  with  expectations  of  immediate  and  sub- 
stantial profits.  Within  cities  the  interurbans  usually 
followed  the  tracks  already  used  by  street  railway- 
systems,  and  intermediate  towns  were  often  traversed 
in  a  similar  manner.  Once  out  of  town  the  inter- 
urban usually  took  to  its  own  private  right  of  way, 
sometimes  paralleling  the  rural  roads  and  sometimes 
striking  off  across  the  open  countryside,  but  almost 
always  following  the  ups  and  downs  of  the  natural 
topography  to  avoid  the  expensive  cuts  and  fills  of 
steam  railroad  practice.  An  extreme  example  was  the 
Syracuse  &  Suburban  Railway,  whose  builders  de- 
cided to  follow  the  existing  highway  for  their  12- 
mile  line  to  Edward  Falls.  This  decision  resulted  in 
what  Brill  Magazine  aptly  termed  an  "arduous  align- 
ment and  profile."  Grades  as  steep  as  1 1  per  cent 
were  frequently  encountered. 

Interurban  rail  sections  were  light,  and  ballast,  if 
it  was  used  at  all,  was  skimpy.  The  trolley  wire  was 

Los  Angeles,  too,  was  among  the  great  traction 
centers.   Pacific  Electric  Railway's  Henry  F..  Hun- 
tington constructed  the  magnificent  .Wain  Street 
Terminal,  Los  Angeles'  first  "skyscraper,"    in  1904 
to  accommodate  the  interurbans  of  the  rapidly 
growing  PE.   Even  at  the  time  of  this  1950  photo- 
graph, the  terminal  was  still  the  center  of  intense 
interurban  activity,    WILLIAM  D.  MlDDLETON. 


21 


usually  simply  suspended  from  wooden  poles.  Oc- 
casionally the  interurban  builders  adopted  construc- 
tion standards  that  were  equivalent  to  those  for  high- 
class  steam  railroads,  but  such  lines  were  in  a  minor- 
ity. All  of  the  construction  short  cuts  of  the  early 
years,  though  they  helped  the  interurbans  begin 
operation  in  a  hurry  at  low  cost,  proved  to  be 
fatal  liabilities  in  later  years,  when  high  speeds  and 
the  operation  of  long  freight  trains  became  the  keys 
to  survival. 

Sometimes  communities  along  the  projected  route 
of  an  interurban  were  so  eager  for  the  stimulating 
effects  of  electric  transportation  that  substantial 
grants  or  subsidies  were  offered  as  inducements  to 
the  promoters.  One  Indiana  line,  the  Winona  Rail- 
way, had  to  build  the  last  section  of  its  line  between 
Warsaw  and  Peru  in  a  headlong  rush  in  order  to  be- 
gin operation  by  the  February  1,  1910,  deadline  date 
required  to  collect  the  subsidy  money  proffered  by 
counties  along  the  route. 

Because  the  interurbans  were  almost  always  small, 
locally  backed  ventures,  they  were  usually  sensitive 
to  local  aspirations  and  wants,  and  as  a  rule,  electric 
railwaymen  refrained  from  the  sort  of  "public  be 
damned"  shenanigans  practiced  by  the  steam  rail- 
road barons  of  earlier  years.  There  were  occasional 
lapses,  however,  one  of  which  occurred  in  1924  on 
the  Dayton  &  Western  Traction  Company.  Valentine 
Winters,  the  D&W  manager,  became  involved  in  a 


squabble  with  the  city  officials  of  New  Lebanon,  O., 
over  paving  between  the  rails  of  the  electric  line, 
which  traversed  city  streets.  Unable  to  reach  a 
satisfactory  agreement,  Winters  grandly  ripped  up 
his  rails  and  built  a  new  line  around  New  Lebanon, 
on  private  right  of  way  outside  the  corporate  limits. 
"New  Lebanon  Says  Winters  Is  Bluffing"  headlined 
a  Dayton  newspaper  at  the  height  of  the  controversy, 
which  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  the  name 
"Valley  Bluff"  which  Winters  gave  the  new  D&W 
station  just  outside  town.  Tempers  cooled,  and  a  few 
years  later  the  station  was  quietly  renamed  New 
Lebanon. 

Stung  by  the  competition  of  the  electric  cars, 
which  quickly  siphoned  off  their  local  passenger 
and  package  freight  business,  the  steam  railroads 
often  retaliated  in  heavy-handed  fashion.  Their 
hostility  was  manifested  in  many  ways.  Some  tried 
to  match  the  frequent  service  and  low  fares  of  the 
electrics,  which  proved  to  be  a  costly  business.  Soon 
after  the  new  interurban  line  was  opened  between 
Cedar  Rapids  and  Iowa  City,  la.,  in  1904,  the  com- 
peting Rock  Island  line  began  offering  an  hourly 
steam  train  service  at  low  fares,  with  extra  trains  on 
Sunday.  Similar  measures  were  taken  against  an- 
other new  interurban  operating  between  Des  Moines 
and  Colfax.  So  enamored  was  the  public  of  the  new 
trolleys,  though,  that  the  steam  trains  were  ignored, 
and  after  only  a  few  months  Rock  Island  retired 


Thrusting  a  rakish   wooden  pilot  ahead  of  it,  a  Fort  Wayne,  Van  Wert  &  Lima  inter  urban  moved 
through  the  Lima  Public  Square  about  1906,  a  year  after  the  62-mile  interstate  line  opened  for 
business.   John  H.  Keller  Collection,  from  Stephen  D.  Maguire. 


from  the  scene,  unhappily  licking  its  fiscal  wounds. 

Other  steam  lines  attemped  to  freeze  out  the  new 
competition.  In  1906  the  West  and  Central  Pas- 
senger Association,  a  steam  road  group,  resolved 
that  it  would  not  recognize  its  electric  competi- 
tion either  by  issuing  joint  tariffs  or  by  making 
traffic  agreements.  One  Midwest  steam  road,  the 
Clover  Leaf  system  (now  part  of  the  Nickel  Plate), 
decided  to  buck  the  majority  trend  and  issued  inter- 
line tariffs  with  interurban  lines,  realizing  a  lucra- 
tive source  of  new  business  in  the  process. 

When  the  interurbans  ventured  into  carload 
freight  business,  a  similar  hostility  was  usually  the 
rule.  In  1915  the  Michigan  Central  Railroad  fought 
all   the  way   to  the  U.S.   Supreme  Court   before   it 


finally  bowed  to  a  decision  of  the  Railroad  Commis- 
sion of  Michigan  ordering  it  to  make  a  physical  con- 
nection for  carload  freight  traffic  with  the  Detroit 
United  Railway,  an  interurban,  at  Oxford,  Mich. 

Sometimes  the  steam  road  measures  were  more 
subtle.  In  1914  former  Utah  Gov.  Simon  Bam- 
berger hinted  darkly  that  the  "keen  antagonisms 
of  the  Gould  and  Harriman  interests"  had  made  it 
impossible  for  him  to  get  outside  financial  aid  for 
the  construction  of  his  Salt  Lake  City-Ogden  inter- 
urban. Bamberger  managed  to  raise  enough  local 
capital  for  the  project  and  built  his  electric  line 
anyway. 

Steam  roads  usually  placed  every  possible  obstacle 
in  the  way  of  electric  line  construction,  and  often  the 


These  two  interurbans,  typical  of  the  distinguished  wooden  cars  constructed 
by  the  Niles  Car  Works,  met  in  the  street  at  the  Lake  Shore  Electric  Railu,n'\ 
Nor  walk  (O.)  depot  in  1908.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


23 


En  route  to  Fort  Benjamin  Harrison,  a  Union  Traction  Company  of  Indiana  interurban  trundled  past 
the  U.S.  Court  House  and  Post  Office  in  Indianapolis  sometime  around  World  War  I.   William  D. 
Middleton  Collection. 


The  fierce  steam  railroad-interurban  rivalry  of  earlier  years  is  typified  by  this  view  of  a  Lehigh 
Valley  Transit  interurban  and  a  Reading  train  racing  down  parallel  track  near  Souderton,  Pa. 
B\  the  time  this  photograph  was  taken  in  1 950,  however,  there  was  little  traffic  left  to  squabble 
over,  and  in  the  decade  since,  electric  car,  steam  locomotive,  and  this  particular  passenger  train 
itself  have  vanished  from  the  Pennsylvania  Dutch  countryside.   Lester  WlSMER. 


24 


interurbans,  unable  to  obtain  a  grade-level  crossing 
with  a  steam  line,  were  forced  to  build  a  costly 
overpass  or  underpass.  Sometimes  such  conflicts  were 
resolved  in  a  more  direct  manner.  One  celebrated 
incident  of  such  a  nature  occurred  in  California 
when  rival  construction  forces  of  the  Northern 
Electric  Railway  and  George  Gould's  Western  Pacif- 
ic, both  pushing  toward  Sacramento,  arrived  in 
Marysville  about  the  same  time.  The  two  routes 
crossed  at  a  point  adjacent  to  an  apiary  just  south 
of  the  Yuba  River.  Gould's  men  got  their  track  in 
first,  but  the  Northern  Electric's  track  gang  arrived 
soon  after  and  on  January  12,  1907,  the  great  "Battle 
of  the  Bee  Farm"  took  place  when  a  hundred  inter- 
urban  men  tore  out  all  of  the  newly  laid  Western 
Pacific  rail  and  put  down  their  own  track. 

A  similar  and  even  more  violent  skirmish  had 
taken  place  two  years  earlier  when  a  Petaluma  & 
Santa  Rosa  Railroad  track  gang  attempted  to  install 
a  crossing  with  the  California  Northwestern  in  Santa 
Rosa,  Calif.  On  March  1,  1905,  after  several  months 
of  legal  maneuvering,  a  P&SR  construction  crew 
advanced  on  the  crossing  prepared  to  cut  the  steam 
road  rails  and  install  the  electric  line  crossing,  only 
to  find  CNW  forces  ready  and  waiting  to  repel 
them.  Two  steam  locomotives,  specially  fitted  with 


pipes  to  douse  the  P&SR  men  with  steam  and  hot 
water,  moved  relentlessly  back  and  forth  across  the 
intersection.  As  rapidly  as  the  P&SR  men  dug  be- 
neath the  CNW  rails,  CNW  men  filled  the  excava- 
tion with  sand  and  gravel  from  waiting  cars.  The 
electric  men  then  drove  two  double-teamed  wagons 
onto  the  rails  in  an  attempt  to  blockade  the  steam 
men,  only  to  have  the  wagons  demolished  by  the 
charging  locomotives,  which  played  live  steam  on 
the  panic-stricken  horses. 

As  the  locomotives  again  bore  down  on  the  trolley 
men  P&SR  Director  Frank  A.  Brush  stopped  them 
by  flinging  himself  prostrate  on  the  rails  in  their 
path.  The  two  crews  then  came  to  grips  in  a  bloody 
fist  fight.  Santa  Rosa  police  arrested  several  of  the 
steam  road  leaders,  but  the  battle  continued  until 
CNW  President  A.  W.  Foster  arrived  from  the  south 
aboard  a  special  train  bearing  160  hired  toughs  and 
two  Marin  County  deputy  sheriffs.  Before  Foster 
could  carry  out  threats  to  have  Santa  Rosa  police 
arrested  for  not  protecting  his  property,  or  fail- 
ing that  to  carry  the  day  by  brute  force,  P&SR  ob- 
tained a  Superior  Court  order  commanding  the 
CNW  to  cease  its  opposition,  and  the  steam  men 
reluctantly  withdrew  to  San  Francisco.  A  few  hours 
later  the  electric  men  completed  the  crossing  to  the 
cheers  of  the  crowd  that  had  gathered  to  witness 
the  excitement,  and  shortly  before  midnight  the 
first  interurban  rolled  into  Santa  Rosa  under  its 
own  power. 


Speeding  westward  over  a  freshly  built  roadbed, 
a  Sheboygan  Light,  Power  &  Railway  Company 
car  traveled  to  Plymouth,  Wis.,  shortly  before  1910. 
The  trim  interurban  was  built  by  the  Cincinnati 
Car   Company  in    1908. 


25 


Southbound  to  Oakland,  the  Sacramento  North- 
ern's Bay  Cities  Limited  stopped  in  the  street  op- 
posite the  company's  Sacramento  depot  shortly 
after  World  War  I.    The  remainder  of  the  trip 
would  be  made  over  the  rails  of  the  connecting 
Oakland,  Antioch  &  Eastern,  later  merged  with 
SN.  In  1921  the  electric  cars  began  using  the  ornate 
interurban  Union  Station  at  Sacramento.  The  din- 
ing-parlor-observation  car  Bidwell  was  built  by  the 
company's  Chico  shops  in  1914  for  through  service 
to  the  Bay  Area.  David  L.  Joslyn  Collection. 

Some  steam  railroads,  notably  in  New  England 
and  the  Far  West,  recognized  the  electrics  as  poten- 
tially valuable  feeder  lines  and  developed  extensive 
subsidiary  interurban  systems.  "I  will  make  con- 
nections even  though  the  motive  power  be  only  an 
ox  team,"  declared  the  Chicago  Great  Western's 
outspoken  president,  A.  B.  Stickney,  who  promptly 
went  out  and  cornered  a  good  share  of  Iowa's  in- 
terurban mileage.  Exorbitant  prices  paid  for  traction 
properties  in  an  effort  to  develop  a  New  England 
transportation  monopoly  accelerated  a  trip  to  the 
bankruptcy  courts  for  the  New  Haven.  On  the  West 
Coast  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  had  better  luck 
with  its  interurban  interests,  and  even  today  the  SP- 
controlled  Pacific  Electric  is  a  major  originator  of 
freight  traffic. 


Horse  and  buggy  traffic  was  plentiful  but  the  motor 
car  had  not  yet  made  an  appearance  when  this  Rock 
Island  Southern  Railroad  interurban,  dignified  in 
Pullman  green  and  gold  lettering,  circled  the 
square  in  Galesburg,  III.    The  car  operated  over 
a  19-mile  line  to  Monmouth.    Paul  Stringham 
Collection. 


Most  of  the  early  interurbans  were  projects  of 
rather  limited  objectives,  befitting  the  modest  means 
of  their  principally  local  backers.  Later  on,  men  of 
greater  vision  and  working  capital  appeared  on  the 
scene  to  weld  the  profusion  of  small  properties  into 
great  traction  systems  of  truly  impressive  size,  often 
covering  entire  states  in  trolley  networks. 

An  Illinois  congressman,  William  B.  McKinley, 
assembled  a  collection  of  smaller  interurbans,  along 
with  the  necessary  new  construction,  into  the  550- 
mile  Illinois  Traction  System,  the  largest  Midwest 
interurban.  The  West's  great  Pacific  Electric  system 
represented  the  combination  of  four  major  interur- 
bans, each  itself  the  product  of  previous  mergers. 
During  the  '20's  Midwest  utilities  tycoon  Samuel 
Insull  assembled  a  chain  of  interurban  systems  that 
stretched  from  Milwaukee  to  Louisville.  In  the  early 
years  of  the  depression,  Insull's  Indiana  holdings 
were  consolidated  into  the  Indiana  Railroad  System, 
which  briefly  operated  a  total  of  nearly  800  miles  of 
track  before  piecemeal  abandonments  whittled  down 
its  size. 

Among  the  most  intriguing  of  all  electric  railway 
projects,  perhaps,  were  some  of  the  bold  schemes  — 
unrivaled  for  sheer  audacity  —  which  never  materi- 


26 


alized.  Consider  the  earliest  of  them  all,  an  1893 
proposal  to  build  a  252-mile  air  line  electric  road  be- 
tween Chicago  and  St.  Louis.  Dr.  Wellington  Adams, 
the  line's  promoter,  proposed  to  use  a  multiphase 
electrification  system,  and  let  it  be  known  that 
General  Electric  was  prepared  to  furnish  equip- 
ment guaranteed  to  travel  100  miles  per  hour  in 
perfect  safety.  The  line,  to  be  completed  within  a 
year  at  a  cost  of  5.5  million  dollars,  was  to  be  double 
tracked,  with  provision  for  two  more  tracks  at  a 
later  date!  In  publishing  reports  that  surveys  were 
completed,  right  of  way  secured,  and  construction 
actually  under  way,  the  Street  Railway  Review 
cautiously  advised  its  readers,  "Just  how  much  is 
true  is  hard  to  say." 

The  editors  of  the  steam  railroad  industry's 
Railroad  Gazette  were  less  restrained  in  their  criti- 
cism, and  worked  themselves  into  a  lather  over  the 
absurdities  of  the  "electric  chicken  coops"  of  the 
proposed  "through  by  lightning"  railroad.  After  a 
three  column  editorial  tirade  against  the  project  and 
its  promoters,  the  Gazette  refrained  from  belaboring 
the  subject  further  "out  of  consideration  for  the 
reader." 

In  view  of  the  state  of  development  of  the  then 


infant  electric  railway  industry,  the  St.  Louis-Chica- 
go project  was  nothing  short  of  fantastic,  but  prob- 
ably served  well  its  real  purpose  of  extracting  money 
from  the  pockets  of  the  gullible. 

The  Chicago-New  York  Electric  Air  Line  Rail- 
road, whose  plans  were  unveiled  to  prospective  in- 
vestors in  a  series  of  full-page  newspaper  ads  in 
July  1906,  was  even  more  ambitious.  To  be  straight 
as  an  arrow,  with  maximum  grades  of  Yl  of  1  per 
cent,  and  free  of  grade  crossings,  the  projected  Air 
Line  would  have  reduced  the  mileage  between  Amer- 
ica's two  greatest  cities  to  750  miles  of  double  track 
"super  railroad,"  fully  160  miles  shorter  than  any 
steam  railroad.  Running  times  between  the  two 
cities  would  be  reduced  to  10  hours  ("10  hours 
quicker  than  the  quickest")  by  electric  locomotives 
capable  of  100-mile-per-hour  speeds,  and  fares  would 
be  "S10  cheaper  than  the  cheapest."  Captivated  by 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  Air  Line's  persuasive  founder 
and  president,  Alexander  C.  Miller,  and  by  promises 
of  "profits  almost  beyond  calculation,"  thousands 
rushed  to  buy  Air  Line  stock. 

If  economically  unrealistic,  the  Air  Line  project 
was  .tt  least  within  the  bounds  of  technical  practi- 
cality, and  in  fairness  to  its  promoters  it  should  be 


r 


stated  that  they  were  men  of  considerable  railroad- 
ing experience  and  appeared  to  be  honestly  con- 
vinced of  their  project's  feasibility. 

The  first  100-mile  division  of  the  150-million- 
dollar  Air  Line,  from  Chicago  to  Goshen,  Ind.,  was 
to  be  completed  within  a  year;  but  after  seven  years 
of  effort,  less  than  30  miles  of  arrow-straight  track 
had  been  finished  when  the  project  finally  fizzled 
out,  and  the  Air  Line  became  part  of  just  another 
minor  interurban  system.  The  Air  Line's  impossibly 
high   construction   standards  created   prohibitive 


costs,  and  stock  sales  lagged  during  the  severe  de- 
pression of  1907-1908.  Many  who  had  contracted 
to  buy  stock  on  the  instalment  plan  were  unable  to 
keep  up  their  payments.  Miller's  construction  crews 
spent  four  years  erecting  a  tremendous  2-mile  fill 
across  Coffey  Creek  Bottoms,  east  of  Gary,  Ind.  Forty 
acres  of  standing  timber  went  into  a  temporary 
trestle  across  the  valley,  and  the  fill  that  replaced  it 
measured  180  feet  wide  at  the  base  and  contained  a 
million  cubic  feet  of  earth.  The  job  was  eventually 
completed,   but   it   helped   to  empty   the   Air   Line 


Soon  after  the  cars  began  to  operate  between  Seattle  and  Tacoma  over  the  high-speed, 
third-rail  Puget  Sound  Electric  Railway  in  1902,  a  train  of  Brill  inter urbans  rolled  past 
the  big  totem  pole  in  Seattle's  Pioneer  Square.   Washington  State  Historical 
Society,  from  Robert  S.  Wilson. 


28 


NDAY  TRIBUNE 


jttv  8.  mor,. 


in  1 0  Hours — Fare  $  1  ( 


One  of  the  Hundred-Mile-an-Hour  Electric  Entines   That    W 111  Take  a  Train  to  JVeW   Yor%  in  10  Hours. 


•team  roa 

a.  it  will 

ialculatlnn 
tied"  with 
U*f  length 

Sly  built 
d  of  the 
-  on  this 

CHIS-hed 

and  uw 

tty  BTflet*  a 

pari  and 

■harg.  J 
ery  part 
.co that 
the  run- 

Port.'     Soutl  Elkhart,    Oosru 

many  others,  it  serves  a  population  of  lPn.iKlu 

It    has   been   shi  «  n    Ui  it   eh  eti  Ic 
through   n   re  irlon    ot   this  .1,  trader  1  IcM  a 

gross  i mill,    ;:    r  from  J] tlT.nup   • 

he  lowci 
esUmati    ol  *i'i  I-  r  1  iplta,  th<    grm     profits 

flK'ir,    up  to  one  1  thi  u 

eahd   dollars     O111    operating  expense*  will 
not  exceed  GO  p<  r  <■<  nt  •>!"  the  gross  receipts, 
and    this   would    leave    t,t  ...         . 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  cii:.o  i«»n 
on  a  section  of  mad  ,»r.l\  one  hundrel 
loraj.    This_w"nid   enable   the   road   to  pay 


k  .ft- 1 


Xothln 


a  tnrh  1. ui  wr.  ck  Its 

1       m  tne  n     ment  th<  road  begins  v 

ire  of  str.ik  will  be  Just 

t     1     ««   n    n«-yi  ft  ur>  tinxs  ««    gio.l     if 

nought  atacrestr.l   prices.     It  will  be  easy  to 

turti   I:    Into  instant  cath  if  you  don'i   wart 

'•    nsportatlon,  because    any    ticket    broker 

•1  It  at  a  small  <Us<-<  unt  ror brokerage, 

even    In  one  year  from  date.   vf\  1.  n   the  first 

humlrtilmilf   cctlon  of  the  rood  is  In  actual 

.  peratlon  between  Chicago  and  Goshen. 

THE    EABHIMOS   OT   TUT    IOU)    WOL 


.  'In 


securltle 

value  of  the  stoek  n'nd  bond  __ 
railroads  In  the  United  States  umounti 
about  fourteen  billion  dollira.  whloh  la  a 
ope-clghth  of  all  the  weakh  c  f  the  cuur 

TKM  mtl  TO  IITMT  IB  WOW.  IT 

AOAJB   WIXL  TO    rUCIl 

■■     SO     LOW. 

Railroad  forturxeare  th»  greatest  fbrrt 

on  earth.    The  awn  th«t  piled  up  uotcld 

llonn  by  raUrowd   Investments  «m  iwn 


Electric  locomotives  such  as  these,  claimed  promoters  of  the  Chicago-New  York  Electric  Air 
Line  Railroad,  would  travel  between  the  two  cities  in  10  hours  at  speeds  up  to  100  miles  per 
hour.   The  Air  Line,  which  proved  to  be  anything  but  the  "proposition  nith  every  element  of 
risk  absolutely  done  away  with"  claimed  in  an  early  prospectus,  was  the  greatest  fiasco  of  the 
inter  urban  era. 


treasury  and  to  exhaust  the  stockholders'  patience. 

Throughout  the  life  of  the  Air  Line  project,  stock- 
holder interest  was  sustained  and  additional  con- 
tributions solicited  by  means  of  such  booster  organ- 
izations as  the  "Kankakee  Air  Line  Stockholders' 
Association  of  the  World,"  and  the  monthly  Air  Line 
News,  which  dramatized  every  development  in  the 
construction  work  {e.g.,  "A  huge  Vulcan  steam 
shovel  is  already  on  the  job,  taking  big  bites  out  of 
hills  that  stand  in  the  path  of  the  straight  and  level 
speedway  that  is  to  be  the  Air  Line" ) . 

Despite  occasional  flops  of  the  magnitude  of  the 


Air  Line  fiasco  and  the  far  more  frequent  failures 
of  lesser  schemes,  which  normally  expired  with  con- 
siderably less  notice,  the  interurbans  grew  prodi- 
giously, and  seemed  destined  for  a  future  of  unlim- 
ited promise  when  all  America  would  be  laced  to- 
gether by  a  splendid  electric  network.  During  those 
golden  years  of  growth  and  triumph  no  one  could 
have  taken  seriously  the  suggestion  that  many  of  the 
very  same  people,  and  perhaps  even  the  same  train 
crews,  who  attended  the  gala  opening  celebrations 
would  one  day  be  present  for  the  melancholy  de- 
parture of  the  last  car.    i 


29 


The  Interurban  Era 


Bound  for  a  summer  outing,  a  capacity  crowd  rode  this  Sheboygan 
Light,  Power  &  Railway  Company  open  car  on  the  company's  inter- 
urban line  to  Elkhart  Lake,  Wis.,  about  1909.    Trains  Collection. 


Am 


The  Interurban  Era 


AN  infinitely  more  impressive  and  elegant  vehicle 
than  the  urban  trolleys  from  which  it  evolved,  the 
interurban  car  was  an  imposing  sight  as  it  rumbled 
and  worried  its  way  through  the  traffic  of  city  streets, 
bound  for  the  countryside  and  the  freedom  of  its 
own  private  rails.  Once  free  of  the  city  the  big  cars 
hurried  along  at  exhilarating  speeds,  swaying  and 
"nosing"  from  side  to  side  on  the  often  uneven 
track.  Windows  flung  open  against  the  warmth  of  a 
summer's  day  scooped  up  the  rich  odors  of  the 
countryside,  sometimes  mingled  with  the  ozone 
smell  generated  by  the  electric  traction  motors  or  the 
pungent  odor  of  grinding  brake  shoes  as  the  car 
slowed  for  a  stop.  A  high-pitched  screaming  came 
from  the  traction  motors  and  gears,  and  the  steady 
thump  and  hiss  of  the  trolley  wheel  overhead 
was  faintly  heard.  The  wheels  beat  a  measured 
rhythm  over  staggered  rail  joints,  and  now  and  then, 
to  the  clank  of  loose  fitting  switch  points  and  frogs, 
the  car  lurched  through  turnouts  that  led  to  spurs 
or  sidings.  Occasionally  the  air  compressor  beneath 
the  car  cut  in  with  its  characteristic  lung-a-lung-a- 
lutig.  The  conductor's  signal  cord,  suspended  from 
the  ceiling,  flip-flopped  back  and  forth,  and  there 
was  a  muffled  creaking  from  the  car's  ornate  wood- 
work. 

At  night  the  powerful  headlight  knifed  through 
the  darkness  ahead,  and  when  the  trolley  wire  was 
coated  with  sleet,  the  countryside  was  fleetingly 
illuminated  with  great  blue-white  flashes  every  time 
the  racing  trolley  wheel,  or  "shoe,"  momentarily 
lost  contact  with  the  wire. 

Sealed  off  in  his  special  compartment  at  the  front, 
the  motorman,  clad  in  the  cap  and  pin-striped  cover- 
alls of  real  railroading,  busied  himself  with  con- 
troller, brakes,  bell,  and  air  horn.  The  blue-uni- 
formed, brass-buttoned  conductor  collected  the  fares, 
chatted  amiably  with  the  passengers,  and  in  the 
wintertime,  if  the  car  wasn't  equipped  with  electric 
heaters,  stoked  coal  into  the  hot  water  heater  that 
kept  the  car  comfortably  overheated.   There  was  an 


easy  informality  to  interurban  travel.  Most  of  the 
train  crews  knew  their  regular  clientele  on  a  first- 
name  basis,  and  they  were  not  above  such  homely 
tasks  as  running  a  few  errands  for  a  housewife  along 
the  line,  or  seeing  to  the  safe  arrival  of  an  unescorted 
child  at  his  destination. 

The  interurban  was  everyone's  conveyance  in  the 
days  before  the  family  car,  and  it  provided  far  more 
than  just  the  transportation  necessities  of  farmer, 
small-towner,  or  commercial  traveler.  Whether  for 
business,  a  family  picnic  outing,  a  Sunday  excursion 
to  town,  or  simply  the  thrilling  experience  of  high- 
speed trolleying,  almost  everyone  rode  the  cars. 

Resourceful  interurban  entrepreneurs  were  rarely 
content  just  to  accommodate  those  who  had  to  travel, 
and  many  were  the  ideas  employed  to  lure  the  public 
aboard.  Few  lines  of  importance  were  without  an 
"Electric  Park"  or  its  equivalent,  located  far  enough 
from  town,  of  course,  to  require  a  trip  on  the  inter- 
urban to  get  there.  Typical  was  the  elaborate  park 
that  was  an  integral  part  of  construction  plans  for 
the  Stark  Electric  Railway,  built  in  northern  Ohio 
soon  after  the  turn  of  the  century.  A  pond  that  was 
dammed  for  the  line's  powerhouse  was  also  stocked 
with  fish,  and  a  fleet  of  rowboats  was  purchased  for 
rental.  Playground  equipment  and  a  picnic  pavilion 
were  installed  on  the  edge  of  the  pond,  and  a  dance 
hall  was  erected  in  a  nearby  wood.  Provision  for  ice 
skating  on  the  pond  made  the  park  a  year-round 
traffic  builder  for  the  interurban. 

Any  interurban  such  as  the  Chicago,  Ottawa  & 
Peoria,  which  was  fortunate  enough  to  have  a 
Chautauqua  Park  along  its  route,  could  count  on 
heavy  traffic  when  great  crowds  thronged  to  the 
annual  camp  meeting,  which  was  the  occasion  for 
addresses  by  noted  orators  and  lecturers.  Other 
lines  offered  such  attractions  as  beaches,  salt  water 
plunges,  or  auto  race  tracks. 

Another  form  of  traffic  development,  and  per- 
haps the  first  "park  and  ride"  plan,  was  tried  in 
1910  by  the  Iowa  &  Illinois  Railway,  which  operated 


32 


-;  \'  71 


/!»   amusement  park    was  a   sure-fire   traffic   builder  for  interurban  lines.    This  was  the  Lackawan- 
na &  Wyoming  Valley  Railroad's  Rocky  Glen  Park  at  Moosic,  Pa.   Edward  S.  Miller. 


between  Clinton  and  Davenport,  la.  As  a  means  of 
encouraging  farmers  to  use  I&I  service,  the  company 
erected  wooden  sheds  at  highway  crossings  into 
which  prospective  rural  passengers  could  put  their 
horses  without  charge  while  taking  a  trip  to  one  of 
the  terminal  cities  aboard  the  electric  cars.  To  pro- 
tect against  horse  thieves,  each  farmer  was  expected 
to  bring  his  own  padlock. 

Hardly  any  interurban  of  consequence  failed  to 
have  one  or  more  handsome  parlor  cars  available  for 
charter  service,  for  as  an  early  text  on  the  operation 
of  electric  railways  commented,  "The  chartered  car 
appeals  to  the  feelings  of  exclusiveness,  sense  of 
ownership  and  comfort  beloved  of  most  humans." 

The  trolley  car  funeral,  said  to  be  "vastly  superior 
to  a  horse-drawn  hearse"  service,  was  commonplace 
too  in  the  early  years  of  the  century.    Special  cars, 


equipped  to  handle  caskets  and  designed  to  provide 
privacy  for  the  mourners,  were  usually  employed. 
For  large  funerals  a  charter  car  followed  along  be- 
hind the  funeral  car  with  the  overflow  of  mourners. 
Sunday  visitors  were  another  source  of  revenue  that 
made  a  suburban  cemetery  along  the  line  an  asset  to 
any  interurban. 

Excursion  and  sight-seeing  traffic  was  intensive- 
ly promoted  by  the  interurbans.  The  Lake  Shore 
Electric  Railway  in  Ohio  regularly  operated  "theater 
specials"  into  Toledo  and  Cleveland  shortly  after 
the  turn  of  the  century.  A  caterer  was  usually  hired 
to  serve  coffee  and  a  light  luncheon  aboard  the  cars 
on  the  return  trip,  and  on  other  occasions  entertain- 
ment, perhaps  by  a  mandolin  club  or  an  "orchestra 
gramophone,"  was  provided.  During  the  '20's  the 
Chicago  North  Shore  &  Milwaukee  operated  "Grand 


33 


Opera  Specials"  during  the  season,  and  served  a 
light  supper  to  opera-goers  on  the  way  home.  For 
those  with  less  cultured  tastes  Michigan  United 
Railways  agents  sold  round-trip  tickets  with  coupons 
good  for  cut-rate  admission  to  a  circuit  of  25-cent 
vaudeville  theaters,  and  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Wabash 
Valley  did  a  good  business  in  dancing  party  specials. 

An  Ohio  line,  the  Toledo,  Fostoria  &  Findlay, 
built  up  its  week-end  traffic  with  "Sunday  Dinner 
Excursions,"  offering  a  free  dinner  ticket  to  any 
one  of  several  Findlay  restaurants  with  excursion 
tickets  from  points  20  or  more  miles  away. 

A  number  of  Midwestern  interurbans  constructed 
baseball  parks  to  stimulate  traffic,  and  several  Ohio 
lines  organized  leagues  among  on-line  communities. 


The  Cleveland  &  Southwestern  Baseball  Trolley 
League  included  six  towns  reached  by  the  inter- 
urban,  and  the  railway  donated  a  silver  cup  to  the 
winning  team,  assisted  in  advertising,  and  offered 
free  rides  to  the  players.  One  of  the  line's  officers 
even  acted  as  the  league  president. 

Southern  California's  Pacific  Electric  system  oper- 
ated what  was  easily  the  most  extensive  excursion 
and  sight-seeing  business  of  all.  Every  attraction  of 
consequence  was  reached  by  a  PE  excursion,  and  for 
the  first  20  years  or  so  of  the  century  there  just  wasn't 
any  other  way  to  see  Southern  California.  The 
"Balloon  Route  Trolley  Trip"  (a  "$10  trip  for  a 
dollar" )  took  tourists  out  Sunset  Boulevard  to  Hol- 
lywood and  the  beach  cities  west  of  Los  Angeles. 


^vVVW 


Ik  **€,"$      -  -  .# 


v>r 


^TP 


The  attractions  of 
/Monarch  Park,  midway 
between  Franklin  and 
Oil  City,  Pa.,  stimu- 
lated traffic  aboard  the 
electric  cars  of  the  Citi- 
zens Traction  Com- 
pany.   Twice  a  day  the 
Monarch  Park  Concert 
Band  performed  at 
the  pagoda,  and  three 
nights  a  week  the  Goss- 
Green  dance  orches- 
tra played  under  Japa- 
nese lanterns  and  fake 
palm  trees  in  the  dance 
hall.   Both  Photos: 
Donald  K.  Slick 
Collection. 


A  principal  source  of  income  for  Utah's  Salt  Lake,   Garfield  &   Western  interurban   was  excursion 
travel  to   the  company's  Saltair  resort  on  Great  Salt    Lake,   where   salt-water    bathing,    boating, 
picnicking,  one  of  the  world's  largest  dance  pavilions,  and  all  manner  of  other  diversions 
drew  great  throngs  of  pleasure  seekers.   Both  Photos:  Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


< 


fi 


<* 


rr  -v 


■a:  i 


-  r*tK   * 


am 


Pre-eminent  among  electric  car  attractions  was  Prof.  Tbaddeus  S.  C.  Loive's  Mount  Lowe  Rail- 
way, which  transported  tourists  by  incline  and  narrow  gauge  trolleys  close  to  the  summit  of  Mount 
Lowe,  north  of  Pasadena.    This  group  of  early  tourists  was  photographed  aboard  an  "opera  seat"  car 
near  the  top  of  the  Great  Cable  Incline.   Echo  Mountain  House,  risible  in  the  background,  was  one 
of  four  hotels  operated  by  the  railway.   Historical  Collections,  Security  First  National  Bank, 
Los  Angeles. 


Ohio's  Lake  Shore  Electric  Railway  did  an  extensive  pleasure  travel 
business  to  the  many  Lake  Erie  resorts  along  its  line  between  Cleve- 
land and  Toledo.    This  line-up  of  interurbans  transported  a  -i-H  Club  group 
to  Sandusky,  where  the  excursionists  transferred  to  steamers  for  the  offshore 
Cedar  Point  resort.    The  company  offered  reduced  party  and  special  car  rates  for 
"lodges,  secret  societies,  or  any  other  group."   Richard  Cook  Collection. 


/ 


YStMS 


With    its    smartly    uniformed 
motorman,  conductor,  and  porter 
lined  up  at  attention,  the  North- 
ern Ohio  Traction  &  Light  Com- 
pany's   magnificent   parlor-ob- 
servation car  Northern  ivas  all 
set  for  official  duties  or  special 
charter  service.    Stephen  D. 
Maguire  Collection. 

These  three  carloads  of 
Southern  California  tourists 
visited  the  Hollywood  resi- 
dence and  art  gallery  of 
painter  Paul  de  Longpre  in 
1905,  on  the  Los  Angeles 
Pacific's  famous  "Balloon 
Route  Trolley  Trip."   Head- 
ing the  line  was  No.  400  — 
the  flagship  of  LAP's  excur- 
sion car  fleet — which  was  ap- 
propriately finished  in  royal 
blue  and  fitted  with  electric 
outline  lighting.  Historical 
Collections,  Security  First 
National  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 


Among  the  many  attractions  were  a  visit  to  the 
Hollywood  studio  of  world-famous  painter  Paul  de 
Longpre,  a  stop  at  Santa  Monica's  Camera  Obscura, 
and  a  visit  to  Venice,  which  then  boasted  genuine 
canals  and  gondolas. 

The  "Orange  Empire  Trolley  Trip"  carried  trolley 
excursionists  on  a  150-mile  tour  of  the  San  Ber- 
nardino County  citrus  areas,  and  the  "Triangle 
Trolley  Trip"  offered  a  look  at  the  beach  cities  south 
of  Los  Angeles.  The  "Catalina  Special"  provided 
boat  train  service  to  the  docks  at  Wilmington,  where 
a  connection  was  made  with  the  Avalon  steamer 
service.  In  earlier  years  excursions  were  operated 
to  the  Ostrich  Farm,  near  San  Gabriel,  and  to  E.  J. 
"Lucky"  Baldwin's  ranch. 

The  greatest  of  all  PE's  attractions  was  the  famed 
Mount  Lowe  line,  the  "Greatest  Mountain  Trolley 
Trip  in  the  World,"  which  carried  tourists,  by 
means  of  the  Great  Cable  Incline  and  the  narrow- 
gauge  Alpine  Division,  to  Alpine  Tavern,  1100 
feet  below  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  Three  other 
hotels,    hiking    trails    and    bridle    paths,    a    zoo,    a 


Holiday-bound  for  the  neighboring  Bamberger 
Railroad's  Lagoon  amusement  park,  a  mid-' 20' s  em- 
ployees' excursion  from  a  Utah  packing  plant  rode 
eight  well-filled  interurban  cars  behind  a  Salt  Lake  & 
Utah  freight  locomotive.  Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


38 


■p — >  ' 

■  "  it=iSHS 

i    ■ffiiilj  jtm               f-Xl- 

»^^K 

Varied  indeed  was  the  entertainment 
and  recreation  available  to  Redondo 
Beach  (Calif.)  excursionists,  most  of 
whom  arrived  aboard  the  electric  cars 
of  Henry  E.  Huntington's  Los  Ange- 
les &  Redondo  Railway,  which  became 
part  of  the  Pacific  Electric  Railway 
in  the  Great  Merger  of  1911.    Visi- 
tors to  the  Redondo  Pavilion  were 
treated  to  such  distinguished  artists 
as  famed  contralto  Mme.  Ernestine 
Schumann-Heink,  seen  here  playing 
the  trumpet,  accompanied  by  the 
Redondo  Band,  during  a  1909  visit. 
Ira  L.  Swett  —  Magna  Collection. 


museum,  and  an  observatory  were  numbered  among 
the  Mount  Lowe  line's  attractions. 

Pacific  Electric  left  no  stone  unturned  in  its  ex- 
cursion business  promotion.  A  general  agent  was 
located  in  New  York,  and  traveling  passenger  agents 
met  special  trains  as  far  east  as  Salt  Lake  City  and 
Albuquerque.  Around  1910  PE  was  dispatching  as 
many    as    80    excursion    cars    hourly    from    its    Los 


Angeles  terminal,  and  the  popular  Balloon  Route 
trip  alone  was  hauling  anywhere  from  60,000  to 
75,000  passengers  a  year. 

The  Washington-Virginia  Railway,  which  oper- 
ated to  Alexandria  and  Mount  Vernon,  was  an- 
other line  that  enjoyed  an  extensive  excursion  busi- 
ness. National  magazine  and  newspaper  advertising 
was  employed,  and  the  line's  agents  actively  solicited 


40 


Redondo  attractions  included  beaches,  fishing  piers,  a  casino, 
and  a  skating  rink.    Well-heeled  visitors  stopped  at  the  Hotel 
Redondo  (far  left),  a  rambling  and  ornate  resort  hostelry 
typical  of  the  leisurely  pre-motel  era.    Along  with  the 
shore-hugging  railway,  the  better  part  of  Redondo  Beach 
resort  facilities  and  much  of  the  town  itself  were  the  property 
of  Mr.  Huntington.   Ira  L.  Swett  —  Magna  Collection. 


In  1909  Huntington  completed  the  huge  Redondo  Plunge,  which  boasted  three 
heated  salt  water  pools.    The  main  pool,  shown  here,  was  the  largest  indoor  salt 
water  pool  in  the  world.   Ira  L.  Swett  —  Magna  Collection. 


tour  traffic  from  high  schools  and  other  groups. 
Package  tours  to  the  nation's  capital  were  offered, 
which  included,  naturally,  a  special  interurban  out- 
ing to  Mount  Vernon,  complete  with  a  guide  and 
lecturer.  Such  intensive  promotion  increased  the 
line's  tour  business  from  5000  a  year  in  1921  to 
60,000  annually  only  five  years  later. 

Many  other  lines  favored  with  points  of  historical 
interest  developed  traffic  by  distributing  handy 
guides  to  prospective  trolley  sight-seers.  One  such 
publication,  Wayside  Scenes,  distributed  by  the 
Philadelphia  &  Easton  Electric  Railway,  pictured 
—  in  addition  to  bona  fide  historical  spots  —  such 
establishments  as  a  Doylestown  steam  laundry  and 
the  "handsomest  bar  in  the  Lehigh  Valley"  at  the 
Lafayette  Cafe  in  Easton,  both  of  which  undoubtedly 
paid  for  the  privilege.  The  West  Penn  Railways, 
which  didn't  have  any  particular  attractions  to  offer 
excursionists,  simply  advised  its  patrons  of  the 
healthful  and  relaxing  benefits  of  ordinary,  every- 
day trolleying  and  suggested  to  them  that  they  try  a 
quiet  ride  on  a  West  Penn  car  after  a  hard  day's 
work  as  "a  tonic  that  fits  one  better  for  the  battle 


of  life  that  must  be  taken  up  the  following  day." 
Trolley  excursion  travel  was  cheap,  too.  Excursion 
rates  as  low  as  1  cent  a  mile  were  common  in  Ohio 
and  Indiana,  and  one  line,  the  Indianapolis  &  Cin- 
cinnati Traction  Company,  was  carrying  Sunday  ex- 
cursionists for  only  V3  cent  a  mile  in  1910.  In  1927 
the  Eastern  Massachusetts  Street  Railway  was  selling 
a  $1  Sunday  excursion  ticket  good  for  unlimited 
travel  over  its  650  miles  of  track  in  the  Boston  area. 
Trolley  vacationing  became  fashionable  too  in 
the  regions  where  the  interurban  networks  were  all 
encompassing.  The  Trolley  Wayfinder,  published 
by  the  New  England  Street  Railway  Club,  and 
dozens  of  similar  volumes  made  trolley  touring 
particularly  popular  in  the  New  England  states. 
The  Brooklyn  Eagle  published  an  annual  Trolley 
Exploring  Guide  which  outlined  everything  from 
Sunday  jaunts  through  the  suburbs  to  journeys  that 
took  the  trolley  vacationer  as  far  away  as  Washing- 
ton, Boston,  or  Chicago.  A  similar  Interurban  Trol- 
ley Guide,  published  annually  in  Chicago,  made 
vacationing  on  the  electric  cars  easy  for  Midwest- 
erners. 


41 


"When  it  comes  to  cheap,  irresponsible,  and  satis- 
factory recreation,"  proclaimed  an  article  in  World's 
Work  in  1903,  "the  trolley  is  certainly  the  very  best 
thing." 

The  Albany  Southern,  which  operated  through 
a  favorite  summer  vacation  area  along  the  upper 
Hudson,  published  a  widely  circulated  directory 
of  summer  hotels  and  boarding  houses,  a  list  of 
farms,  cottages  and  tenting  sites  for  rent,  and  real 
estate  for  sale.  Several  other  upstate  New  York 
lines  operated  tenting  grounds  and  cottage  colonies 
in  resort  areas.  The  Pittsburgh  &  Butler  Street 
Railway  published  the  popular  Summer  Boarding 
and  Tent  Life  on  the  Butler  Short  Line. 

The  leisurely,  long-distance  trolley  vacation  be- 
came popular  soon  after  the  turn  of  the  century.  Sus- 
tained travel  was  not  the  thing  for  the  trolley  vaca- 
tioner, for  the  frequent  service  offered  by  the  electric 
cars  made  it  convenient  to  stop  over  at  the  many  his- 
torical sites  and  scenic  attractions  along  the  way.  The 
New  York-Boston  trolley  tour  early  became  a  popu- 
lar outing,  and  there  were  as  many  as  four  different 
possible  routings  over  some  parts  of  the  trip.  In 
1904,  according  to  World's  Work,  it  was  possible 
to  make   the   trip   in   just  two  days  by   "hard   and 


steady  electric  travel"  at  a  cost  of  only  S3. 28  in  fares. 
A  few  years  later  the  Old  Colony  Street  Railway 
Company  was  offering  an  even  more  economical 
overnight  trolley-steamer  service  at  a  cost  of  only 
$1.75.  Travelers  boarded  the  cars  at  Post  Office 
Square  in  Boston  for  the  trip  to  Fall  River,  where 
they  transferred  to  steamers  for  the  overnight  run 
to  New  York. 

To  publicize  Boston-New  York  trolleying,  the 
Bay  State  Street  Railway  fitted  out  one  of  its  cars 
with  wicker  lounge  chairs  in  1914  and  took  a  party 
of  electric  railway  officials  and  25  newspapermen  on 
a  leisurely  two-day  junket  between  the  two  cities, 
stopping  at  New  London  for  the  night. 

Even  more  lengthy  trolley  journeys  along  the  East 
Coast  were  possible.  The  electric  excursionist  could 
venture  as  far  south  as  New  Castle,  Del.,  and  north 
to  the  suburbs  of  Waterville,  Me.,  on  an  un- 
broken interurban  network.  In  A  Trolley  Honey- 
moon, published  in  1904,  Clinton  W.  Lucas  de- 
scribed a  500-mile,  11-day  honeymoon  trip  on  which 
he  took  his  bride  from  Wilmington,  Del.,  to  York 
Beach,  Me. 

The  New  York-Chicago  trolley  tour,  often  out- 
lined in  the  various  trolley  guides  for  the  "enthus- 


42 


Here  the  same  portly  chief  executive  is  seen  greet- 
ing a  crowd  at  Hollywood  during  a   1911   tour 

over  the  Los  Angeles  Pacific  aboard  the  company's 
premier  private  car  El  Viento.  Title  Insur- 
ance and  Trust  Company,  Los  Angeles. 


Along  with  the  common  folk,  presidents  and 
would-be  presidents  rode  the  electric  cars.  Proudly 
displaying  white  flags  and  the  presidential  seal, 
this  gleaming  special  train,  made  up  of  office  cat- 
No.  233  and  the  matching  observation  trailer 
Champaign,    transported    Pres.    William 
Howard  Taft  over  the  Illinois  Traction  System 
in  1911  as  the  guest  of  company  president  and 
U.  S.  Congressman  William  B.  McKinley.    Lunch 
was  served  aboard  the  cars  during  the  1  Vl-hour 
trip  from  Decatur  to  Springfield,  for   which 
elaborate  safety  precautions  were  taken.  Op- 
posing train  movements  were  stopped,  switches 
were  spiked,  flagmen  were  stationed  at  every 
highway  crossing,  and  a  pilot  train  preceded  the 
special  by  10  minutes. 


During    the    1912    campaign    three-time-loser 
William  Jennings   Bryan  addressed  a  crowd  at 
Van  Wert,  O.,  from  the  steps  of  an  Ohio  Llectric 
Railway    interurban   while   campaigning   for 
Woodrow  Wilson.  John  A.  Rehor  Collection. 


43 


iastic  trolley  tourist,"  was  of  such  a  time-consuming 
and  arduous  nature  that  it  was  hardly  calculated  to 
cause  undue  concern  on  the  part  of  steam  railway 
officials,  and  was  probably  more  talked  about  than 
actually  experienced.  In  1910  E.  C.  Van  Valken- 
burgh,  in  a  trip  recounted  for  Electric  Railway 
Journal  readers,  spent  just  short  of  four  weeks  and 
covered  1643  miles  in  what  was  described  as  a 
"leisurely  outing"  between  the  two  cities.  Without 
side  trips  the  entire  journey,  covering  some  1163 
miles,  was  then  possible  in  45  to  50  hours  of  contin- 
uous trolley  riding,  or  in  a  week's  time  by  daylight 
travel,  at  a  cost  of  less  than  $20.  "A  better  way  of 
seeing  the  country  at  reasonable  cost  would  be  hard 
to  imagine,"  advised  Van  Valkenburgh. 

Five  years  later,  as  outlined   in  the   1915   Inter- 
urban  Trolley  Guide,  the  trip  took  anywhere  from 


31  to  45  hours  of  actual  trolley  riding,  depending 
upon  connections,  and  covered  23  different  electric 
railways. 

The  entire  journey  between  the  two  cities  was 
never  actually  possible  by  trolley.  The  most  direct 
route  required  the  use  of  steam  railroads  between 
Tarrytown  and  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  and  again  between 
Little  Falls  and  Fonda,  a  total  of  some  120  miles  by 
steam.  A  more  circuitous  routing  through  Connecti- 
cut and  Massachusetts,  which  was  possible  for  a 
period  of  only  about  two  years  around  1917-1918, 
reduced  the  necessary  steam  mileage  to  about  55. 

The  practicality  of  long-distance  trolley  travel 
was  convincingly  demonstrated  in  1910  by  the  2000- 
mile  "Utica  (N.  Y. )  Electric  Railway  Tour."  A 
Utica-Syracuse  interurban  car,  fitted  with  lounge 
furniture  and  provided  with  a  porter  to  attend  to  the 


The  practicality  of  sustained  interurban  travel  was  demonstrated 
by  several  Indianapolis  Trade  Association  "Booster's  Specials," 
which  traveled  throughout  Indiana  to  promote  the  city.    This 
one,  made  up  of  chartered  Indiana  Union  Traction  Company 
equipment,  was  photographed  at  South  Bend  in  1910.    The  most 
extensive  of  all  such  junkets,  however,  was  the  14-day,  2000- 
mile  /Midwestern  tour  made  the  same  year  by  a  group  of 
Utica  (N.  Y.)  "Boosters."    George  Krambles  Collection. 

In  a  time  of  unhurried  travel,  combination  interurban-steamer  through 

routings  were  sometimes  available.    This  Inland  Empire  System  express 

from  Spokane,  Wash.,  made  a  dockside  connection  at  Coeur  d'Alene,  Ida., 

with  steamers  of  the  Red  Collar  Line,  which  offered  service  to  points  on 

Coeur  d'Alene   Lake   and   the   St.   Joe   River.     LeRoy   O.    King   Jr. 

Collection. 


44 


comforts  of  the  26  "Utica  Boosters,"  was  used 
throughout  the  excursion,  which  spread  the  news  of 
Utica's  business  and  industrial  advantages  through 
six  states  to  points  as  far  west  as  Indianapolis  and 
Detroit.  When  the  boosters  returned  14  days  later 
they  were  met  by  a  band  at  the  edge  of  town,  and  a 
triumphant  parade  of  pedestrians,  streetcars,  wagons, 
and  automobiles  followed  the  interurban  car  down 
Genesee  Street  to  Bagg's  Hotel,  where  all  adjourned 
for  a  banquet  and  speeches. 

Throughout  the  electric  railway  era  interurban 
travel  was  predominantly  of  the  short-haul,  local 
variety,  and  during  the  early  years  it  was  exclusively 
so.  But  soon  after  the  turn  of  the  century,  as  some 
of  the  traction  systems  assumed  substantial  dimen- 
sions and  an  interconnecting  network  of  traction 
lines  spread  across  many  states,  particularly  in  the 


Midwest,  interurban  traffic  men  began  to  develop 
an  interest  in  the  long-distance  passenger.  Special 
mileage  coupon  books  good  for  travel  over  any  line, 
issued  by  many  Midwestern  lines,  made  long- 
distance interurban  travel  inexpensive.  The  Central 
Electric  Railroad  Association,  for  example,  sold  a 
coupon  book  for  S17.50  that  was  good  for  S20  worth 
of  fares  over  any  of  its  member  Midwestern 
companies. 

Sometimes  the  interurbans  developed  a  long- 
distance business  between  important  points  by  oper- 
ating through  cars  over  the  rails  of  two  or  more 
connecting  lines.  Perhaps  the  first  such  invasion 
of  the  steam  roads'  long-haul  market  was  the  de  luxe 
Indianapolis-Dayton  Interstate  Limited  service  in- 
augurated in  1905  by  the  Dayton  &  Western,  the 
Richmond    Street   &   Interurban   Railway,   and    the 


, 


Indianapolis  &  Eastern.  Special  cars  built  for  the 
service  featured  plush  parlor  seats  and  heavy  Wilton 
carpeting  in  the  main  compartment,  while  the 
smoking  section  was  fitted  with  leather  upholstered 
seats  and  inlaid  linoleum  floors.  The  interior  was 
finished  in  St.  Jago  mahogany  with  "inlaid  decora- 
tions of  the  most  recent  design."  A  buffet  between 
the  two  compartments  served  light  meals  from  a 
menu  said  to  be  every  bit  the  equal  of  those  on 
Pullman  buffet  cars.  Such  de  luxe  interurban  serv- 
ice, it  was  predicted,  would  soon  become  common 
between  points  as  far  as  200  to  300  miles  apart. 

Occasionally,  when  direct  electric  routings  all 
the  way  were  not  available,  the  interurbans  joined 
with  other  carriers  in  long-distance  through  rout- 
ings.   In  1915  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Northern  Indiana 


"Motorman"  was  by  far  the  most  popular  title 
for  interurban  car  operators,  but  a  few  lines  fa- 
vored the  steam  railroads'  more  pretentious  "engi- 
neer," and  at  least  one  line,  the  Puget  Sound 
Electric,  compromised  on  the  title  "motorneer." 
In  French  Canada  he  was  sometimes  a  "garde 
moteur"  and  in  Cuba  (here)  a  "motorista." 
William  D.  Middleton. 


was  selling  through  tickets  all  the  way  to  St.  Louis, 
routed  over  its  own  line  and  the  Clover  Leaf  System, 
one  of  the  few  Midwestern  steam  railroads  that 
would  have  anything  to  do  with  the  interurbans. 
Quite  a  few  years  later  the  Dayton  &  Western,  in 
company  with  the  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  & 
Eastern,  was  bidding  for  Dayton-Chicago  business 
with  a  through-car  routing  to  Indianapolis,  where  a 
steam  railroad  connection  was  made. 

In  1910  the  Grand  Rapids,  Grand  Haven  &  Muske- 
gon Railway  and  the  Grand  Rapids,  Holland  & 
Chicago  Railway  were  offering  through  service  to 
Milwaukee  and  Chicago  via  steamer  connections 
at  their  western  terminals.  On  the  West  Coast  the 
California  Navigation  &  Improvement  Company 
and  the  Central  California  Traction  Company  were 
offering  the  same  sort  of  combination  between 
San  Francisco  and  Lodi  with  a  through  routing  that 
involved  steamers  from  San  Francisco  to  Stockton, 
where  passengers  transferred  to  the  electric  cars  for 
the  final  leg  of  the  trip. 

In  1927  the  Chicago  South  Shore  &  South  Bend 
was  offering  a  Chicago-Detroit  "Golden  Arrow" 
service  in  conjunction  with  the  Shore  Line  Motor 
Coach  Company.  A  limited  train  took  passengers  as 
far  as  South  Bend,  where  they  transferred  to  a  non- 
stop bus,  complete  with  toilet  facilities  and  an 
observation  compartment,  for  the  remainder  of  the 
journey.  The  combination  cut  a  full  3  hours  from 
the  all-bus  routing  between  the  two  cities. 

A  year  later  the  Cleveland  Southwestern  Rail- 
way &  Light  Company  began  selling  through  in- 
terurban-air  tickets  to  Detroit  from  points  along  its 
lines.  Passengers  transferred  from  the  trolleys  to 
Ford  trimotors  of  the  Cleveland-Detroit  Air  Line  at 
the  Cleveland  airport,  which  was  conveniently  lo- 
cated beside  the  interurban's  line  into  the  city. 

As  the  long-distance  passenger  business  became 
more  important  the  larger  interurban  systems  en- 
deavored to  provide  luxury  services  that  were  equal 
to,  or  even  better  than,  those  offered  by  the  steam 
railroads.  Parlor  cars,  heavily  carpeted,  lavishly 
decorated,  and  staffed  with  porters,  were  frequently 
installed  on  the  long  runs.  Light  meals  were  served 
from  buffet  sections  on  many  of  them,  and  several 
lines  operated  full  dining  cars.  A  few  of  the  longest 
interurbans  even  introduced  sleeping  car  service. 

Bearing  such  dashing  names  as  Liberty  Bell 
Limited,  Dixie  Flyer,  and  Meteor,  de  luxe  interurban 
limiteds  sped  imperiously  through  the  rolling  hills 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Dutch  countryside,  Hoosier 
farmland,  and  California  canyon  alike,  transporting 
passengers  in  princely  comfort  on  their  errands  of 
importance. 

Surely  the  electric  way  was  the  very  best  way  to 
travel,    i 


46 


In  the  earlier  years  of  the  interurban  era,  two-man  crews  of  motorman  and  conductor  were  almost 
universal,  and  sometimes  interurban  lines  patterned  their  operating  rules  after  those  of  steam  rail- 
roading. Among  these  was  Iowa's  Fort  Dodge  Line,  which  even  as  late  as  7  95  5  still  went  about  the 
fob  of  running  electric  cars  in  the  traditional  manner.  Here  conductor  F.  E.  N unamaker  passes  up  a 
clearance  card  from  the  operator  at  Fort  Dodge  to  motorman  E.  J.  Berg  before  their  departure  with 
southbound  train  No.  2  for  Des  Moines.  Both  wore  the  respective  blue  serge  uniform  and  overalls 
of  their  occupations.   William  D.  Middleton. 


47 


The  Interurban  Car 


48 


Separated  by  30  years  of  progress,  these  two  interurbans  bore  little  resemblance  to 
one  another  although  they  served  similar  purposes  in  their  respective  eras.  Mag- 
nificent wooden  302  was  built  by  Niles  in  1907  for  the  Washington,  Baltimore  & 
Annapolis  and  later  was  sold  to  the  Rock  Island  Southern.  The  Key  System  artic- 
ulated unit,  in  purposeful  1938  styling,  covered  interurbanlike  routes  east  of  San 
Francisco,  yet  had  automatic  cab  signals  for  rush-hour  operation  on  1 -minute  head- 
way over  the  1-mile  fog-shrouded  Bay  Bridge.  William  D.  Middleton  Collec- 
tion (Left);  Richard  Steinheimer  (Above). 


49 


The  Interurban  Car 


-DORN  of  an  age  which  took  joy  in  lavish  orna- 
mentation, the  interurban  car  of  the  early  years  was 
a  splendid  sight.  The  very  first  cars  were  little  dif- 
ferent from  the  prosaic  streetcars  from  which  they 
evolved,  but  the  skilled  craftsmen  who  fashioned  the 
big  electric  cars,  with  the  instinctive  sense  of  balance 
and  proportion  common  to  artisans  of  their  kind, 
soon  developed  an  altogether  distinctive  interurban 
car  architecture. 

With  the  exception  of  the  shorter  length  dictated 
by  operation  through  city  streets,  the  dimensions  of 
the  interurbans  were  more  like  those  of  steam  cars 
than  those  of  the  city  streetcars.  Interurban  cars 
were  usually  anywhere  from  50  to  60  feet  long,  al- 
though cars  over  70  feet  in  length  were  built  for  a 
few  lines.  Car  width  was  often  restricted  by  the 
width  of  the  "devil  strip"  between  double  tracks  of 
street  railway  properties.  For  the  4-foot  devil  strip 
found  in  a  majority  of  cities  a  car  width  of  8'4"  was 
usually  standard,  but  where  clearances  allowed,  cars 
were  often  built  to  widths  equal  to  steam  railroad 
standards.  Interurban  cars  were  frequently  designed 
for  double  end  operation,  with  controls  at  each  end 
and  reversible  seating,  which  enabled  quick  turn- 
arounds without  the  necessity  for  loops  or  wyes. 
Usually,  however,  interurban  operators  favored  the 
single  end  car,  which  permitted  better  interior  ar- 
rangement, eliminated  the  cost  of  duplicate  controls 
and  fenders,  and  enabled  the  use  of  less  expensive 
nonreversible  seating. 

Early  car  construction  was  invariably  of  wood 
and  was  aptly  described  as  "house-upon-a-flat-car" 
construction.  Heavy  timber  sills  provided  the  entire 
structural  support,  and  the  carbody  simply  rested 
on  the  sills.  As  cars  became  too  long  and  heavy  to 
be  supported  by  the  wood  sills  alone,  steel  truss  rods 
and  queen  posts  were  added  under  the  car.    Large 


turnbuckles  made  it  possible  to  restore  the  car  to 
level  after  it  began  to  sag  with  the  strains  of  age  and 
service.  Some  master  mechanics  even  preferred  to 
send  a  car  away  from  a  visit  to  the  shops  with  a 
slight  arch  to  its  back. 

The  clerestory  "railroad"  roof  of  steam  road  prac- 
tice, which  provided  good  ventilation,  was  widely 
favored  by  interurban  lines,  although  some  roads 
later  adopted  a  high  arch  roof  when  satisfactory 
ventilators  were  developed.  The  necessity  for  opera- 
tion of  interurban  trains  around  sharp  curves  re- 
quired the  adoption  of  long  radius  couplings  and 
rounded  ends,  which  resulted  in  a  far  more  pleasing 
appearance  than  the  flat  ends  of  steam  road  cars. 
The  almost  universal  use  of  "Gothic"  arched 
windows,  fitted  with  what  was  variously  described 
as  "art"  or  "cathedral"  leaded  glass  upper  panels, 
gave  a  dash  of  elegance  to  any  interurban.  So 
highly  regarded  was  the  arch  window,  in  fact,  that 
even  later,  when  some  interurbans  adopted  rectangu- 
lar, clear  glass  upper  panels  —  which  furnished  bet- 
ter interior  illumination  —  a  fake  arch  top,  visible 
only  from  the  outside,  was  installed  above  the  upper 
panel  in  place  of  the  usual  letter  board.  This  varia- 
tion was  known  as  the  "Washington"  sash  after  it 
was  first  used  on  an  order  of  cars  for  the  Washington 
Railway  &  Electric  Company. 

The  durable,  dark  "Pullman  green"  finish  of 
steam  railroad  practice  was  favored  by  many  inter- 
urban roads,  but  many  others  felt  that  the  extra  cost 
of  less  serviceable  but  brighter  colors  was  good  ad- 
vertising. Lighter  colors  also  afforded  better  visi- 
bility of  approaching  electric  cars.  A  variety  of  red, 
orange,  yellow,  blue,  and  green  hues  were  com- 
monly used,  and  many  lines  were  widely  known  by 
the  distinctive  colors  of  their  equipment.  Interur- 
ban cars  were  usually  assigned  numbers,  and  most 


50 


The  zenith  of  wooden  interurban  car  architecture  was  represented  by  the  equipment  delivered  in  1911 
by  the  Cincinnati  Car  Company  for  the  Stone  &  Webster  Engineering  Corporation's  Galveston-Houston 
Electric  Railway.    This  car  is  seen  in  the  blue  and  white  "bluebird"  colors  worn  during  the  '20's,  when 
the  Galveston  Flyer  won  honors  as  America's  fastest  interurban.    George  Krambles  Collection. 


lines  gave  names  only  to  their  more  elegant  parlor, 
sleeping,  and  dining  cars.  There  were  occasional 
exceptions.  A  few  lines  named  their  cars  after  on- 
line communities  or  famous  local  personages.  Port- 
land's East  Side  Railway  gave  its  cars  girls'  names 
such  as  Ava,  Helen,  and  Flora;  and  Maine's  Portland- 
Lewiston  Interurban  named  all  its  cars  after  flowers. 
Interurban  car  interiors  were  usually  divided  into 
a  smoking  section  and  a  nonsmoking  compartment, 
sometimes  referred  to  as  the  "ladies'  parlor";  and 
most  of  them  had  a  baggage  and  express  compart- 
ment, often  fitted  with  folding  wooden  seats  or  camp 
stools  for  overflow  crowds.  The  carbuilders  lavished 
their  greatest  efforts  on  fanciful  decorative  effects 
for  the  car  interiors.  Fine  woods  of  every  descrip- 
tion were  employed.  Ash,  cherry,  quartered  oak, 
California  redwood,  basswood,  maple,  and  birch 
were  all  popular.  Mahoganies  were  imported  from 
Tobago,  Mexico,  the  African  Gold  Coast,  and  South 
and  Central  America;  and  teakwood  came  from 
India,  China,  and  the  Philippines.  When  excep- 
tional beauty  and  richness  of  finish  were  desired, 
vermilion  —  a  heavy,  hard-to-work  wood  of  the 
mahogany  family  —  was  used.  For  particularly 
handsome  effects  the  dark  woods  were  often  inlaid 
with  white  holly;  and  complex  color  schemes,  artis- 
tic moldings,  and  intricate  carvings  were  provided. 


Plush  upholstery  was  commonly  employed  in  the 
main  compartment,  and  the  more  elegant  cars  were 
fitted  with  heavy  draperies  and  thick  carpeting. 
More  durable  and  easily  cleaned  materials,  such  as 
leather  or  cane  upholstery  and  linoleum  flooring, 
were  favored  for  the  smoking  compartments,  where 
the  rougher  element  customarily  rode.  Interurbans 
usually  had  lavatories,  and  such  other  extras  as 
water  coolers,  mirrors,  and  electric  fans.  Match 
scratchers  and  polished  brass  spittoons  were  pro- 
vided for  the  smoker  clientele,  and  heavy  ornamental 
bronze  was  liberally  used  for  luggage  racks,  light 
fixtures,  hardware,  and  other  trimmings. 

With  the  arrival  of  balmy  summer  weather  some 
interurbans  rolled  out  their  special  open  cars.  Wide- 
ly used  in  New  England  and  California,  the  open  car 
enjoyed  a  more  limited  popularity  on  interurban 
lines  elsewhere  in  the  U.S.  The  most  common  type 
of  open  car  was  fitted  with  benches  running  the  full 
width  of  the  car  and  continuous  running  boards, 
so  that  it  could  be  boarded  at  any  point.  Conductors 
had  to  negotiate  the  running  boards  to  collect  fares. 
Waterproof  awnings  were  lowered  in  case  of  rain. 

The  open  car  was  a  delight  to  ride  on  a  hot  sum- 
mer night;  nevertheless,  it  had  its  disadvantages. 
Women  found  it  almost  impossible  to  climb  aboard 
the  standard  single-step  open  car  after  the  hobble 


51 


The  impressive  dimensions  of  the  WB&A's  Niles  "Electric  Pullmans"  are  evident  in 
a  broadside  study.    The  big  cars  regularly  clocked  66-mile-per-hour  average  speeds 
once  they  got  out  of  town.    LeRoy  O.  King  Collection. 


skirt  became  fashionable.  J.  G.  Brill,  a  leading  car- 
builder,  came  up  with  the  Narragansett  car,  a 
patented  two-step  design,  as  an  answer  to  this  prob- 
lem. Boarding  and  alighting  accidents  were  al- 
together too  frequent  on  open  cars,  and  the  prospect 
of  a  passenger  inadvertently  "joining  the  birds'*  in 
high-speed  interurban  operation  probably  kept  more 
than  one  traction  official  awake  nights.  Some  lines 
solved  the  problem  by  providing  standard  center 
aisles  and  vestibules,  and  screening  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  sides. 

On  the  West  Coast,  where  weather  was  subject 
to  year-around  vagaries,  the  "combination,"  or 
"semi-open,"  type  of  car  was  often  adopted,  pre- 
sumably in  an  effort  to  please  everyone.    One  end 


of  the  car  was  constructed  as  an  ordinary  closed  car, 
while  the  other  was  an  open  section.  Usually,  it  was 
found,  everyone  wanted  to  ride  in  the  same  end, 
depending  upon  the  weather.  An  earlier  variation  of 
the  combination  type  was  the  California  car,  which 
had  a  closed  center  section  and  an  open  section  at 
each  end. 

Traction  companies  found  the  provision  of  a 
duplicate  set  of  equipment  for  summer  operation 
a  costly  proposition.  An  early  effort  to  develop 
a  type  of  car  adaptable  to  year-around  operation  was 
the  "convertible"  car  (or  "nonhibernating"  car, 
as  one  builder  described  it),  which  could  be  trans- 
formed from  a  closed  to  an  open  car  by  the  use  of 
removable  side  panels.    More  widely  used  was  the 


This  Northern  Ohio   Traction  &  Light  Company  interurban  was  constructed  with  the  "Washington" 
sash,  an  arrangement   which   employed   clear  glass   upper  sash  for  improved  interior  illumination  but 
retained  the  class  of  "Gothic"  window  design  with  dummy  art  glass  arches  in  place  of  the  customary 
letter  board.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


I 


i 


"  '.,■- 


Glistening  in  fresh  varnish, 
a  line-up  of  brand-new 
interurbans  all  ready  for  de- 
livery to  the  Peoria  Railway 
Terminal  Company  was 
photographed  outside 
the  Paris  (III.)  plant  of 
builder  McGuire-Cum- 
mings.  Charles  Goethe 
Collection. 


The  distinctive  architecture  of  the  interurban  car  had  not  yet  been  evolved  when  J.  G.  Brill  delivered  this 
deck  roof  car  for  service  on  the  Washington,  Alexandria  &  Mt.  Vernon  Railway's  new  line  to  Alexandria 
in  1896.   Nevertheless,  the  car  was  equipped  with  such  interurban  features  as  train  doors  for  passage  between 
cars,  a  lavatory,  and  a  water  cooler.    It  was  capable  of  hauling  one  or  two  trailers  at  speeds  up  to  45  miles 
per  hour.   This  carload  of  dour  individuals,  probably  Brill  factory  workers,  simulated  passengers  for  an  ad- 
vertisement that  appeared  in  the  February  1H')6  Street  Railway  Journal.   LeRoy  O.  King  Collection. 


"semi-convertible"  car,  which  had  window  sash  that 
disappeared  into  either  wall  or  roof  pockets  for 
summer  operation,  while  the  side  panels  remained 
fixed  in  place.  The  J.  G.  Brill  Company,  which  de- 
veloped its  patented  roof  pocket  semi-convertible 
system  in  1899,  pointed  out  in  some  early  hard-sell 
advertising  that  the  wall  pockets  used  by  other 
builders  often  became  rubbish  receptacles  and  were 
a  dangerous  breeding  place  for  germs;  one  instance 


was  detailed  in  which  a  carelessly  discarded  cigar 
had  started  a  fire  in  a  wall  pocket. 

The  interurbans'  strength  was  their  ability  to 
furnish  an  economical  short-haul  passenger  service, 
a  fact  which  was  reflected  in  the  durably  furnished 
coaches  that  predominated  in  electric  line  equip- 
ment rosters.  But  as  the  interurbans  began  to  edge 
into  the  long-distance  luxury  travel  field  in  the 
years    following    the    turn    of    the    century,    more 


53 


lavishly  furnished  equipment  was  frequently  seen. 
Carpeted  parlor  cars  fitted  with  cushioned  wicker 
lounge  chairs  were  often  provided  for  the  long- 
distance limited  runs,  and  in  the  Midwest  and  West 
the  open  observation  platform,  complete  with  brass 
railing,  scalloped  awning,  and  a  drumhead  sign 
bearing  the  road's  emblem  or  train  name,  frequently 
appeared  on  the  premier  interurban  schedules,  in 
the  manner  of  the  best  steam  railroad  limited  trains 
of  the  time. 

An  early  example  of  the  ornate  parlor  cars  often 
maintained  for  charter  service  was  the  pretentiously 
titled  "drawing  room  car"  that  was  available  in  1906 
to  transport  the  elite  over  the  25-mile  Augusta- 
Aiken  Railway  &  Electric  Company  in  Georgia. 
The  car's  interior  was  fitted  with  handsome  rugs, 


Typical  of  the  summer  cars  operated  hi 

great  numbers  by  street  railways  and  in- 

terurbans  was  this  1-t-bencb  open  car 

built  by  Jackson  &  Sharp  in  1900  for  the 

Philadelphia  &  West  Chester  Traction 

Company.    Philadelphia  Suburban 

Transportation  Company. 


Designed  to  please  everyone  in  the  variable  California  climate,  semi-open  cars  similar  to  this  one  ranged 
by  the  hundreds  over  the  rails  of  Pacific  Electric  and  other  California  interurbans.    Later  on,  the 
open  section  on  these  PE  cars  was  enclosed  up  to  the  belt  rail  and  eventually  was  closed  entirely. 
Visible  in  the  photograph  is  the  pneumatic  trolley  base  favored  by  PE  over  the  usual  spring  base. 
Ira  Swett  —  Magna  Collection. 


An  interior  view  of  a  more  severely 
furnished  Youngstown  &  Southern  Rail- 
way Niles  combine  clearly  shows  such 
typical  electric  car  appurtenances  as  the 
conductor's  fare  register  and  the  coal- 
fired  stove  that  fed  hot  water  to  the 
heating  system.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


Interior  appointments  of  this  car,  built  by  Brill  in 
1907  for  the  West  Shore  Railroad's  Vtica-Syracuse 
electrification,  were  typical  of  the  early  interurbans. 
The  walkover  seats  were  upholstered  in  figured 
plush,  and  the  interior  was  finished  in  inlaid  mahog- 
any.  The  carbuilder's  fanciful  decorative  touch  was 
evident  in  the  embellishments  applied  to  the  full 
Empire  ceiling  and  the  elaborate  baggage  racks. 
Industrial  Photo  Service. 


55 


Built  by  Brill  in  1907  for  the  Inland  Empire  System, 
this  early  parlor  car  was  ostentatious  in  the  extreme, 
with  its  plush-upholstered  wicker  arm  chairs  and 
heavy,  patterned  carpeting.    The  full  Empire  ceil- 
ing was  tinted  Nile  green,  and  vermilion  wood  was 
used  for  the  interior  finish.    Windows  employed 
the  patented  Brill  semi-convertible  system,  which 
permitted  the  sash  to  be  raised  into  pockets  between 
the  roof  and  ceiling  for  summer  operation. 
LeRoy   O.   King   Jr.   Collection. 


During  the  late  '20's  the  Milwaukee  Elec- 
tee's Cold  Spring  shops  manufactured  two 
of  these  articulated  coach-diner  units,  which 
operated  three  times  daily  in  a  through 
service  from  Kenosha  to  Watertoivn  via 
Milwaukee.    Modestly  priced  table  d'hote 
and  a  la  carte  meals  were  prepared  in  an  all- 
electric  kitchen.    After  suffering  heavy 
losses,  the  company  rebuilt  the  diners  into 
straight  coaches  a  few  years  later.  George 
Krambles  Collection. 


In  later  years  parlor  car  interiors  became  more 
restrained  in  their  decoration,  if  no  less  luxurious. 
Milwaukee  Northern  car  99  was  rebuilt  by  com- 
pany shops  in  1923  from  a  former  funeral  car  for  a 
new  high-speed,  extra-fare  Milwaukee-Sheboygan 
service.    George  Krambles  Collection. 


Samuel  lnsull's  rebuilding  of  the  South  Shore  line 
during  the  '20's  included  such  Pullman-built  luxury 
equipment  as  diners  and  parlor-observation  cars  for 
limited  name  train  service.   In  its  interior  furnishings 
this  solarium-observation  car  was  indistinguishable 
from  the  finest  contemporary  steam  railroad  equip- 
ment.   George    Krambles    Collection. 


plush-cushioned  parlor  chairs,  and  silk  draperies,  all 
done  in  harmonious  shades  of  blue.  The  interior 
finish  was  of  richly  carved  and  inlaid  mahogany, 
and  the  ceiling  was  tinted  a  delicate  robin's  egg 
blue.  The  Lewiston,  Augusta  &  Waterville  Street 
Railway,  in  Maine,  offered  the  special  parlor- 
observation  car  Merrymeeting  to  charter  parties  at 
a  cost  of  $7  an  hour.  The  car  seated  35  in  plush- 
upholstered  wicker  chairs,  had  an  observation  plat- 
form  at  each   end,   and   was  equipped   with   a   re- 


frigerator and  an  electric  outline  lighting  system. 

In  1930  the  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  &  Eastern 
converted  a  former  business  car  for  charter  opera- 
tion. Requiring  a  minimum  of  25  full  fares,  the  big 
car  came  equipped  with  a  complete  galley  and 
pantry,  linen  and  tableware,  a  library  nook,  and 
observation  compartments  at  each  end  with  circular 
glass  windows  reaching  almost  to  the  floor;  and  a 
uniformed  porter  was  included  in  the  crew. 

Often  buffet  or  dining  car  service  was  offered  on 


56 


1  I     T 


itfl 


'fcftfiff^i 


*SO*-^ 


If  "J.        .< 


the  longer  interurban  limited  runs.  All  three  of  the 
major  interurbans  radiating  from  Chicago  offered 
dining  service,  and  the  inauguration  of  through 
service  to  the  Loop  by  the  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago 
in  1905  was  marked  with  a  lavish  dining  car  lunch- 
eon for  distinguished  guests  of  the  company's 
officials.  The  group  boarded  the  car  at  the  Loop 
elevated  terminal  and  was  served  an  elaborate  eight- 
course  meal  while  they  toured  the  system.  Com- 
mented Street  Railway  Journal:  "Had  it  been  served 
in  the  evening  at  a  downtown  restaurant,  followed 
by  after  dinner  speaking,  it  would  have  been  called 
a  banquet."  Dining  car  service  was  considered  par- 


ticularly advantageous  by  the  AE&C  since  it  per- 
mitted Chicago  businessmen  to  leave  their  desks  at 
noon  or  1  p.m.  and  lunch  on  the  way  to  the  Wheaton 
golf  clubs. 

Two  of  the  finest  interurban  diners  ever  con- 
structed were  placed  in  service  by  the  Interstate 
Public  Service  Company  in  1926  on  its  Indianapolis- 
Louisville  Dixie  and  Hoosier  Flyers.  Costing 
S3  5,000  each,  the  cars  were  fitted  out  as  combination 
club,  observation,  and  dining  cars.  Seats  were  up- 
holstered in  soft  Spanish  leather,  and  the  interior 
was  trimmed  in  African  mahogany.  Portable  tables 
were  provided  for  meal  service,  and  an  all-electric 


57 


The  Holland  Palace  Car  Company  hoped  to  revolutionize 
the   long-distance   interurban    business    with   a   com- 
bination design  that  converted  from  parlor  to  sleep- 
ing car  through  the  use  of  rolling  partitions.    Only 
two  of  them  were  ever  built.   Stephen  D.  Maguire 
Collection    (Above);  George  Krambles  Col- 
lection  (Right). 

Officers  of  the  Everett-Moore  syndicate,  which  controlled  a  number  of  interurbans  in  Ohio, 
Michigan,  and  other  /Midwestern  states,  rode  over  their  Cleveland  area  holdings  in   regal 
style  aboard  the  private  drawing  room  car  Josephine,   which   included  two   observation 
compartments,   a   stateroom,    bathroom,    kitchen,  and  a  stenographer's  office  among  its  ac- 
commodations.   Only  a  few  years  after  delivery  by  the  J.  G.  Brill  Company  the  Josephine 
came  to  an  untimely  end  in  a  spectacular  fire.   George  Krambles  Collection. 


kitchen  prepared  food  for  a  menu  said  to  be  almost 
as  extensive  as  that  of  a  large  hotel. 

In  1903  a  new  company,  the  Holland  Palace  Car 
Company,  which  hoped  to  occupy  a  position  in  the 
electric  railway  industry  comparable  to  that  of  the 
Pullman  Company  in  steam  railroading,  appeared 
on  the  scene  with  a  pair  of  ingenious  combination 
cars,  the  Theodore  and  the  Francis,  that  converted 
from  parlor  car  by  day  to  sleeping  car  at  night 
through  the  use  of  rolling  partitions.  First  tried 
on  the  64-mile  run  between  Columbus  and  Zanes- 
ville,  O.,  too  short  to  make  use  of  the  sleeping  car 
feature,  the  two  cars  were  later  placed  in  overnight 
service  on  the  Illinois  Traction  System. 

Although  the  Holland  cars  were  considered  un- 
satisfactory, owing  principally  to  excessive  noise  and 
vibration  from  the  power  trucks,  Illinois  Traction's 
sleeper  service  drew  considerable  interest,  and  in 
1910  the  company  placed  new  sleepers  of  its  own 
design  in  service  over  the  172-mile  St.  Louis-Peoria 
main  line.  The  noise  problem  of  the  Holland  cars 
was  eliminated  by  operating  the  new  cars  as  trailers. 

In    a    time    before   air   conditioning,    cinder-free 


electric  sleeper  service  offered  distinct  advantages 
over  steam  railroad  Pullmans,  and  Illinois  Trac- 
tion's new  sleeping  car  accommodations  were  equal 
or  superior  to  those  of  Pullman  cars  in  almost  every 
respect.  Berths  in  the  electric  sleepers  were  fully 
6  inches  longer  than  in  standard  Pullmans,  and  the 
cars  featured  windows  for  upper  berth  passengers, 
an  innovation  that  didn't  appear  on  the  steam  rail- 
roads until  two  decades  later.  A  reading  lamp  and  a 
plush-lined,  fireproof  safety  deposit  box  were  in- 
stalled in  every  berth.  Porters  on  the  cars  served 
hot  coffee  and  rolls  without  charge  in  the  morning. 
Interurban  sleeper  travel  was  cheap,  too.  Uppers 
and  lowers  cost  only  $1  and  $1.25,  respectively,  and 
porters  were  not  allowed  to  accept  tips.  Later 
Illinois  Traction  sleeping  car  innovations  included 
air  conditioning  and  all-room  sleepers. 

Few  other  interurbans  ever  ventured  into  the 
sleeping  car  business.  The  Oregon  Electric  Railway 
operated  sleepers  between  Portland  and  Eugene  for 
a  few  years,  and  the  Interstate  Public  Service  Com- 
pany introduced  an  Indianapolis-Louisville  service 
in  1926  with  a  group  of  handsome  steel  cars.    The 


5S 


The  Oregon  Electric  Railway  employed  a  pair  of  these  Barney  &  Smith  sleepers,  built 
along  conventional  lines,  in  a  Portland-Eugene  service  for  several  years  before  selling 
them  to  the  Pacific  Great  Eastern  steam  line  in  British  Columbia,  where  they  continued  to 
operate  until  recent  years.    Arthur  D.  Dubin  Collection. 


'JfL.4 


Waterloo,  Cedar  Falls  &  Northern  line  in  Iowa,  al- 
though it  never  had  sleepers  of  its  own,  once  hauled 
Pullman  cars  from  Waterloo  to  Cedar  Rapids,  where 
they  were  attached  to  Chicago-bound  trains  of  the 
Chicago  &  North  Western. 

Occasionally  the  officials  of  some  of  the  larger 
traction  systems  operated  handsome  private  cars, 
which  often  rivaled  the  rolling  stock  of  steam 
road  contemporaries  in  the  luxury  of  their  equip- 
ment and  furnishings.  Probably  the  most  magnifi- 
cent interurban  of  the  entire  traction  era  was  the 
private  car  Alabama,  which  the  St.  Louis  Car  Com- 
pany turned  out  in  1905  for  Southern  California 
traction  magnate  Henry  E.  Huntington.  Almost  as 
large  as  a  Pullman  car,  the  63-foot  Alabama  weighed 
103,000  pounds  and  was  driven  by  four  200-horse- 
power  motors.  The  Alabama  was  the  most  power- 
ful, and  one  of  the  fastest,  interurbans  ever  built; 
it  was  capable  of  speeds  approaching  100  miles 
per  hour,  and  once  covered  the  20  miles  between 
Los  Angeles  and  Long  Beach  in  15  minutes,  an 
average  speed  of  80  miles  per  hour.  The  big  car 
could  be  coupled  into  any  steam  train,  and  Hunting- 
ton used  it  for  trips  throughout  the  U.S.,  as  well 
as  over  his  own  Pacific  Electric  system.  The 
Alabama's  interior  was  finished  in  figured  African 
mahogany,  with  inlay  work  and  carvings  for  decora- 
tion, and  the  two  staterooms  were  fitted  with  figured 
Prima  Vera  silk  shades.  A  dining  room,  with  places 
for  10,  buffet,  china  closet,  and  a  genuine  fireplace, 
was  located  at  one  end  of  the  car,  and  an  observation 
compartment  with  a  built-in  jardiniere  was  installed 
at  the  opposite  end. 

After  relinquishing  active  control  of  his  traction 
empire,  Huntington  sold  the  Alabama  to  the  Sacra- 
mento Northern  Railroad  for  service  as  a  de  luxe 
parlor-buffet  car.  In  1931  a  coffee  percolator  short- 
circuited  in  the  kitchen  and  the  resulting  conflagra- 
tion burned  the  mighty  Alabama  to  the  rails. 

The  Elmlawn,  acquired  by  the  International  Rail- 
way Company  in  1905  for  the  use  of  funeral  parties 
en  route  to  cemeteries  in  Buffalo,  Niagara  Falls, 
Lockport,  and  the  Tonawandas,  was  typical  of  the 
special  funeral  cars  operated  by  several  interurbans. 
Suitably  finished  in  a  somber  dark  green,  the 
Elmlawn  was  fitted  with  heavy  green  draperies 
which  provided  adequate  privacy  for  the  party,  and 
a  special  door  and  sliding  shelf  were  installed  for 
the  casket. 

Frequently  the  interurban  carbuilders  pioneered 
important  innovations  in  railroad  passenger  rolling 
stock.  Several  interurban  lines,  for  example,  were 
experimenting  with  roller  bearing  journals  as  early 
as  1911.  The  fully  automatic  coupling,  which  the 
steam  railroad  industry  has  yet  to  adopt,  was  a 
practical  reality  on  an  interurban  line  in  1914.   The 


60 


interurbans  were  a  decade  ahead  of  the  steam  rail- 
roads in  lightweight  car  construction,  and  a  wind- 
tunnel-designed,  aerodynamic  interurban  was  in 
daily  operation  in  1931,  fully  three  years  before  the 
first  diesel-electric  streamliner  took  to  steam  road 
rails.  But  in  the  most  fundamental  advance  of  all 
in  the  railroad  passenger  car  during  the  first  half  of 
the  20th  century,  the  transition  from  wood  to  all- 
steel  construction,  the  interurban  builders  lagged 
nearly  10  years  behind  the  steam  railroads.  Even  a 
few  street  railways  and  subways  had  steel  cars  well 
before  they  appeared  on  interurbans. 

The  switch  to  steel  was  a  reluctant  one,  for  most 
of  the  carbuilders  were  ill  equipped  for  metal  car 
fabrication.  Faced  with  the  necessity  of  acquiring 
the  expensive  heavy  machinery  required  to  cut, 
form,  and  fasten  steel  members,  more  than  one 
builder  simply  went  out  of  business.  Steel  was 
first  used  only  in  center  sill  members,  then  for  side 
plating  which  was  fastened  over  wood  framing 
members  in  what  was  termed  "semi-steel"  or  "com- 
posite" construction.  The  full  advantages  of  steel 
construction  were  not  realized  until  steel  side  plat- 
ing was  used  in  conjunction  with  steel  framing  mem- 
bers in  such  a  manner  that  the  car  sides  acted  as 
girders  and,  along  with  the  center  sills,  helped  to 
carry  the  car's  weight.  Even  after  cars  were  being 
constructed  entirely  of  steel  the  truss  rods  of  wood 
construction   were   sometimes   retained,  although 

Directors  of  the  C.  D.  Beebe  syndicate,  whose  inter- 
urban activities  were  centered  around  Syracuse,  N.  Y., 
traveled  about  their  traction  domain  in  the  incompa- 
rable private  car  999,  delivered  by  the  G.  C.  Kuhlman 
Car  Company  of  Cleveland  in  1910.  A  splendid  set  of 
builder's  views  of  its  richly  finished  interior  reveal 
scenes  of  electric  car  luxury  that  was  not  intended  for 
the  masses.  Charles  Goethe  Collection  (Below)  ; 
William  D.  Middleton  Collection  (Right). 


-         — ^s**- 

. 

iissrl       Ut    1 

| 

» 

C         li 

^4  few  jear5  a//er  Pacific  Electric  tycoon  Henry  E.  Huntington  relinquished  control  of  his  traction  empire  to 
Southern  Pacific,  his  celebrated  private  car  Alabama  was  sold  to  the  Sacramento  Northern  Railroad,  where  its 
sumptuous  furnishings  became  available  to  the  general  public  in  parlor-diner  service  on  the  Meteor  and  other 
limited  trains.    It  is  seen  here  at  Sacramento  waiting  to  be  attached  to  the  San  Francisco-bound  Sacramento 
Valley  Limited.  Like  many  wooden  interurbans,  the  Alabama  met  its  end  by  fire.  David  L.  Joslyn  Collection. 


^^ 

1^ 

Jfc. 

ill 

w*\w 

999 


_ ...  nm+ 


Before  the  automobile  hearse  became  an  acceptable 
mode  of  transportation  to  the  last  resting  place, 
dignified  funeral  cars  such  as  the  Milwaukee 
Electric's  No.  1000  were  a  common  sight  on  in- 
terurban  and  street  railway  lines,  and  an  on-line 
cemetery  was  considered  a  definite  asset. 
State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin. 

This  special  train,  which  operated  over  Pa- 
cific Electric's  Glendale  line  in  1914,  marked 
the  first  successful  use  of  couplings  which 
automatically  made  car,  air,  and  electrical  con- 
nections.   Widely  used  on  electric  railways,  the 
innovation  was  still  not  adopted  for  general  use 
on  steam  railroads  in  1961.   William  D.  Mid- 
dleton  Collection. 


many  carbuilders  were  convinced  that  the  compres- 
sion introduced  into  the  steel  frame  when  the  truss 
rods  were  tightened  actually  served  to  weaken  a  car 
rather  than  to  strengthen  it,  as  its  users  supposed. 

By  1915,  all-steel  interurban  car  construction  was 
almost  universal.  The  greater  safety  of  steel  equip- 
ment in  the  event  of  accidents  was  an  improvement 
of  major  importance,  and  the  lines  which  adopted 
the  new  cars  were  quick  to  exploit  the  publicity  ad- 
vantages. In  1915  one  line,  the  Toledo,  Fostoria  & 
Findlay  Railway,  went  so  far  as  to  insist  that  the 
builders  use  round-head,  rather  than  countersunk, 
rivets  wherever  possible  in  its  new  steel  cars,  in 
order  to  clearly  advertise  to  the  public  that  the  cars 
were  not  made  of  wood. 

The  use  of  steel  was  lavish  in  the  first  years  of 
metal  car  construction.  Some  of  the  first  steel  cars, 
built  for  the  Union  Traction  Company  of  Indiana  in 
1913,  weighed  almost  43  tons;  and  some  of  the 
heaviest  cars  ever  built,  which  were  turned  out  in 
1914  for  the  Michigan  Railway,  weighed  over  65 
tons.  Within  a  few  years,  as  the  builders  became 
more  familiar  with  the  new  materials,  excess  weight 
was  eliminated,  and  cars  of  comparable  size  were 
being  built  which  weighed  less  than  30  tons. 

Soon  after  World  War  I,  when  the  automobile 
first  began  to  make  serious  inroads  upon  interurban 
passenger  revenues,  many  lines  started  to  search  for 
means  of  effecting  substantial  operating  economies. 
Some  of  their  most  rewarding  efforts  were  in  the 
direction  of  lightweight  car  construction.  Stronger 
alloys,  lightweight  metals,  and  better  design  were 
all  used  in  an  effort  to  reduce  carbody  weight,  which 
in  turn  permitted  the  use  of  smaller  trucks  and 
motors  with  corresponding  economies  in  power  con- 
sumption. Ten  lightweight  cars  built  by  the  G.  C. 
Kuhlman  Car  Company  in  1922  for  the  Western 
Ohio  Railway,  for  example,  weighed  only  half  as 


62 


An  otherwise  conventional  interurban  of  the  Syracuse  Northern  Traction  Company  was  distinguished 
by    the   experimental   application    of   roller    bearings.   Several  other  interurbans,  as  early  as  1910, 
made  similar  applications,  far  in  advance   of  the  adoption  of  roller  bearings  by  steam  railroads. 
Robert  O.  Waters  Collection,   from  William   R.  Gordon. 


A  close-up  shows  one  type  of  fully  automatic 
coupling,  in  interurban  service  on  the  Balti- 
more &  Annapolis.  William  D.  Middleton. 


much  and  consumed  only  half  as  much  power  as 
the  cars  they  replaced,  yet  were  capable  of  speeds  as 
high  as  50  miles  per  hour. 

A  number  of  builders  produced  satisfactory  light- 
weight cars,  but  the  most  notable  of  the  lightweights 
was  the  distinctive  curved-side  design  developed  by 
the  Cincinnati  Car  Company.  An  important  struc- 
tural innovation  gave  the  cars  their  unusual  "fish- 
belly"  appearance.  A  reverse  curve,  introduced  into 
the  alloy  steel  side  plates,  provided  a  girder  strength 
much  greater  than  that  afforded  by  a  flat  plate  of  the 
same  weight.  Vertical  stiffeners,  cut  to  the  curve  of 
the  side  plates,  maintained  the  side  contour.  The 
roof  was  built  as  a  unit  and  was  supported  by  two 
pairs  of  vertical  posts  which  rested  directly  on  the 
body  bolsters.  The  window  posts,  which  were 
structural  members  in  ordinary  -car  construction, 
were  simply  inserts  between  the  side  plate  and  the 
letter  board  in  the  Cincinnati  design.  A  special  low- 
floor  arch  bar  cantilever  truck  was  developed  for  the 
car.  Aluminum  was  liberally  used  for  interior  fit- 
tings to  further  conserve  weight. 

The  first  Cincinnati  curved-side  cars,  a  group  of 
10  built  in  1922  for  interurban  service  on  the  Ken- 
tucky Traction  tk  Terminal  Company,  were  nothing 
less  than  a  revolutionary  improvement.  Weighing 
barely  25,000  pounds  in  working  order,  the  lightest 


63 


Interurban  car  architecture  of  the  heavy  steel  car  period  tended  to  straightforward,  functional  design, 
and  rarely  were  the  results  more  pleasing  than  in  the  case  of  this  Indiana  Service  Corporation  combine, 
one  of  five  constructed  by  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company  in  1926.    Wilbourne  B.  Cox  Collection. 


cars  of  their  size  and  capacity  ever  turned  out  by 
Cincinnati,  they  weighed  less  than  a  third  as  much 
as  the  wooden  cars  they  replaced,  and  the  company's 
interurban  power  load  was  reduced  by  half.  Four 
25-horsepower  motors  gave  them  a  free  running 
speed  of  36  miles  per  hour  —  almost  10  miles  per 
hour  slower  than  the  cars  they  replaced  —  but  im- 
proved acceleration  and  deceleration  characteristics 
made  it  possible  to  maintain  the  same  schedules. 
The  reduced  power  costs,  in  addition  to  the  econo- 
mies of  one-man  operation,  enabled  the  line  to  re- 
duce its  fares.  So  spectacular  was  the  success  of  the 
new  cars  that  within  two  months  a  parallel  bus  op- 
eration had  been  forced  out  of  business. 

Even  at  an  early  stage  of  development  interurban 
cars  were  capable  of  rather  high  speeds,  often   in 


excess  of  60  miles  per  hour,  but  over-all  running 
times  were  usually  anything  but  rapid.  Lightly  and 
cheaply  built  lines,  which  precluded  sustained  high 
speeds,  and  the  almost  universal  operation  through 
the  streets  of  cities  and  towns,  made  high  average 
speeds  impossible.  As  late  as  1906  three  Ohio  in- 
terurbans  were  claiming  the  "fastest  electric  service 
in  the  world"  with  limited  trains  which  each  av- 
eraged only  about  32  miles  per  hour.  The  deficiency 
in  speed  was  unimportant  in  the  short  haul  passen- 
ger business,  for  the  steam  trains  were  even  slower; 
but  as  the  interurbans  essayed  the  long  haul  trade, 
speed  became  a  matter  of  great  concern. 

In  1904  the  John  Stephenson  Company,  of  Eliza- 
beth, N.  J.,  exhibited  a  12-wheeled  interurban  car, 
designed  for  extremely  high-speed  operation,  at  the 


To  provide  increased  seating  capacity  in  a  single  unit,  a  few  lines  came  up  with  articulated  interur- 
bans.  The  Milwaukee  Electric  Lines  created  eight  of  them  in  its  Cold  Spring  shops  in  1929  from 
conventional  steel  cars  acquired  from  the  Indianapolis  &  Cincinnati  Traction  Company.    The  re- 
sulting "duplex"  units  seated  84  passengers.   State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin. 


64 


A  less  successful  interurban  experiment  was  this 
bizarre  device  applied  to  the  front  end  of  a  Buffa- 
lo &  Lake  Erie  Traction  car  which  ivas  designed 
to  utilize  beat  from  the  headlight  to  defrost  the 
front  windows.   Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


The  powerful  heavy   steel  cars  received   by   the 
North  Shore  Line  during  the  '20's,  combined  with 
track  and  power  improvements,  enabled  the  company 
to  gain  world  honors  for  its  high-speed  schedules. 
A  Chicago-bound  train  of  '20's-vintage  equip- 
ment, photographed  during  the  mid-'50's  in  mod- 
ern Silverliner  dress,  upheld  the  tradition  as  its 
motorman  notched  the  controller  all  the  way  around 
to  maintain  a  start-to-stop  Racine-Kenosha  timing  of 
10  miles  in  10  minutes.  William  D.  Middleton. 


Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  in  St.  Louis.  The 
car,  it  was  claimed,  could  attain  speeds  as  high  as 
120  miles  per  hour,  but  there  is  no  evidence  that  it 
was  ever  operated  at  speeds  even  approaching  this 
figure.  Stephenson,  however,  did  produce  some  re- 
markable high-speed  cars  at  an  early  date.  In  1903 
a  Stephenson-built  car  on  the  Aurora,  Elgin  & 
Chicago  Railway  managed  to  cover  the  35  miles  be- 
tween Aurora  and  Chicago  in  34  minutes  39  seconds 
despite  the  loss  of  over  6  minutes  in  stops,  and  nu- 
merous speed  reductions  for  steam  railroads,  trolley 
lines,  and  street  and  highway  crossings. 

In  1903  the  officials  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase 
Exposition  organized  the  Electric  Railway  Test 
Commission  to  conduct  a  series  of  tests  to  develop  a 
carbody  design  that  would  reduce  wind  resistance 
at  high  speeds.  A  long  series  of  tests  was  carried 
out  by  the  Commission  in  1905  on  the  Union  Trac- 
tion Company  near  Noblesville,  Ind.,  with  the 
Louisiana,  a  special  dynamometer  car  which  con- 
sisted of  a  32-foot  carbody  arranged  to  roll  freely 
on  rails  secured  to  a  special  motorized  flat  car  so 
that  the  carbody's  resistance  could  be  measured  in- 
dependent of  that  for  the  entire  car.  Vestibule 
sections  of  different  shapes  were  suspended  inde- 
pendent of  the  carbody,  with  a  dynamometer  to 
measure  the  resistance  of  each.  Over  200  test  runs 
were  made  at  speeds  up  to  70  miles  per  hour  with 
parabolic,  wedge,  standard,  and  flat  vestibule  ends. 

The  Louisiana  test  results  indicated  that  a  para- 


-- 


••v 


s 


v 


bolic-shaped  front  end  reduced  wind  resistance  at 
high  speeds  below  that  of  the  conventional  rounded 
profile,  and  a  variety  of  interurban  known  as  the 
"windsplitter"  car  subsequently  appeared  on  several 
lines  in  Indiana,  Ohio,  and  New  York.  Although  the 
streamlined  front  end  gave  a  dramatic  appearance 
to  the  cars,  no  significant  operating  economies  were 
realized,  and  streamlining  was  soon  discarded  for 
another  quarter  century. 

Interurban  lines  showed  renewed  interest  in  high- 
speed operation  in  the  face  of  the  increasing  auto- 
mobile competition  during  the  post-World  War  I 
period.  The  first  speed-up  efforts  took  the  form  of 
heavy  steel  cars,  equipped  with  powerful  motors, 
which  were  capable  of  extremely  high  sustained 
speeds.  The  most  notable  results  along  these  lines 
were  achieved  by  the  three  major  Chicago  area  inter- 
urbans  controlled  by  Samuel  Insull,  which  not  only 
operated  handsome  new  steel  cars  but,  even  more 
important,  spent  millions  in  reconstructing  track 
and  power  facilities  to  enable  the  lines  to  fully  ex- 
ploit the  potential  capacity  of  the  new  cars.  Top 
speeds  in  excess  of  80  miles  per  hour  were  reached 
regularly,  and  station-to-station  averages  as  high  as 


This  builder's  close-up  shows  the  "drum"  connector  employed  to  connect  the 
carbodies  of  the  articulated  interurbans  delivered  to  the  Washington,  Baltimore  & 
Annapolis  by  J.  G.  Brill  in  1927.  William  D.  Middleton  Collection. 


Most  successful  of  the  lightweight  cars  produced  during  the  '20's  was  the  Cincinnati  Car 
Company's  curved-side  design,  which  was  produced  in  such  numbers  for  both  interurban  and  street 
railway  service  that  it  became  known  as  the  Cincinnati  "rubber  stamp"  car.    This  trim  parlor  car 
was  delivered  to  the  Indianapolis  &  Southeastern  Railroad  in  1929,  only  three  years  before  the 
company  went  out  of  business.    The  car  itself,  however,  operated  for  another  14  years  on  lines 
in  Tennessee  and  Georgia.    George  Krambles  Collection. 


mn 


70  miles  per  hour  were  not  infrequently  attained. 

On  other  systems  efforts  were  directed  to  the 
development  of  a  lightweight,  high-speed  car  that 
could  operate  smoothly  over  the  typically  light, 
often  rough  interurban  track,  for  many  of  the  lines 
could  ill  afford  the  costly  overhaul  of  roadbed  and 
power  systems  required  for  satisfactory  high-speed 
operation  of  heavy  equipment. 

Late  in  1929,  Dr.  Thomas  Conway  Jr.  and  associ- 
ates formed  the  new  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  Rail- 


road from  three  ailing  Ohio  traction  properties  and 
immediately  ordered  from  the  Cincinnati  Car  Com- 
pany 20  radical  new  high-speed  cars  designed  to  win 
back  a  declining  passenger  traffic.  The  design  of  the 
new  cars  was  based  upon  extensive  experimentation 
begun  by  the  Conway  group  early  in  1929  and 
carried  out  in  conjunction  with  the  Westinghouse 
Electric  &  Manufacturing  Company,  the  General 
Electric  Company,  the  J.  G.  Brill  Company,  the 
Cincinnati    Car    Company,    and    the    Westinghouse 


A  rakish  parabolic  front  end  gave  the  "windsplitter"  cars  evolved  from  the  1904  Louisiana  tests  a 
formidable  appearance,  but  the  design  proved  to  be  no  faster  than  conventional  cars  and  few  were  built. 
This  steel  windsplitter  was  one  of  two  built  by  G.  C.  Kuhlman  in  1912  for  New  York's  Utica-Syracuse 
third-rail  line,  where  they  were  known  as  "Arrow  Cars."    It  is  seen  here  on  Clinton  Square  in 
Syracuse  about  to  depart  on  a  Utica  local  schedule.   Industrial  Photo  Service. 


67 


Traction  Brake  Company.  Based  upon  the  test  re- 
sults, specifications  were  built  up  under  the  direc- 
tion of  W.  L.  Butler,  C&LE  executive  vice-president, 
for  a  low-level,  lightweight  car  of  steel  and  alumi- 
num that  would  be  capable  of  sustained  speeds  in 
excess  of  75  miles  per  hour. 

Among  the  major  problems  faced  by  C&LE  and 
the  manufacturers  were  the  development  of  a  satis- 
factory low-level  truck  which  would  operate  smooth- 
ly at  the  extremely  high  speeds  contemplated  and 
the  design  of  motors  that  were  capable  of  producing 
the  necessary  power  yet  would  meet  the  severe 
clearance  limits  of  the  low-level  trucks.  Braking 
presented  another  serious  problem,  and  from  the 
test  program  it  was  determined  that  something  in 
addition  to  air  braking  was  required. 

The  Cincinnati  Car  Company  adapted  some  of 
the  low-level  arch  bar  cantilever  trucks  used  on  its 
lightweight  interurbans  and  mounted  them  under  a 
car  comparable  to  the  type  planned  by  C&LE  for 
experimental  purposes.  A  design  was  evolved  for 
a  satisfactory  28-inch-wheel,  low-level  truck,  and 
following  prolonged  negotiation  both  Westinghouse 
and  General  Electric  contracted  to  supply  traction 
motors  which  developed  100  horsepower  yet  were 
compact  enough  to  be  mounted  on  the  Cincinnati 
truck.  The  braking  problems  were  solved  by  de- 
signing a  magnetic  track  brake  which  came  into  play 
only  after  the  air  brake  application  approached  the 
safe  limits  of  wheel  friction. 

The  new  cars,  which  made  liberal  use  of  alumi- 


num, went  into  service  during  1930.  Eminently 
successful,  they  were  capable  of  speeds  in  excess  of 
90  miles  per  hour.  In  the  extensive  publicity  which 
surrounded  their  introduction,  one  of  the  cars  at- 
tained a  reputed  speed  of  97  miles  per  hour  in  a 
race  against  an  airplane  staged  near  Dayton  in  July 
1930  for  the  benefit  of  Pathe  newsreel  cameras.  An- 
other of  the  cars  outdistanced  a  racing  car  by  15 
lengths  in  a  race  held  on  the  National  Pike  between 
Springfield  and  Columbus.  Soon  after  the  high- 
speeds  went  into  regular  service  Electric  Railway 
Journal  reported,  "Certain  of  the  de  luxe  trains  over- 
take and  pass  such  steam  trains  as  the  Ohio  State 
Limited  to  the  great  amusement  and  gratification  of 
the  interurbans'  passengers." 

The  response  to  the  new  equipment  was  heart- 
ening, and  C&LE  reported  increased  business  at  the 
expense  of  private  autos,  buses,  and  steam  trains. 
Three  weeks  after  the  cars  went  into  service  the 
Big  Four  Railroad  was  forced  to  discontinue  its 
Cincinnati-Columbus  Senator. 

A  year  later  the  newly  formed  Indiana  Railroad 
System  acquired  a  fleet  of  35  similar  cars  from  Pull- 
man and  the  American  Car  &  Foundry  Company. 
Somewhat  heavier,  the  Indiana  cars  had  all-alumi- 
num bodies  and  employed  a  more  conventional  type 
of  equalized  cast  steel  truck.  Unlike  the  C&LE  cars, 
they  were  equipped  for  multiple  unit  operation. 

In  1930  the  Conway  group  gained  control  of  the 
Philadelphia  &  Western  Railway,  which  badly 
needed    new   equipment   to   regain    its  competitive 


'""•'■; 


Exhaustive  testing  pro- 
duced the  phenomenal 
"Red  Devil"  lightweight, 
high-speed  car  for  the 
Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  in 
1930.    Ten  were  built  as 
straight  coaches,  and  10 
as  coach-lounges,  fitted 
with  swank  furniture  and 
provided  with  "wrap- 
around" windshield  visi- 
bility from  the  observa- 
tion section.   The  123  was 
photographed  at  Moraine 
Park.    Both  Photos: 
Mayfield  Photos  Inc. 


68 


position  with  newly  electrified  suburban  lines  of  the 
Pennsylvania  and  Reading  railroads.  Co-ordination 
of  a  broad  research  program  and  preparation 
of  detailed  plans  for  the  new  cars  was  placed  under 
the  direction  of  P&W  Vice-Chairman  W.  L.  Butler, 
who  had  been  largely  responsible  for  development 
of  the  C&LE  high-speed  car  design.  One  of  the 
C&LE  cars  was  shipped  to  P&W,  where  a  testing 
program  conducted  in  collaboration  with  the  J.  G. 
Brill  Company  produced  an  improved  low-level 
truck  design. 

An  elaborate  wind  tunnel  investigation  was 
carried  out  at  the  University  of  Michigan  under  the 
direction  of  Prof.  Felix  W.  Pawlowski  to  develop  a 
carbody  design  which  would  permit  the  attainment 
of  the  desired  high  speeds  with  the  lowest  possible 
power  consumption.  Some  30  types  of  models  were 
tested  and  Professor  Pawlowski  determined  that  a 
streamlined  car  could  be  constructed  which  would 
save  40  per  cent  or  more  of  the  energy  required  by 
the  conventional  type  of  suburban  car  operated  at 
speeds  in  excess  of  60  miles  per  hour. 

The  10  Brill-built  "Bullet"  cars  that  were  the 
result  of  the  P&W  research  program  represented 
the  finest  lightweight,  high-speed  interurban  cars 
ever  constructed.  Built  almost  entirely  of  aluminum, 
the  big  55-foot  cars  each  had  a  total  weight  of  barely 
26  tons.  Wind  tunnel  research  had  shown  that  even 
such  items  as  roof  ventilators  had  an  adverse  effect 
on  power  consumption,  and  the  roofs  of  the  Bullets 
were  unbroken  by  vents.  Instead,  ventilating  air 
was  drawn  in  through  louvers  at  front  and  back  of 


The  Indiana  Railroad's  celebrated  fleet  of  35 
high-speed    cars   delivered   in    1931    was    similar 

to  the  design  developed  by  Cincinnati  &  Lake 
Erie.  Pullman  and  ACE  divided  the  million- 
dollar  order.    Barney  Neuberger  Collection. 


Wind  tunnel  research,  along  with  experience 
gained  with  the  C&LE  cars  and  the  rest/Its  of  still 
more  testing,  produced  this  "Bullet"  design  for 
Philadelphia  &  Western  in  1931.   The  sleek  cars 
not  only  looked,  but  were,  capable  of  speeds  of 
over  90  miles  per  hour.  WILLIAM  D.  Middleton. 


the  cars  and  exhausted  through  streamlined  ducts. 

The  cars  were  designed  for  M.U.  operation,  and 
completely  automatic,  self-centering  couplers  were 
developed  which  made  car,  air,  and  electrical  con- 
nections. Four  100-horsepower  GE  motors  were 
mounted  on  the  new  Brill  89-E  high-speed  trucks. 
Equipped  with  field  taps,  the  cars  were  able  to  attain 
speeds  as  high  as  92  miles  per  hour,  and  in  a  test  run 
one  of  the  cars  covered  the  13.5-mile  P&W  line  from 
Norristown  to  the  69th  Street  Terminal  in  Upper 
Darby  in  just  11  minutes. 

The  high-speed  car  development  represented  vir- 
tually the  last  major  effort  of  the  interurban  car- 
builders,  soon  to  succumb  to  the  combined  effects 
of  depression  and  a  rapidly  failing  traction  industry. 
Aside  from  a  1932  order  for  five  cars  of  a  modified 
Bullet  design,  constructed  by  Brill  for  the  Fonda, 
Johnstown  &  Gloversville,  none  of  the  lightweight, 
high-speed  car  designs  was  ever  repeated. 

With  a  few  notable  exceptions,  interurban  car 
construction  came  to  a  virtual  end  during  the  early 
years  of  the  depression.  In  1939  the  bankrupt 
Chicago  North  Shore  &  Milwaukee  came  back  from 
a  paralyzing  strike  and  near  abandonment  with  an 
order  for  two  streamlined,  air-conditioned  trains 
that  represented  an  ingenious  solution  to  an  almost 
impossible  set  of  operating  conditions.  The  North 
Shore  wanted  a  train  that  could  run  like  the  wind 
and  provide  all  the  comforts  of  a  steam  road  stream- 
liner. Yet  it  had  to  operate  through  the  narrow  plat- 
forms and  around  the  hairpin  turns  of  Chicago's  El 
and,  like  a  streetcar,  negotiate  major  thoroughfares 
in  Milwaukee.  All  this  notwithstanding,  builder 
St.  Louis  Car  Company  managed  to  shoehorn  a  com- 


plete streamliner  into  the  Electroliners  156-foot, 
fish-bellied  length.  Constructed  of  welded  high- 
tensile  steel,  each  of  the  Electroliners  consisted  of 
four  articulated  units,  driven  by  eight  125-horse- 
power  motors  and  capable  of  speeds  in  the  vicinity 
of  85  miles  per  hour.  Entirely  successful,  they  rep- 
resented the  finest  interurban  equipment  ever 
constructed. 

Another  Chicago  interurban,  the  Chicago  Aurora 
&  Elgin,  purchased  10  new  cars  from  the  St.  Louis 
Car  Company  at  the  end  of  World  War  II.  While 
they  featured  a  number  of  mechanical  and  electrical 
improvements,  they  were  little  different  in  outward 
appearance  from  the  heavy  steel  cars  of  the  post- 
World  War  I  era.  The  very  last  interurbans  of  all 
were  three  streamlined  trains  delivered  by  St.  Louis 
Car  to  the  Illinois  Terminal  Railroad  during  1948- 
1949.  Clad  in  corrugated  aluminum  and  trimmed  in 
blue,  the  three  hoof-nosed  trains  featured  air  con- 
ditioning, reclining  seat  coaches,  parlor-observation 
cars,  and  a  la  carte  dining  service. 

Modifications  of  the  streamlined  PCC  ( Presidents' 
Conference  Committee)  streetcar  developed  in  the 
mid-'30's  were  used  by  several  interurban  systems. 
Pacific  Electric,  Illinois  Terminal,  and  Philadelphia 
Suburban  employed  double-end,  multiple-unit  PCC- 
type  cars  in  suburban  services,  and  the  Pittsburgh 
Railways  used  PCC  cars  on  its  long  Washington  and 
Charleroi  interurban  routes. 

Quite  often  during  the  interurbans'  declining 
years,  equipment  improvement  took  the  form  of  re- 
building and  modernization  of  elderly  rolling  stock, 
with  sometimes  questionable  results.  Metal  plating 
was  often  applied  over  the  wood  sheathing  of  an- 


Articulated  carbodies  permitted  the  North  Shore's  Electroliner  streamliners  to  snake  around  the  abrupt 
curvature  of  Chicago's  elevated  and  Milwaukee  street  railway  tracks,  and  a  "fish-belly"  side  enabled  them 
to  squeeze  between  narrow  elevated  platforms.    One  of  them  whipped  along  north  of  Racine,  Wis., 
at  close  to  its  85-mile-per-hour  top  speed  on  the  way  to  Chicago.    William  D.  Middleton. 


i^r 


9  a: 


The  very  last  interurbans  of  all  were  three  of  these  streamlined  trams  for  the  Illinois  Terminal  Railroad's 
St.  Louis-Decatur  and  St.  Louis-Peoria  services.    One  is  shown  arriving  at  IT's  subway  in  St.  Louis. 
Their  accommodations  included  reclining  seat  coaches,  dining  service,  and  parlor-observation  sections,  and 
all  of  these  were  comparable  in  every  way  to  those  of  the  finest  postwar  steam  road  streamliners. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection   (Left);  William  D.  Middleton  (Right). 


tiquated  cars  in  an  effort  to  deceive  the  public,  but 
this  provided  no  added  protection  when  wooden 
equipment  was  involved  in  collisions.  Arched  win- 
dows and  stained  glass  became  anachronisms  as 
America  entered  the  age  of  streamlining,  and  the 
sheet  metal  that  was  used  to  conceal  them  from  view 
usually  destroyed  the  graceful  lines  and  pleasing 
balance  of  the  carbuilders'  architecture  of  an  earlier 
time.  Garish  color  schemes  with  such  fanciful 
effects  as  wings,  swirls,  and  stripes  were  often  em- 
ployed in  an  effort  to  lend  an  air  of  speed  and 
modernity.  The  North  Shore  Line  went  so  far  as 
to  tediously  decorate  some  of  its  equipment  with 
aluminum  paint  and  shadow  markings  in  an  effort 


to  convince  passengers  that  its  1920-vintage  steel  cars 
were  really  corrugated  stainless-steel  streamliners. 
More  to  the  point,  many  interurbans  concentrated 
on  mechanical  improvements  and  interior  renova- 
tion of  equipment,  and  a  few  even  added  air  con- 
ditioning. The  South  Shore  Line,  which  began 
chopping  some  of  its  solid  Pullman-built  interur- 
bans in  two  and  splicing  in  an  extra  mid-section  to 
gain  extra  seating  capacity  during  World  War  II, 
carried  the  process  still  further  on  many  cars  to  add 
new  foam  rubber  seating,  picture  windows,  and 
air  conditioning,  and  managed  to  produce  interur- 
bans that  rivaled  the  best  contemporary  steam  road 
coaches  in  passenger  comforts.    1 


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Roadside  and  Rural 


72 


The  New  England  Trolley 


Southbound  from  Kaugatuck  to  New  Haven,  a  Connecticut 
Company  trolley  crossed  a  trestle  at  Beacon  Falls  in  1936.  Wil- 
bur Sherwood,  from  Jeffrey  K.  Winslow  Collection. 


73 


Roadside  and  Rural 


The  New  England  Trolley 


A  shady  road  with  a  grassy  track; 

A  car  that  follows  free; 
A    summer's   scene   at   early    morn; 

A  nickel  for  a  fee. 

—  Clinton  W.  Lucas. 

iNlOWHERE  was  simple  joy  riding  by  trolley  more 
popular  than  on  the  intensively  developed  intercity 
electric  network  of  New  England.  Almost  all  of  the 
scores  of  lines  were  built  to  standards  more  appro- 
priate for  street  railways,  and  the  true  high-speed 
interurban  of  Midwestern  practice  was  a  rarity.  In- 
stead, the  New  England  electrics  wandered  leisurely 
along  on  lightly  constructed  trackage  that  followed 
rural  roads,  or  sailed  over  hill  and  dale.  Because 
speeds  were  usually  low  and  frequent  changes  of 
cars  were  required,  few  used  the  trolleys  for  serious 
long-distance  journeys,  but  the  very  nature  of  such 
relaxed  and  unhurried  travel  encouraged  the  de- 
velopment of  the  trolley  vacation  and  the  Sunday 
outing  by  electric  car.  So  intensive  was  electric  line 
development  in  such  states  as  Connecticut  and  Mas- 
sachusetts that  several  alternate  routes  were  usually 
available  between  principal  points;  between  New 
Haven  and  Boston,  for  example,  venturesome  trol- 
ley tourists  could  choose  from  four  major  routes, 
with  numerous  minor  variations.  Many  of  the  lines 
operated  amusement  parks,  and  there  were  large 
numbers  of  summer  theaters,  hotels,  resorts,  and 
casinos  which  catered  to  the  trolley  excursionist. 
The  open  trolley  was  ideal  for  such  pleasure  travel 
and  nowhere  in  North  America  did  it  enjoy  greater 
popularity. 

Numerous  publishing  houses  and  the  trolley 
companies  themselves  produced  a  flood  of  maps, 
folders,  and  trolley  touring  guides  designed  to  stim- 


ulate the  electric  car  excursion.  Typical  was  the  10- 
cent  Trolley  Trips,  published  in  1908,  which  lured 
prospective  trolley  tourists  with  an  engaging  offer 
of  "your  choice  out  of  old  New  England,  at  ease  in 
your  own  conveyance,  seeing  the  best,  going  where 
you  choose.  We  dart  by  quiet  meadows,  below  an- 
cient elms,  past  the  old  white  farmhouse,  in  and 
out  of  teeming  city  squares,  the  salt  reach  of  the 
racing  Sound,  Titanism  of  the  White  Mountains, 
sandy  isolation  of  Cape  Cod,  mysteries  of  Maine 
virgin  forests. 

"We  feel  the  cool  rush  of  air  on  the  cheek,  heark- 
en to  the  rhythmic  click-click  of  the  rail." 


POTATOLAND    INTERURBAN 

Among  the  few  New  England  interurbans  to  de- 
velop an  important  freight  traffic  was  the  33-mile 
Aroostook  Valley  Railroad,  which  connected  Presque 
Isle,  Washburn,  Caribou,  and  New  Sweden  in  north- 
ern Maine.  Carload  traffic  in  lumber  and  Maine 
potatoes  was  of  principal  importance  from  the  time 
of  the  line's  opening  in  1910,  and  even  during  its 
peak  years  as  a  passenger  carrier  the  Aroostook 
Valley  never  operated  more  than  four  passenger 
round  trips  daily.  Soon  after  its  opening  the  com- 
pany briefly  entertained  notions  of  grandeur  and 
developed  plans  for  the  purchase  of  a  34-mile  Ca- 
nadian Pacific  branch  that  extended  from  Presque 
Isle  to  Aroostook  Junction,  N.  B.,  and  actually  sur- 
veyed a  111-mile  route  that  would  have  extended 
westward  to  a  junction  with  the  Quebec  Central 
Railway  at  Lac  Frontiere,  Que.  Later  on  the 
Aroostook  Valley  came  under  Canadian  Pacific 
control. 


74 


In  1913  the  Wason  works  at  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  furnished  a  pair  of  cars 

that  were  more  characteristic  of  Alid- 

w  est  em  interurban  practice  than  of 

New  England.   No.  70  is  shown  in  front 

of  the  Odd  Fellows  Hall  in  Washburn. 
Stephen   D.  Maguire  Collection. 


Granville  Allen,  principal  motor- 
man  on  AV  passenger  runs  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century   before 
the  end  of  passenger  operation 
in  1946,  receives  a  train  order. 
Gerald  Boothbv. 


Aroostook  Valley  combination  car 
No.  51,  one  of  two  delivered  by  J.  G. 

Brill  in  1910  for  initial  service  over 
the  line,  is  seen  here  at  Presc/ue  Isle. 

Stephen   D.   Maguire  Collection. 


76 


The  finest  of  all  New  England  interurhans  was  the 
Portland-Lewiston   Interurban   Railroad,    which 
opened  a  31 -mile  line  constructed  to  high  standards 
between  its  two  terminal  cities  in  1914.    Heavy 
wooden  rolling  stock  for  the  high-speed  service 
was  provided  by  the  Laconia  and  Wason  companies, 
and  the  interurban  followed  the  unique  practice  of 
naming  each  of  them  after  a  flower.    Shown  here 
is  No.  18,  the  Azalea.    The  last  important  New 
England  electric  line  to  begin  operation,  the  Port- 
land-Lewiston   ivas  abandoned  only    19  years   to 
the  day  after  its  opening,  with  the  last  run  made  by 
the  same  car,  the  same  crew,  and  many  of  the  same 
passengers  that  bad  made  the  first  trip.   The  final 
run  was  followed  by  an  employees'  "wake"  at  the 
Lewiston  carbarn,  where  steamed  clams,  pickles, 
lobsters,  and  3.2  beer  were  consumed,  and  speeches 
were  made.    Industrial  Photo  Service. 


One  of  Maine's  largest  electric  railway  systems 
was  the  Lewiston,  Augusta  &  Water ville  Street 
Railway,  which  operated  rural  trolley  lines  from 
Lewiston  to  Augusta,  Bath,  and  Yarmouth.    To 
encourage   trolley   excursion   travel  the   com- 
pany ran  Lake  Grove  Park  at  Auburn,  featuring 
an  open  air  theater,  a  skating  rink,  cottages, 
boating,  and  fishing.    The  company's  Merry  meet- 
ing Park  between  Brunswick  and  Bath  offered  a 
theater,  a  casino,  and  a  lake.    For  special    "trolley 
parties"  the  palatial  parlor-observation  car  Merry- 
meeting   was   available   at   tnodest   charges.     In 
regular  service  the  company  operated  Brill  semi- 
convertible  cars  fitted  with  huge  observation  plat- 
forms and  finished  in  gay  chrome  yellow  and  red 
colors.  At  top,  one  of  them  is  seen  passing  through 
North  Vassalboro,  while  in  the  other  scene  two 
of  them  meet  at  Depot  Square  in  Gardiner.  Both 
Photos:    Stephen   D.   Maguire  Collection. 


77 


^v. 


An  unusual  New  England  experiment  was 
the  Boston  <St  Maine's  Concord  &  Man- 
chester branch  line.    This  was  constructed 
as  an  electric  inter  urban  in  1902,  and  was 
said  to  be  the  first  typical  electric  line 
built  by  a  steam  railroad  as  an  inte- 
gral part  of  its  general  system.   Although 
track  was  constructed  to  higher  standards 
than  on  most  New  England  electric  lines, 
much  of  the  17 -mile  route  was  laid  in  rural 
highways.  Right  and  below  are  two  views 
of  the  cars  turned  out  by  the  B&M's  Con- 
cord shops  for  initial  service.    Both 
Photos:   Carl  L.  Smith  Collection. 


-jA-.. 


~*V 


\ 


/V 


The  Turkey  Falls  covered  bridge  across  the  Merrirnac  River  at  Bow  was  shared  by  the  interurban 
and  the  B&M's  Suncook  Valley  branch.    A  gantlet  track  was  laid  through  the  bridge  and  in- 
terlocking protection  was  provided.    Carl  L.  Smith  Collection. 


79 


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Bound  for  Fair  Haven,  on  the  New  York  border, 
the  Rutland  Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company's 
Laconia-built  combine  No.  26  paused  in  a  Rutland 
(Vt.)  street  alongside  a  snappy  runabout,  while 
the  motorman  posed  stiffly  in  the  doorway  for  the 
photographer.   Barney  Neuberger  Collection. 


The  Trolley  That 
Met  All  the  Trains 

Typical  of  the  New  England  trolleys  that 
met  all  the  trains,  and  the  last  of  them  to 
survive,   was   the   8-mile   Springfield   Ter- 
minal Railway,  which  operated  down  the 
Black   River   Valley   from   Springfield,   Vt., 
to  Charleston,  N.  H.,  where  a  connection 
was  made  with  Boston  &  Maine's  Connecti- 
cut River  line.   The  electric  line  developed 
an  important  carload  freight  business  from 
industries   at  Springfield,    which   was   not 
served  by  a  steam  railroad,  and  the  company 
remains  in  operation  as  a  diesel-pow- 
ered  freight  feeder  for  the  parent  B&M. 
Passenger  operation  ended  in  1947.    At  up- 
per right,  the  company's  two  steel  com- 
bines,  both   built   by    Wason   in    1923,   are 
seen  on  the  square  at  Springfield  in  1940; 
at  right,  one  of  them  has  just  met  a  north- 
bound B&M   local  at   Charleston   in    1941. 
Charles  A.  Brown    (Upper  Right); 
Stephen  D.  Maguire   (Right). 

Humming  along  through  the  orderly 
and  tranquil  Green  Mountain  country- 
side, the  Mount  Mansfield  Electric 
Railway's  combine  No.  3  rolled  past 
the  park  at  W'aterbury  Center,  Vt. 
Stephen   D.   Maguire  Collection. 


80 


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In  7///y  2907,  /Am  group  of  straw-batted  dignitaries  traveled  from  Springfield  to  Palmer,  Mass.,  on 
the  first  run  over  the  Springfield  &  Eastern  Railway.  The  exquisitely  detailed  parlor  cars  Huguenot 
and  Rockrimmon  were  provided  for  the  occasion.    Barney  Neuberger  Collection. 


The  46-mile  "trolley  air 
line"  of  Boston  &  Worces- 
ter Street  Railway  was 
among  the  most  important 
of  New  England  interur- 
bans.    With  more  private 
right  of  way  operation  than 
most  of  them,  the  company 
was  able  to  provide  rela- 
tively fast  service.    This 
line-up  of  B&W  open  cars 
was  photographed  about 
1905  at  the  Muster  Grounds 
in  Framingham.     BARNEY 
Neuberger   Collection. 


82 


The  lightly  built  New  England  electric  lines  were  even  more  poorly  adapted  to 
the  operation  of  heavy  freight  trains  than  most  interurbans,  and  all  but  a  few  of 
them  were  confined  to  handling  small  shipments  in  box  motors.    The  early  de- 
velopment of  good  highways  in  New  England  brought  a  quicker  end  to  such  opera- 
tions there  than  elsewhere.    This  "Electric  Express"  train  was  photographed  at 
Brockton,  Mass.,  on  the  Bay  State  Street  Railway,  one  of  the  most  extensive  of  New 
England  electric  systems.    Hard  hit  by  truck  competition,  the  company  was 
obliged  to  give  up  its  freight  operation  in  1920.    Industrial  Photo  Service. 


jflflWtJP   P*Il.MW«  «OTi»T   J     U    — 


,|  BAT  STATE  STHU   I 
I  .  ELECTRIC 


HAILWAY   COMPANY 
EXPRESS 


Q        22 


Although  neither  could  be  classified  as  an  interurban,  there  were  two  notable 
steam  railroad  electrification  experiments  in  the  Boston  region.    In  the  late  '20's 
the  Boston,  Revere  Beach  &  Lynn  Railroad  electrified  its  narrow  gauge  steam 
suburban  line,  and  coaches  ivere  provided  with  the  necessary  electrical  equip- 
ment.  Here  at  Crescent  Beach  station  at  Revere  Beach,  hordes  of  commuters  un- 
load from  an  outbound  train.    Abandoned  before  World  War  11,  much  of  the 
former  narrow  gauge  right  of  nay  is  now  used  by  a  new  rapid  transit  line  of 
Boston's  Metropolitan  Transit  Authority.    General  Electric  Company. 


In  1895  the  New  Haven  Railroad  electrified  its  Nantasket  Beach  line  with  trolley, 
and  in  1896  extended  the  electric  operation  some  3  miles  with  center-running 
third  rail.    Boasting  200  horsepower,  high-wheeled  motor  car  2510  seated  80 
persons,  ivas  more  heroic  in  proportions  than  street  railway  open  cars. 
Industrial  Photo  Service. 


The  Brockton  &  Plymouth  Street  Railway  operated  through  historic  Pilgrim 
ground,  and  appropriately,  the  first  cars  of  its  earliest  predecessor  company  bore 
such  names  as  Governor  Bradford,  Elder  Brewster,  Myles  Standish,  and  John 
Alden.   The  bass  drum  being  carried  on  this  overloaded  car  at  Whitman  was  bound 
along  with  the  crowd  to  Memorial  Day  festivities  at  the  company's  Mayflower 
Grove  park  in  Pembroke.   Carl  L.  Smith  Collection. 


85 


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A  few  minutes  out  of  Short  Beach  on  the  way  to  New  Haven,  a  Connecticut  Company  car  rolled  through 
lush   rural  scenery.     Although   the   last   Connecticut   Company  electric  passenger  services  were 
given  up  soon  after  World  War  11,  the  trackage  seen  here  is  still  operated  as  part  of  that  owned  by  the 
Branford  Electric  Railway  museum  group.    KENT  W.  COCHRANE. 

Northbound  from  New  Haven  to  Waterbury  over  one  of  the  fastest  Connecticut  Company  lines,  an 
Osgood  Bradley  suburban  car  passed  through  High  Rock  Grove  at  Naugatuck  in  May  of   1937. 
Roger  Borrup. 


In  1903,  under  newly  elected  President  Charles  S. 
Mellen,  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
Railroad  began  the  acquisition  of  a  vast  mileage  of 
urban  and  rural  trolley  lines  in  Massachusetts,  Rhode 
Island,  Connecticut,  and  New  York's  Westchester 
County,  along  with  Long  Island  Sound  steamship 
companies,  in  order  to  assure  a  continued  New 
Haven  monopoly  of  transportation  in  southern  New 
England.  By  1909  the  New  Haven  controlled  an 
estimated  1500  miles  of  electric  railways,  and  ul- 
timately the  steam  line's  electric  subsidiaries  in- 
cluded eight  major  properties.  Largest  of  them  was 
the  Connecticut  Company,  which  operated  some 
700  miles  of  New  Haven-owned  track  in  the  state. 
The  New  Haven's  holdings  in  Rhode  Island  were 
similarly  grouped  under  the  management  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Company,  and  the  railroad's  several 
Massachusetts  trolley  systems  were  held  by  the  New 
England  Investment  &  Securities  Company. 

To  acquire  control  the  New  Haven  paid  prices 
that  were  often  far  higher  than  warranted  by  the 
electric  lines'  true  value,  or  any  but  the  most  opti- 
mistic   estimates    of    their    future    earnings.     The 


Rhode  Island  trolley  system,  for  example,  was  pur- 
chased for  an  amount  said  to  be  greater  than  three 
times  its  actual  valuation. 

The  excessive  prices  paid  for  the  New  Haven's 
electric  subsidiaries,  combined  with  their  poor  fi- 
nancial showing,  contributed  to  the  subsequent 
bankruptcy  of  the  railroad,  and  by  1914  the  Justice 
Department  had  brought  action  under  the  Sherman 
Antitrust  Act  to  force  the  New  Haven  to  divest 
itself  of  its  electric  line  interests.  Having  closely 
tied  the  corporate  structure  of  the  trolleys  to  that 
of  the  steam  line,  Mellen  stated  rather  smugly  of  the 
Government  action,  "The  result  is  that  now  the  De- 
partment of  Justice  is  in  despair.  It  is  a  hopeless 
tangle,  as  I   intended   it  should  be." 

Within  the  year,  however,  the  New  Haven  was 
ordered  to  give  up  all  of  its  electric  line  holdings 
except  the  New  York,  Westchester  &  Boston,  and 
21  of  the  company's  directors  were  indicted  for 
violation  of  the  Sherman  Act.  In  Massachusetts  state 
courts  found  New  Haven  control  of  electric  lines 
through  its  subsidiary  holding  company  to  be  in 
violation  of  state  law.    X 


87 


Connecticut  Company  officers  and  other  distinguished 
personages  rode  about  the  system  in  high  style 
aboard  business  car  No.  500,  built  in  1904  by  the 
J.  G.  Brill  Company.  The  car's  interior  was  finished 
in  hand-carved  oak,  provided  with  a  lavatory  and 
steward's  galley,  and  furnished  with  broadloom  car- 
peting and  wicker  lounge  chairs.    After  the  end  of 
Connecticut  Company  electric  passenger  service, 
No.  500  became  the  premiere  car  of  the  Branford 
Electric  Railway  museum,  where  these  photographs 
were  taken  in  1959.  Both  Photos:  William  D. 
Middleton. 


(SmmietteiMl^ 


Among  the  least  successful  of  New  England  interurbans  was  the  Shore 
Line  Electric  Railway,  which  opened  a  line  between  New  Haven  and  Say- 
brook,  Conn.,  in  1910.    By  1913,  through  leases  of  connecting  lines,  the 
company  was  operating  some  250  miles  of  track  extending  east  to 
Westerly,  R.  I.,  and  northward  up  the  Quinebaug  River  valley  almost  to 
the  Massachusetts  border.    Plagued  by  meager  earnings,  the  company  suf- 
fered a  series  of  serious  reverses  beginning  with  a  violent  head-on  collision 
in  1917  which  took  19  lives  and  injured  35,  and  culminating  with  a  strike 
in  1919  that  resulted  in  bankruptcy  and  the  suspension  of  operations.   Por- 
tions of  the  system  later  resumed  independent  operation,  and  the  original 
Shore  Line  route  betiveen  Saybrook  and  New  Haven  was  restored  to  opera- 
tion after  four  years  of  idleness  —  but  lasted  only  six  more  years.   In  con- 
trast to  its  poor  financial  shoiving,  the  original  Shore  Line  route  was 
constructed  to  some  of  the  highest  standards  in  New  England,  with  ex- 
tensive private  right  of  way  and  a  1200-volt  catenary  trolley  system.   Shown 
here  operating  over  the  original  line  is  one  of  the  company's  wooden, 
center-entrance  cars  built  by  Jewett  in  1910.    A  few  of  them  were  sold 
in  1920  after  the  suspension  of  service  and  one  survived  into  the  early  '50's 
on  loua's  Charles  City  Western  Railway.  General  Electric  Company. 


"Take  the  Trolley,"  advised  this  early  promotional  folder,  which  contained 
a  lithographed  map  of  Connecticut  Valley  electric  lines  and  described  points 
of  interest  along  the  way.   Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


88 


a; 


»'•'*. 


/«•.•»-».** 


'Wr.". 


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:  ^    ..''?•       ^*<m     '• 


Tj*. 


WjfcT    ^     - 


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^iv 


Through  Eastern  Hills  and  Valleys 

The  Middle  Atlantic  States 


Not  long  after  the  turn  of  the  century  a  deck-roofed  International 
Railway  car  waited  at  the  Lockport  depot  for  a  trip  to  Buffalo. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


- 


X 


■KKCF 


Through  Eastern  Hills  and  Valleys 


The  Middle  Atlantic  States 


IN  TERMS  of  total  interurban  mileage  the  Mid- 
dle Atlantic  states  were  eclipsed  only  by  the  East 
North  Central  states  with  their  phenomenal  net- 
work in  the  Midwestern  heartland  of  the  interurban. 
Pennsylvania,  if  it  lacked  the  integrated  traction 
system  of  such  states  as  Ohio  and  Indiana,  exceeded 
all  other  states  in  sheer  numbers  of  electric  railway 
properties.  The  populous  cities  of  New  Jersey  were 
linked  by  the  trolley  rails  of  numerous  independent 
companies  and  the  great  Public  Service  Railway 
system,  which  operated  nearly  900  miles  of  street 
and  interurban  railway.  From  the  Hudson  to  the 
Pennsylvania  border,  broken  only  by  a  31-mile  gap 
between  Little  Falls  and  Fonda,  upstate  New  York 
boasted  a  continuous  web  of  interurban  railways, 
which  followed  such  earlier  arteries  of  Empire  State 
commerce  as  the  Mohawk  Trail,  the  Erie  Canal,  and 
the  New  York  Central  through  the  prosperous  cities 
of  the  Mohawk  Valley  and  the  southern  littoral  of 
Lake  Ontario. 


Along  the  Mohawk  Trail 

A  considerable  traction  development  was  centered 
about  the  Upper  Hudson  cities  of  Albany,  Troy,  and 
Schenectady.  South  of  the  capital  city  third-rail  in- 
terurbans  of  the  Albany  Southern  Railroad  raced 
down  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  to  Nassau,  Kinder- 
hook,  and  Hudson.  In  its  earlier  years  the  Albany- 
Hudson  line  offered  summer  excursionists  a  com- 
bination trolley-steamer  outing  for  only  75  cents, 
which  included  one-way  transportation  on  the  in- 
terurban and  a  return  trip  aboard  steamers  of  the 
Hudson  River  Day  Line.  For  those  who  so  wished, 
an  evening  stopover  for  theatrical  performances  at 
the  company's  Electric  Park  on  Kinderhook  Lake 
could  be  arranged.  The  Schenectady  Railways  op- 
erated interurbans  to  Albany,  Troy,  and  Saratoga; 
and  summer  travelers  to  the  posh  watering  places  of 
Ballston  Spa,  Saratoga,  Lake  George,  and  the  lower 
Adirondacks  rode  the  big  open  cars  of  the  Hud- 
son Valley  Railway,  which  extended  from  Troy  to 
Warrensburg. 


A  steam  short  line,  the  Fonda,  Johnstown  &  Glover sville  Railroad,  opened  a 

Schenectady-Gloversville  electric  division  soon  after  the  turn  of  the  century. 

One  of  the  big  wooden  St.  Louis-built  interurbans  that  provided  the  initial  service. 

Schenectady  Limited  car  No.  104,  paused  for  this  photograph  near  Johnstown. 

Its  luxuriously  appointed  interior  included  a  paneled  and  mirrored  smoking  room. 

The  banner  draped  across  the  pilot  advertised  a  Fourth  of  July  celebration  at 

Sacandaga  Park  in  the  Adirondacks,  reached  by  the  company's  steam  division. 

From  William  R.  Gordon. 


92 


Albany-Hudson  Fast  Line  No.  60  was  well 
equipped  for  current  collection,  with  trol- 
ley poles,  pantograph,  and  third-rail  shoes. 
The  Fast  Line  was  abandoned  in  1929,  but 
this  car  rolled  up  the  miles  until  after 
World  War  II,  on  the  FJ&G  and  on  the 
Portland-Oregon  City  interurban.    John 
D.  Murphy,  from  William  R.  Gordon. 


Past  a  rambling  frame  summer  hotel,  a  Hudson 

Valley   open  car  rolled  through  a  tree-shaded 

street  of  Ball st on  Spa  on  the  way  to  Saratoga.   Like 

several  other  New  York  interurbans,  the  Hudson 

Valley  was  owned  by  a  steam  railroad,  having  been 

bought  out  early  in  the  century  by  the  Delaware  & 

Hudson.    Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


IAB&-4- 


Despite  the  hard  times  of  depres- 
sion and  declining  traffic,  FJ&G 
made  an  earnest  effort  to  stay 
in   the   interurban   passenger 
business   with   five   lightweight 
"Bullet"  cars  delivered  by  J.   G. 
Brill  in  1932,  accelerated  sched- 
ules, and  reduced  fares.    Business 
boomed  for  a  time,  but  abandon- 
ment of  electric  operation  came 
only    six   years    later   and   the 
Bullets  found  a  new  home  on 
Utah's  Bamberger  Railroad.    Two 
of  the  high-speed  cars  met  at 
the  Johnstown  depot  on  the  oc- 
casion  of  a   1936   fan   excursion. 
James  P.  Shuman,  from  Wil- 
liam Moedinger  Jr. 


ii*    "  ■    i    "•■  i 


Owe  o/  //^e  fastest  Empire  State  interurbans  was  the 
New  York  State  Railways'  44-mile  route,  formerly 
the  Rochester  &  Eastern  Rapid  Railway,  which  con- 
nected Rochester  with  the  Finger  Lakes  region  and 
Geneva.   Beyond  Geneva,  interurban  travelers  were 
able  to  continue  as  far  south  as  Watkins  by  means 
of  a  Seneca  hake  steamship  connection.    Impromptu 
races  between  the  electric  cars  and  steam  trains  on 
the  parallel  New  York  Central  Auburn  branch,  be- 
tween Rochester  and  Canandaigua,  were  common, 
and  in  a  celebrated  contest  staged  in  1904  an  R&E 
car  outdistanced  a  four-car  passenger  train.    This 
splendid  scene  was  photographed  shortly  after  a  new 
block  signal  installation  in  1914  enabled  the  line 
to  reduce  running  times  for  the  Orange  Limiteds  to 
1  hour  45  minutes  from  previous  schedules  of  2 
hours  or  more.    During  R&E's  last  years  timings 
were  further  accelerated  when  the  line,  along  with 
other  Rochester  interurbans,   entered  the   city 
through  a  new  9-mile  subway,  laid  in  the  aban- 
doned bed  of  the  old  Erie  Canal.    But  oul\ 
three  years  after  the  interurbans  began  using  the 
subway  in  1928,  the  last  of  them  was  abandoned. 
General  Railway  Signal  Company. 


Among  the  lines  of  the  Central's  trolley  empire  was 
a  notable  interurban  experiment,  the  44-mile  Oneida 
Railway,  which  began  operating  between  LJtica 
and  Syracuse  in  1907  over  the  tracks  of  the  NYC- 
owned  West  Shore  Railroad,  electrified  for  the  pur- 
pose with  a  600-volt  undervunning  third-rail  power 
system  identical  to  that  used  in  New  York  Central's 
New  York  terminal  electrification.    Ultimately,  it 
ivas  envisioned,  the  Oneida  line  could  become  part 
of  a  New  York-to-Buffalo  electrification  of  the  New 
York  Central.    The  electric  cars,  which  supple- 
mented West  Shore  steam  trains,  reached  downtown 
Syracuse  and  Vtica  over  street  railway  tracks.  Four- 
teen of  these  wood  and  steel  cars,  delivered  in  1907 
by  J.  G.  Brill,  were  standard  equipment  for  the 
line.    Industrial   Photo   Service. 


Soon  after  the  turn  of  the  century  the  New  York 
Central,  in  order  to  forestall  the  threatened  com- 
petition of  new  electric  railways  in  its  territory,  be- 
gan acquiring  widespread  interests  in  a  number  of 
upstate  electric  lines,  consolidating  them  into  the 
600-mile  New  York  State  Railways  in  1909. 


95 


For  a  relatively  brief  period,  from  1911  to  1919,  the  important  Buffalo,  Lock- 
port  &  Rochester  Railway  was  a  part  of  the  Beebe  syndicate.  The  line,  which 
operated  from  Rochester  to  Lockport,  where  a  Buffalo  connection  was  made,  was 
built  to  unusually  high  standards,  with  70-pound  rail  and  crushed  rock  ballast. 
Shown  are  two  of  the  heavy  wooden  cars  built  by  Niles  which  were  operated  in 
high-speed  service.  George  Krambles  Collection. 


Second  only  to  the  New  York  State  Railways 
in  New  York  interurban  mileage  were  the  five 
lines,  largely  centered  around  Syracuse,  operated  by 
the  syndicate  headed  by  Clifford  D.  Beebe.  At  their 
peak  the  Beebe  lines  included  some  318  miles 
of  electric  railway,  extending  from  Oswego  to  Lock- 
port,  as  well  as  steamship  lines  on  Skaneateles  and 
Oneida  lakes.  Pride  of  the  syndicate  was  the  88- 
mile  Rochester,  Syracuse  &  Eastern  Railroad,  com- 


pleted in  1909  at  a  total  cost  of  7  million  dollars  and 
hailed  at  the  time  as  one  of  the  nation's  finest  inter- 
urbans.  Double  tracked  throughout,  the  route  was 
free  of  grade  crossings,  and  observed  a  maximum 
curvature  of  6  degrees  outside  of  towns.  Much  of 
the  line  employed  heavy  steel  catenary  bridges  to 
support  the  trolley  wire.  Driven  by  four  125-horse- 
power  motors  each,  the  company's  limited  cars  made 
the  trip  between  terminals  in  2  hours  50  minutes. 


A  Syracuse,  Lake  Shore  &  Northern  car  battled  a  typical  upstate  New  York  winter  on  the  way  south  from 
Oswego  to  Syracuse.  The  double  track,  steel  overhead  bridges,  and  catenary  trolley  wire  were  repre- 
sentative of  the  high  construction  standards  observed  by  Beebe  lines.   From  William  R.  Gordon. 


An  elderly  Jewett  interurban  of  the  Beebe  syndicate's  Auburn  &  Syracuse  Railroad  squealed  around 
a  tight  curve  in  Auburn  streets  on  its  way  to  Syracuse  in  1922.  Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


97 


Bound  for  a  Lake  Ontario  outing  at  Olcott  Beach,  three  heavily  loaded 
International  Railway  interurbans  paused  for  the  photographer. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


Extended  interurban  travel  in  almost  every  di- 
rection from  Buffalo  was  possible.  Interurbans  of 
the  International  Railway  transported  Niagara 
Frontier  residents  to  Lockport  and  Olcott  Beach,  on 
Lake  Ontario,  and  to  Niagara  Falls.  At  Lockport 
passengers  bound  for  Rochester  could  transfer  to 
cars  of  the  Buffalo,  Lockport  &  Rochester  Railway, 
and  for  a  few  years  a  through  car  service  between 


Buffalo  and  Rochester  was  available.  At  the  Falls 
connections  could  be  made  for  Canadian  points.  So 
dense  was  traffic  over  the  International  Railway's 
original  "Honeymoon  Line"  to  the  Falls,  opened  in 
1895,  that  trackage  was  replaced  in  1918  with  the 
company's  splendidly  engineered  "Buffalo-Niagara 
Falls  High  Speed  Line,"  which  cut  running  time 
between  the  two  cities  from  80  minutes  to  an  hour. 


98 


-ai 


LOCKP'RT 
OLCOTT 


1 

£   ' 

si 

■mi 

The  Great  Gorge  Route 

No  visit  to  the  Falls  was  really  com- 
plete   without   a   trip    through    the 

gorge  by  open  trolley  on  the  Niag- 
ara Gorge  Railway.  Postcard  views 

of  "The  Great  Gorge  Route"  were 

mailed  home   by   the   thousands. 

Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


99 


West  of  Buffalo  the  Buffalo  &  Lake  Erie  Traction  Company  tied  the  Empire  State  trolley  network  to 

the  great  systems  of  Ohio  and  Indiana.    Mainstays  of  the  90-mile  Buffalo  (N.Y.)-Erie  (Pa.)  main  line 

were  a  dozen  fast  and  heavy  Kuhlman  interurhans  of  particularly  graceful  proportions.    Two  of  them 

are  shown  here,  glistening  in  freshly  applied  varnish.    George  Krambles  Collection. 

New  York's  longest  lived  interurban  was  the  Jamestown,  West  field  & 
Northivestern,  which  was  created  in  1913  by  electrification  of  a  bank- 
rupt steam  railroad  that  operated  up  the  east  shore  of  Chautauqua  Lake 
from  Jamestown  to  a  junction  with  the  New  York  Central  at  West- 
field.    A  phenomenal  snowfall  caused  complications  when  it  came  time 
for  the  JW&NW  to  discontinue  passenger  service  in  November  1947, 
as  this  "last  day"  scene  at  Westfield  indicates,  and  the  company  was  forced 
to  precede  its  passenger  cars  with  a  locomotive  to  break  through  heavy 
drifts  on  the  line.  Robert  W.  Richardson. 


*          vx. 

VMMM 

^^us. 

The  B&LE  emerged  from  an  extended  receivership  in  1924  with  a  new  manage- 
ment and  a  new  name,  the  Buffalo  &  Erie  Railway.   Fourteen  lightweight  "fish- 
belly"  interurhans  were  delivered  the  next  year  by  the  Cincinnati  Car  Com- 
pany.  The  first  really  fast  lightweight  cars  built,  they  were  capable  of  mile-a- 
minute  speeds.   Weighing  only  half  as  much  as  the  big  wooden  cars  they  replaced, 
and  designed  for  one-man  operation,  the  new  interurhans  reduced  the  company's 
operating  costs  per  car-mile  by  over  25  per  cent.    Interior  appointments  in- 
cluded parlor  chairs,  available  at  no  extra  cost,  and  for  a  brief  period,  limited 
cars  were  staffed  with  porters.   Shortly  after  the  new  equipment  went  into  service 
a  limited  from   Buffalo    rolled   through   Erie   streets   in   heavy   flivver   traffic. 
Fred  E.  Barber,  from  Howard  E.  Johnston  Collection. 


100 


m 


*»  »      »       i       i      1 


"I      I     'P    i      1-     1  •> 


■HILIMtTOV     M.     XX .  HUt.l.V     TIIAKTIilN     »«.! 


The  New  York,  Westchester  &  Boston,  opened  in  1912,  was  one  of 
the  most  superbly  engineered  —  and  expensive  — ■  lines  of  the  electric 
traction  era.    Constructed  to  standards  equal  to  those  of  the  mainline 
electrification  of  its  parent  New  Haven,  the  Westchester  employed 
1 1 ,000-rolt  A.C.  power,  a  catenary  overhead  supported  by  heavy  steel 
structures,  a  grade-crossing-free  right  of  way,  and  reinforced  concrete 
stations  of  truly  monumental  architecture.    Planned  to  relieve  com- 
muter congestion  on  the  Neiv  Haven's  Grand  Central  Terminal  line, 
the  NYW&B  never  developed  sufficient  traffic  to  pay  its  high  costs  or 
to  even  approach  its  tremendous  passenger-carrying  capacity.    Shortly 
before  abandonment  in  1957  a  White  Plains  car  and  a  two-car  Port 
Chester  train  crossed  a  massive,  four-track  steel  viaduct  in  Mt.  Vernon 
that  characterized  the  Westchester.    George  E.  Votava. 


The  Elmira,  Coming  &  Waverly 
Railway's  route  between  Elmira 
and  Coming  was  only  a  year  old 
W hen  inter urbans  107  and  110 
met  at  a  siding  near  Big  Flats, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Chemung 
River,   in    1912.     In   pre-auto- 
mobile  days  vacation  travel  to 
summer  cottages  along  the  riv- 
er   furnished    a    considerable 
traffic.    Stephen  D.  Maguire 
Collection. 


New  Jersey's  Burlington  &  Mount  Holly  Traction  Railroad  Company  was  an 
early  Pennsylvania  Railroad  electrification  experiment.    The  line's   One-Spot, 
a  trim   combine,  toned  an   open-platform   coach   belonging  to   its   parent. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


The  last  New  Jersey  interurban  was  the  At- 
lantic City  &  Shore  Railroad,  which  operated 
between  the  resort  centers  of  Atlantic  City  and 
Ocean  City.    After  the  cars  reached  the  out- 
skirts of  the  line's  terminal  cities,  trolley  poles 
were  hooked  down  for  a  fast  ride  over  third- 
rail-equipped   trackage   of   the   Pennsylvania 
Railroad.   In  1947  "Shore  Fast  Line"  interur- 
ban  117   traversed  the   long  trestle   crossing 
Great  Egg  Harbor  River,  between  Ocean  City 
and  Somers  Point.  John  A.  Rehor. 


Pennsylvania  Dutch 


More  scenic  than  rapid  was  the 
Philadelphia  &  Easton  Electric  Rail- 
way, whose  cars  required  fully  2 
hours  to  negotiate  the  32-mile  route 
between  Easton  and  Doylestown, 
Pa.    The  line  was  part  of  a  route 
to  Delaware  Water  Gap  resorts  for 
unhurried  Philadelphians,  requir- 
ing no  less  than  6  hours  and  five 
changes  of  cars  en  route  for  the  84- 
mile  journey.  One  of  the  company's 
little  trolleys  rattled  through  splen- 
did Delaware  Valley  scenery  near 
Raubsville  not  many  years  after 
opening  in  1904.    Stephen  D. 
Maguire  Collection. 


■ 


|ik 


The  Northampton  Transit  Company,  which  wandered  some 

18  miles  northward  from  Easton  to  Bangor,  Pa.,  was  another 

link  in  the  leisurely  scenic  route  from  Philadelphia  to  the 

Water  Gap.  Passengers  were  scarce  in  the  line's  sparsely  settled 

territory,  and  the  economies  of  Cincinnati  lightweight  cars 

were  introduced  in  1924.    Bright  and  new,  one  of  them 

paused  at  the  company' s  neat  station  at  a  park  not  far  from 

Easton.  Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


-  Oil*. 

to.  .«$- 


Southbound  to  Norristotvn,  Pa.,  a  Lehigh 
Valley  Transit  Company  Liberty  Bell  Limited 
reached  the  crest  of  the  long  grade  up  Lehigh 
Alountain  at  Summit  Lawn  one  June  after- 
noon in  1950.  William  D.  Middleton. 


Abandonment  was  not  far  away  and  the  weeds  grew 
unchecked  between  the  rails  when  these  ex-C&LE 
Liberty  Bell  Limiteds  met  at  the  Quakertown  sid- 
ing in  1950.  William  D.  Middleton. 

In  1903,  with  the  opening  of  a  new  line  to  the 
Philadelphia  suburb  of  Chestnut  Hill,  the  Lehigh 
Valley  Transit  Company,  whose  operations  had 
heretofore  been  largely  centered  in  the  Allentown 
area,  embarked  on  the  first  step  of  a  grand  plan  for 
a  high-speed  electric  railway  that  would  reach  both 
Philadelphia  and  New  York.  The  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  interurban  never  made  it  beyond  Pennsyl- 
vania borders,  but  its  Allentown-Philadelphia  "Lib- 
erty Bell  Route"  achieved  deserved  fame.  After  ex- 
tensive rebuilding  for  high-speed  operation  and  con- 
struction of  a  Norristown  connection  with  the  newly 
completed  high-speed,  third-rail  Philadelphia  & 
Western  in  1912,  LVT  was  able  to  halve  running 
times  between  the  two  cities.  Combined  with  low- 
er fares,  the  faster  service  enabled  the  company  to 
divert  a  considerable  passenger  traffic  from  the  steam 
trains  of  the  competing  Reading  Company.  By 
means  of  connections  LVT  was  able  to  accommodate 
excursionists  to  the  popular  Delaware  Water  Gap,  a 
traffic  which  the  company  assiduously  promoted 
with  its  widely  shown  publicity  film,  "A  Honey- 
moon Trip  to  Delaware  Water  Gap." 


106 


■■■■ 


After  suffering  a  two-thirds  decline  in  its  passen- 
ger traffic  during  a  decade  of  depression,  LVT  re- 
juvenated its   interurban   business   in   1939   with 
extensively  remodeled  lightweight  rolling  stock 
from  defunct  Midwestern   traction  properties. 
Thirteen  of  the  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie's  renowned 
high-speed  cars  were  refinished  in  "picador  cream" 
trimmed  in  "mountain  ash  scarlet,"  and  provided 
with  aluminum   roofs,   stainless-steel  pilots,   and 
chromium-plated  accessories  for  Liberty  Bell  Lim- 
ited service.    Interiors   were   refinished  and  re- 
upholstered,  and  some  of  the  cars  were  provided 


with  club  compartments  at  the  observation  end. 
Two  years  later  a  former  Indiana  Railroad  car  was 
similarly  refurbished  and  provided  with  lounge 
furniture  throughout,  along  with  such  elaborate 
touches  as  a  miniature  hanging  wall  garden,  com- 
plete  with  sansevieria  and  philodendron  plants. 
Four  Cincinnati  curved-side  lightweights  were  ac- 
quired in  1919  from  the  Dayton  &  Troy  Electric 
Railway  in  Ohio  for  Easton  Limited  service.    Fresh 
frotn  overhaul,  one  of  them  was  photographed  at 
LVT's  Fairview  Shops  in  Allentown.    David  M. 
Knauss,  Commercial  Photographer. 


Freshly  done  up  in  maroon  and  trimmed  in  silver,  Liberty  Bell  interurban  No.  800 
trundled  through  the  passing  track  at  School  Siding  in  Center  Valley  in  19%. 
When  originally  delivered  by  Jewett  in  1912,  No.  800  was  among  the  first  railroad 
cars  equipped  with  roller  bearings.   John  P.  Scharle. 


Bullets  to  Norristown 

"The  Philadelphia  &  Western  .  .  .  marks  another 
noteworthy  step  in  the  development  of  heavy  elec- 
tric traction  for  high-speed  transportation  of  the 
suburbs  of  our  large  cities,"  observed  the  Street  Rail- 
way Journal  on  the  occasion  of  the  line's  opening 
between  Upper  Darby  and  Strafford  in  1907;  and 
indeed,  the  P&W's  builders  had  set  a  new  standard 
for  the  electric  railway  industry.  Constructed  with- 
out a  single  grade  crossing  with  roads  or  other 
railroads,  the  double-track,  third-rail-operated  P&W 
was  built  with  maximum  grades  of  2Vi  per  cent  and 
a  maximum  curvature  of  5  degrees,  despite  the  ex- 
ceedingly irregular  topography  through  which  it 
operated.    To  meet  these  exceptional  standards,  the 


builders  excavated  a  million  cubic  yards  of  rock  and 
earth  and  placed  a  like  amount  in  fills.  The  entire 
line  was  governed  by  an  absolute  block  signal  sys- 
tem, the  first  ever  installed  on  an  interurban.  Com- 
muters from  Strafford,  Norristown  (which  was 
reached  in  1912),  and  intermediate  suburbs  were 
able  to  reach  downtown  Philadelphia  with  a  transfer 
to  elevated  trains  at  69th  Street  Terminal  in  Upper 
Darby,  a  combination  which  bettered  steam  railroad 
commuting  times.  A  projected  P&W  elevated  and 
subway  that  would  have  extended  clear  to  the  Dela- 
ware River  was  never  built. 

In  1930,  beset  by  vigorous  competition  from  new- 
ly electrified  steam  railroad  suburban  lines  and 
handicapped  by  an  aging  fleet  of  wooden  interur- 
bans,  a  new  P&W  management,  headed  by  Dr. 
Thomas  Conway  Jr.,  addressed  itself  to  the  task  of 
restoring  the  company's  competitive  position.  Ex- 
perimentation and  wind  tunnel  research  produced 
the  design  for  10  magnificent  "Bullet"  interurbans, 
and  major  improvements  were  made  to  track  and 
signal  systems  to  permit  extremely  high  speeds.  New 
schedules  instituted  upon  completion  of  the  half- 
million-dollar  improvement  program  cut  Norris- 
town line  express  running  times  by  almost  a  third. 
P&W  was  again,  as  Electric  Railway  Journal  termed 
it,  "in  the  forefront  of  American  high-speed  subur- 
ban railroads." 


The  P&W's  major  engineering  work  was  this  3850- 
foot  steel  bridge  that  carried  the  line  over  numerous 
steam  railroads,  several  canals,  and  the  Schuylkill 
River  into  Norristown.   A  Bullet  rumbled  across  it 
one  summer  day  in  1956.  William  D.  Middleton. 


En  route  to  Norristown  at  better  than  a  mile  a  minute,  Philadelphia  &  Western  Bullet  200 
leaned  into  superelevated  curvature  near  Bryn  Mawr  in  1956.   William  D.  Middleton. 


X 


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The  rhythmic  tattoo  of  steel  wheels  on  open  track  abruptly  became  a  hollow  rumble  as  a  fast  moving 
Red  Arrow  interurban  flashed  across  the  Crum  Creek  bridge  at  Smedley  Park  on  an  August  afternoon 
in  1956  (see  text,  next  page).   William  D.  Middleton. 


109 


Red  Arrow  Trolleys 

Sharing  69th  Street  Terminal  space  with  the  Phil- 
adelphia &  Western  was  the  Philadelphia  &  West 
Chester  Traction  Company,  a  still-operating  electric 
line  that  can  trace  its  corporate  history  back  more 
than  a  century  to  the  incorporation  of  the  Philadel- 
phia &  West  Chester  Turnpike  Road  Company  in 
1848.  Before  the  trolley  wire  went  up  in  1896,  Red 
Arrow  Lines  predecessor  companies  transported 
Main  Line  commuters  in  such  assorted  conveyances 
as  mule  cars  and  steam  dummy  trains.  Reorganized 
as  the  Philadelphia  Suburban  Transportation  Com- 
pany in  1936,  the  Red  Arrow  system  merged  with 
neighboring  Philadelphia  &  Western  in  1954. 

Philadelphia  Suburban  interurban  No.  81,  a  1932 

Brill  lightweight  capable  of  speeds  up  to  76  miles 

per  hour,  loaded  homeward-bound  commuters  at 

69th  Street  one  afternoon  in  1956.   William  D. 

Middleton. 

One  of  PSTCo's  newest  cars,  a  1949  St.  Louis 
interurban  of  PCC  streetcar  lineage,  rolled 
along  beside  a  split  rail  fence  on  roadside 
trackage  of  the  West  Chester  line  near  Edge- 
mont,  Pa.,  a  few  days  before  abandonment  of 
the  Red  Arrow  Lines'  longest  route  in  1954. 
Edward  S.  Miller. 


The  Citizens  Traction  Company  of  Oil  City  pro- 
vided local  and  interurban  electric  service  to  Oil 
City  and  nearby  communities,  in  the  historic  oil 
lands  of  northwestern  Pennsylvania,  not  far  from 
the  site  of  Col.  Edwin  Drake's  epochal  strike  at 
Titusville  in  1859.   Northbound  from  Franklin  to 
Oil  City,  interurban  No.  50  paused  at  the  Reno 
switch.   The  gold-trimmed,  medium  red  J.  G.  Brill 
car  employed  the   manufacturer's   popular  semi- 
convertible  system,  which  provided  disappearing 
window  sash  for  summer  trolleying.    Donald  K. 
Slick  Collection. 

Pennsylvania  traction  was  typified  by  light  inter- 
urban and  rural  trolley  systems  of  modest  ambitions 
which  radiated  from  the  cities  and  county  seats 
in  profusion  throughout  the  state.    Only  rarely 
were  they  interconnected  in  the  fashion  of  the  other- 
wise similar  systems  of  New  England.  Among  them 
were  such  lines  as  the  Conestoga  Transportation 
Company,  which  centered  its  activities  around  Lan- 
caster, seat  of  the  county  of  the  same  name.    This 
Conestoga  interurban  rolled  through  a  forested  coun- 
tryside on  the  line  to  Ephrata  in  1946.   At  one  time 
the  system's  rails  went  all  the  way  to  Coatesville, 
clear  over  in  the  next  county.  Herman  Rinke. 

M.  S.  Hershey,  the  "Chocolate  King,"  began  con- 
struction of  the  Hershey  Transit  Company  in  1904  to 
furnish  transportation  for  workmen  and  milk  to 
his  chocolate  factory  at  newly  founded  Hershey, 
in  Dauphin  County,  Pa.  Resplendent  in  dark  green, 
trimmed  with  cream  and  gold,  this  well-kept  Hershey 
interurban  wheeled  through  the  manicured  grounds 
of  the  Hershey  Hotel  in   1939.    Another  electric 
line  in  the  Hershey  chocolate  empire,  Hershey  Cuban 
Railway,  still  operates.    Jeffrey  K.  Winslow. 


Ill 


Just  before  plunging  into  the  tun- 
nel —  nearly  a  mile  in  length  — 
that  carried  the  line  under  the 
hills  of  Scranton's  south  side,  a 
Laurel  Line  inlerurban  thundered 
across  Roaring  Brook  in  1951. 
John  F.  Endler  Jr. 

112 


Heavy  Traction  in  the 
Anthracite  Country 

Eastern  financiers  in  1900  proposed  the  construc- 
tion of  a  200-mile  system  of  interurbans  in  the  popu- 
lous Pennsylvania  anthracite  country.  The  only  part 
of  the  ambitious  scheme  to  materialize  was  the  Lack- 
awanna &  Wyoming  Valley  Railroad,  which  con- 
structed a  double-track,  third-rail  line  to  high  stand- 
ards over  some  20  miles  between  Scranton  and 
Wilkes-Barre.  One  of  the  earliest  interurbans  to  em- 
ploy the  third-rail  power  system,  which  for  a  time 
was  highly  regarded  for  high  class  interurban  roads, 
the  "Laurel  Line"  received  considerable  support 
from  the  Westinghouse  interests,  which  were  con- 
cerned with  the  line  for  experimental  purposes;  and 
George  Westinghouse  and  other  company  officials 
were  actually  listed  as  directors  of  the  road  for  a 
short  period. 

On  a  bright  December  day  in  1950  an  Os- 
good Bradley  combine,  bound  for  Scranton, 
whipped  along  through  a  Laurel  Line 
snowscape  near  Avoca.  John  F.  Endler  Jr. 


p 


A  Pittsburgh  &  Butler  Street 
Railway  interurban  rolled  up  to 
the  Pittsburgh  depot  in  1914 
when  horse  traffic  still  shared 
street  space  with  the  early  motor 
cars.  The  interurban' s  dash  sign 
advertised  a  Damrosch  con- 
cert.   Stephen   D.  Maguire 
Collection. 


A    St.    Louis-built   interurban, 
northbound  as  a   Butler  Local, 
negotiated  one  of  the  substantial 
steel  bridges  that  ivere  frequent 
in  the  hill  country  traversed  by 
the  Harmony  Route.   The  closely 
spaced  overhead  poles,   which 
simplified  trolley  wire  construc- 
tion  at    curves,    were   another 
Harmony  Route  characteristic. 
Charles  A.  Brown  Collection. 


Operating  north  from  Pittsburgh,  the  Pittsburgh, 
Harmony,  Butler  &  New  Castle  Railway  and  the 
Pittsburgh  &  Butler  Street  Railway  were  associated 
broad  gauge  interurbans  of  considerable  early  dis- 
tinction in  the  traction  industry.  The  "Harmony 
Route"  was  one  of  the  first  interurbans  to  use  the 
superior  1200- volt  direct  current  electrification  sys- 
tem, and  the  line's  builders  employed  such  radical 


departures  from  conventional  practice  as  the  use  of 
track  laid  on  large  concrete  blocks  embedded  in 
the  roadbed,  rather  than  the  usual  wooden  ties.  The 
neighboring  "Short  Line"  was  originally  electrified 
in  1905  with  a  3300-volt  alternating  current  system, 
which  was  later  changed  to  6600  volts,  and  finally, 
in  1914,  P&B  was  among  the  earliest  A.C.  interur- 
bans to  convert  to  the  more  successful  D.C.  system. 


113 


Short  Line  interurbans  were  impressive  vehicles.  Cincinnati-built  No.  Ill,  a  double-end  coach  seating 
")2,  weighed  almost  38  tons.  Trolley  poles  were  used  for  operation  through  city  streets,  but  the  panto- 
graph was  raised  for  fast  running  through  open  country.   Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


Pittsburgh  Railways,  which  still  remains  as  one  of  the  largest  street  railway 
systems  in  North  America,  operated  a  pair  of  interurban  routes  through  spec- 
tacular scenery  to  Washington,  Donora,  Charleroi,  and  Roscoe.    These  left 
Pittsburgh  through  the  Mount  Washington  tunnel,  the  second  longest  interur- 
ban tunnel  in  the  (J.  S.  St.  Louis-built  interurban  No.  3802,  which  featured  plush- 
upholstered  bucket  seats  and  rear-facing  observation  seats,  is  seen  near  Thomp- 
sonville  on  the  Washington  line.    The  car  was  the  last  word  in  Pittsburgh  Rail- 
ways interurban  equipment  until  the  arrival  of  radio-equipped,  air-cooled  PCC 
interurbans  during  the  late  1940' 's.  Union  Switch  &  Signal  Company,  from 

Robert  F.  Scanlon. 


114 


The  conductor  on  a  northbound  Butler  Flyer  did  some  short  flagging  while  the  motorman 
called  the  dispatcher  for  orders.  Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


Orange  Trolleys  on  West  Penn  Hills 

Through  wonderfully  scenic  hills  and  valleys  of 
western  Pennsylvania,  studded  with  coal  tipples  and 
beehive  coke  ovens,  wandered  the  distinctive  orange 
trolleys  of  the  West  Penn  Railways,  a  system  that 


at  one  time  operated  340  miles  of  electric  railway 
in  Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia,  and  Ohio.  The 
principal  West  Penn  electric  lines  were  included  in 
the  company's  Coke  Region,  located  in  Westmore- 
land and  Fayette  counties  in  the  bituminous-rich 
Allegheny  Plateau.    X 


116 


Northbound  from  Fairchance  to  Uniontown,  West  Penn  706  met  furious  action  on  neigh- 
boring Baltimore  &  Ohio,  where  un  articulated  hurled  smoke  and  cinders  into  the  sky  as  it 
fought  upgrade  with  a  string  of  hoppers.    Lester  Wismer,  from  Stephen  D.  Maguire. 


117 


This  is  the  magnetic  track  brake  employed  by  West  Penn  interurbans,  which  were 
without  conventional  air  brake  systems.  To  stop  his  car  a  West  Penn  mo  tor  man 
used  controller  positions  that  converted  the  traction  motors  to  generators.  The 
current  passed  through  the  spring-suspended  electromagnets,  drawing  them  down 
against  the  rail  and  at  the  same  time  actuating  a  series  of  levers  which  tightened 
brake  shoes.  Once  stopped,  the  cars  were  held  by  cranking  up  a  long  gooseneck 
hand  brake.   Anthony  F.  Krisak. 


■■;■" 


A  few  shirt-sleeved  passengers  gazed  momentarily  upon  the  waters  of  Loyalhanna  Creek  as  car  111 
sped  across  a  bridge  on  the  Latrobe  line  in  1952.  John  Stern. 

Bridges,  sharp  curves,  and  perilous  grades  abounded  on  the  abrupt  profile  of 
West  Penn  lines.    Center-door  car  715  traveled  across  a  typical  trestle  on  the 
Uniontown-Brownsville  line  in  1949.   This  interurban  was  one  of  39  identical  air- 
less, whistleless  cars  built  by  the  Cincinnati  Car  Company  and  company  shops 
from  1912  to  1925  which  performed  a  majority  of  West  Penn  services  there- 
after.   Anthony  F.  Krisak. 


119 


Trolley  Sparks  in  Dixieland 

The  South  Atlantic  States 


120 


On  the  occasion  of  a  1941  excursion  Hagerstown  &  Frederick  Rail- 
way interurban  No.  160  headed  for  Myersville,  Md.,  on  what  was  left 
of  the  company's  onetime  route  from  Frederick  to  Hagerstown.  The 
engaging  H&F  roamed  in  roller  coaster  fashion  across  the  scenic  Mary- 
land hills,  with  grades  that  often  seemed  perilous  in  the  extreme. 
Howard  E.  Johnston. 


121 


Trolley  Sparks  in  Dixieland 


The  South  Atlantic  States 


SOUTH  of  the  heavily  populated  industrial  areas 
of  the  Middle  Atlantic  coast,  interurbans  became  in- 
frequent. In  the  less  populated,  less  prosperous  states 
of  the  Confederacy  beyond  the  Potomac  there  were 
far  fewer  opportunities  for  the  quick  and  plentiful 
profits  interurban  developers  so  often  foresaw  in 
other  areas.  Aside  from  a  substantial  electric  mile- 
age in  Maryland,  there  were  only  occasional  in- 
terurbans which  ventured  into  the  country  from 
the  larger  cities,  and  in  the  entire  region  only  a 
handful  of  systems  existed  which  could  be  called  of 
major  importance.  Beyond  the  environs  of  the  na- 
tional capital,  sustained  travel  by  the  electric  cars 
was  not  possible. 

70  mph  across  Maryland 

Pre-eminent  among  interurbans  of  the  South 
Atlantic  states  was  Maryland's  Washington,  Balti- 
more &  Annapolis  Railroad,  which  joined  the  cities 
of  its  corporate  title  with  a  remarkable  high-speed 
system.  Electrified  with  a  6600-volt  A.C.  system,  the 
WB&A's  double  track  Baltimore- Washington  main 
line  was  opened  in  1908,  and  limited  service  was  in- 
itially provided  with  huge  62-foot,  44-ton  Niles 
"Electric  Pullmans."  Too  heavy  to  permit  operation 
over  Washington  streetcar  tracks,  the  big  cars  were 
soon  sold  and  replaced  by  equipment  of  more  modest 
dimensions.    Before  World  War  I  WB&A,  in  com- 


pany with  connecting  steamship  lines,  operated  an 
extensive  excursion  business  to  such  widespread 
points  as  Norfolk,  Savannah,  Boston,  and  Provi- 
dence. A  round  trip  Washington-Atlantic  City  tour, 
for  example,  which  included  interurban  transporta- 
tion to  Baltimore,  steamship  passage  to  Philadelphia, 
and  steam  railroad  travel  to  Atlantic  City,  cost  only 
$5.  At  the  peak  of  WB&A  operations  close  to  100 
trains  cleared  the  Baltimore  terminal  daily.  Wash- 
ington limiteds  left  every  half  hour,  and  locals  de- 
parted hourly.  Annapolis  trains  operated  every  hour 
on  the  South  Shore  line  and  every  half  hour  on  the 
North  Shore  route. 

WB&A's  finest  interurbans  were  10  of  these  two- 
section  articulated  cars  delivered  by  ].  G.  Brill 
in  1927.  Seating  94  passengers  in  plush-upholstered 
bucket  seats,  the  97-foot  cars  represented  a  27  per 
cent  reduction  in  weight  from  the  company's  older 
wooden  equipment  of  comparable  capacity.  Despite 
a  half  hour  spent  getting  out  of  Washington  over 
the  local  car  tracks,  these  big  cars  were  able  to  op- 
erate between  the  Washington  and  Baltimore  ter- 
minals on  schedules  that  were  competitive  with  the 
steam  railroads.    On  some  limited  schedules,  with 
65-minute  timings  for  the  40-mile  run,  average 
speeds  in  excess  of  70  miles  per  hour  were  main- 
tained over  the  24  miles  of  open  track  between  the 
two  cities.    George  Krambles  Collection. 


122 


Originally  the  steam-powered  Annapolis  &  Elk- 
ridge,  the  WB&A's  South  Shore  line  into  Annapolis 
uas  among  America's  earliest  railroads,  having  op- 
erated its  first  train  on  Christmas  Day  1840.   During 
the  early  days  of  the  Civil  War  its  rails  were  used 
by  Union  troops  to  bypass  Baltimore  after  Con- 
federate sympathizers  had  cut  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  main  line.    This  two-car  special  operated  to 
Annapolis  over  the  line  in  1935.  Parlor  car  No.  100, 
at  the  rear  of  the  train,  was  normally  reserved  for 
charter  service  or  such  distinguished  tasks  as  trans- 
porting dignitaries  from  the  Capital  to  the  Naval 
Academy.    Howard  E.  Johnston  Collection. 


A   three-car   Washington-Baltimore  train 
descended  into  Pratt  Street  at  Baltimore 
from  the  B&O  overcrossing  three  days  be- 
fore abandonment  in  1935.    The  two  steel 
passenger  cars  that  headed  the  train  then 
moved  west  to  the  Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin, 
where  they  served  for  better  than  20  yean 
more.  James  P.  Shuman,  from  William 
Moedinger  Jr. 


'■^t 


By  Short  Line  to  the  Severn  Shore 

WB&A's  direct  North  Shore  route  from  Balti- 
more to  Annapolis  originally  opened  in  1887  as  the 
steam-propelled  Annapolis  &  Baltimore  Short  Line. 
Electrified  by  the  Maryland  Electric  Railways  in 
1908,  the  Short  Line  was  merged  into  WB&A  in 
1921.  When  the  bankrupt  WB&A  was  sold  at  public 
auction  on  the  courthouse  lawn  in  Annapolis  in 
1935,  bondholders  of  the  old  Short  Line  bought  it 
back,  reorganized  it  as  the  Baltimore  &  Annapolis 
Railroad,  and  continued  to  operate  the  electric  cars 
until  1950. 


On  a  June  afternoon  in  1948  B&A  combine  No.  94 
rolled  across  a  placid  arm  of  the  Severn  River  estuary 
into  the  Annapolis  terminal.  The  much-rebuilt 
Wason  interurban,  originally  a  center-entrance  car, 
was  acquired  by  the  predecessor  Short  Line  in  1914, 
when  SL  junked  its  A.C.  system  in  favor  of  1200- 
volt  D.C.  power.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Initial  electric  service  over 
the  Short  Line  was  operated 
with  substantial  wooden 
equipment  manufactured 
by  the  Southern  Car  Com- 
pany at  High  Point,  N.  C. 
Because    of   the   cumber- 
some transformers  and  com- 
plicated controls  required 
for  the  company's  6600- 
volt  A.C.  power  system  the 
cars  were  remarkably 
heavy,  weighing  all  of  50 
tons.    A  train,  made  up 
of  two  of  the  ponderous 
coaches  and  a  pair  of 
trailers  evidently  dating 
from  the  Short  Line's  steam 
days,  was  photographed  at 
Annapolis  in  the  charge 
of  a  handsomely  mous- 
tachioed  conductor. 
O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


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; 


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fex.  -^, 


With  express  and  mail  piled  high  on  the  front  platform,  B&A  car  No.  205  approached 
the  Linthicum  Heights  station  in  1949  on  the  way  to  Annapolis.    William  D.  Middleton. 


When  the  B&A  went  on  its  own  in  1935  trolley  wire  was  strung  over  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  main  line  and  the  electric  cars  began  operating  into  the  B&O's  Camden  Station  at  Bal- 
timore.  In  1949  car  No.  94  negotiated  the  specialwork  at  Carroll  Tower  to  leave  the 
B&O  main  and  head  south  on  single  track  to  Annapolis.   William  D.  Middleton. 


The  clanging  of  the  crossing  bell  was  muted  by  a  wet,  clinging  snow  as  a  southbound  two- 
car  B&A  train  rolled  through  Linthicum  Heights  in  December  1948.   Edward  J.  Melanson. 


126 


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, 


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fc.n  v  t,  t— ~ 


Until  1954  the  Hagerstown  &  Frederick  Railway,  under  Potomac  Edi- 
son control,  maintained  the  last  of  its  once  extensive  passenger  opera- 
tion, a  service  which  wandered  18  miles  north  from  Frederick  to 
Thurmont,  where  connections  were  made  with  n'ntinline  trains  of  the 
Western  Maryland  Railway.    Combine  No.  171   met  the  Western 
Maryland  local  from  Baltimore  in  1932  (above)  and  then  headed 
south  to  Frederick  (below).    Both   Photos:    John  Stern. 


Ready  for  the  25-mile  run  to  Clarksburg,  an  orange  Jewett  interurban  peered  out 
from  the  gloom  of  the  Monongahela-W est  Penn  Public  Service  Company's  inter- 
urban terminal  at  Weston,  W.  Va.,  in  1941.   Monongahela  Valley  passenger  opera- 
tion by  the  company  continued  until  after  World  War  II.  Howard  E.  Johnston. 


129 


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TO 


Sm 

«3b'^3: 

R3 

/«  j  heavily  wooded  setting  a  lightweight  Cincinnati  interurban  and  a  much  older  wooden  Jewett 
combine  met  at  Philadelphia  siding  on  Monongahela-W est  Penn's  Clarksburg-W eston  line  in  1946. 
By  this  time  the  cars  were  being  operated  by  the  City  Lines  of  West  Virginia.    John  F.  Horan. 


Electric  Cars  in  the  Old  Dominion 

In  its  time  the  Washington  &  Old  Dominion  Rail- 
way provided  such  amenities  as  extra-fare,  open- 
platform  observation  cars  and  porter  service  on  its 
trains  which  operated  some  52  miles  up  the  Potomac 
Valley  from  Georgetown,  D.  C,  to  the  Blue  Ridge 
foothills  at  Bluemont  over  the  rails  of  a  former 
Southern  Railway  System  branch,  acquired  and  elec- 


trified by  the  W&OD  in  1912.  Another  W&OD  line 
carried  excursionists  to  the  Great  Falls  of  the  Po- 
tomac, north  of  Washington.  Service  on  this  line, 
it  was  said,  tended  to  be  casual.  In  1916  company  of- 
ficials were  obliged  to  reprimand  a  motorman  who 
carried  a  shotgun  on  the  front  platform  and  took 
potshots  through  the  open  front  window  at  rabbits 
which  were  lured  onto  the  rails  by  the  headlight 
beam. 


An  Old  Dominion  local,  having  transported  mail,  express,  and  a  few  passengers  to  the  communities 
along  the  way,  unloaded  at  its  Bluemont  terminal  in  1937.    The  crack  Loudon  Limited  of  earlier  days 
stopped  only  at  a  few  points  of  unquestioned  importance  along  the  line.   E.  E.  EDWARDS. 


To  the  consternation  of  motorists  on  U.  S.  highways  19  and  21,  this  interurban 
made  an  abrupt  ISO-degree  turn,  crossing  and  recrossing  the  pavement,  to  gain 
access  to  its  bridge  across  the  Norfolk  &  Western  main  line  at  Bluefield,  W.  Va., 
on  the  Tri-City  Traction  Company's  interurban  run  to  nearby  Princeton.  Beneath 
the  skirting  and  fanciful  striping,  car  No.  120  was  just  another  curved-side  Cin- 
cinnati lightweight.  The  cars  continued  to  operate  over  the  12-mile  line  for  an- 
other seven  years  after  this  photograph  was  taken  in  1940.   Stephen  D.  Maguire. 


131 


The  Norfolk  &  Southern  Railway,  a 
steam  road,  operated  a  short  interur- 
ban  line  from  Norfolk  to  Cape  Henry 
and  the  resorts  of  Virginia  Beach. 
Combine  No.  45,  with  an  open  trailer 
in  tow,  waited  on  the  Virginia  Beach 
wye  about   1905.     Gasoline   rail 
buses  took  over  the  service  in  1935. 
Allan  H.  Berner  Collection. 


White-collar    Federal    office    workers 
and  tourists  alike  flocked  aboard  the 
cars  of  the  Washington,  Alexandria  & 
Mt.  Vernon  Railway,  later  the  Wash- 
ington-Virginia Railway.    This  early 
train,  northbound  at  Potomac  Park, 
was  jammed  to  the  platforms. 
LeRoy  O.  King  Collection. 

Such  features  as  pantographs, 
catenary  overhead,  and  heavy 
cars  like  combine  No.  101  seemed 
a  little  out  of  place  on  the  Rich- 
mond &  Chesapeake  Bay  Rail- 
way, a  6600-volt  A.C.  line  which 
operated  all  of  14  miles  of  track 
from  Richmond  to  Ashland,  Va. 
hater  on  the  railway  was  con- 
verted to  direct  current  power 
and  more  appropriate  subur- 
ban cars  were  acquired  for  the 
service.  General  Electric 
Company. 


132 


Unique  among  interurbans  was  the  W  ashington- 
Virginia's  parlor  car  Mount  Vernon,  aboard  which 
countless  thousands  rode  in  princely  splendor  to 
view  the  Washington  estate  and  tomb.   Built  by  the 
St.  Louis  Car  Company  in  1904  as  the  Mabel,  the  car 
was  originally  owned  by  the  Lewis  Publishing 
Company,  publishers  of  Woman's  Magazine  and 
Woman's  Farm  Journal,  and  was  employed  for  the 
entertainment  of  company  friends  atui  visitors 
during  the  1904  St.  Louis  Louisiana  Purchase  Ex- 
position.   One  compartment  was  furnished  as  a 


parlor,  with  a  handsomely  carved  settee  in  the  center, 
tastefully  upholstered  in  a  fine  yellow  fabric  har- 
monizing with  the  ceiling,  curtains,  and  portieres, 
which  were  pea  green.    Upholstered  chairs  and  an 
inlaid  mahogany  desk  completed  the  parlor  furnish- 
ings.  A  smoker  section  and  a  completely  equipped 
buffet  were  installed  in  the  opposite  end  of  the  car. 
The  elegant  Mount  Vernon  posed  for  this  pho- 
tograph  outside   the   railway's   Four   Mile   Run 
carhouse  in  1923.    Howard  E.  Johnston 
Collection. 


Catenary  in  the  Carolinas 

Carolina  utility  and  tobacco  tycoon  James  Bu- 
chanan "Buck"  Duke,  founder  of  such  diverse  in- 
stitutions as  the  Duke  Power  Company,  Duke  Uni- 
versity, the  Duke  Endowment,  and  the  American 
Tobacco  Company  "Tobacco  Trust,"  added  a  high 
class  interurban  to  the  list  shortly  before  World  War 
I.  Duke's  electric  line,  the  Piedmont  &  Northern 
Railway,  actually  consisted  of  two  physically  isolated 
divisions,  totaling  130  route  miles  in  length,  which 
extended  from  Greenwood  to  Spartanburg,  S.  C,  and 
from  Gastonia  to  Charlotte,  N.  C.  Plans  to  close  the 
51-mile  "missing  link"  between  the  two  divisions, 
and  to  undertake  ambitious  extension  projects  to 
Winston-Salem  and  Durham,  were  temporarily  de- 
layed by  World  War  I  and  the  need  for  major 
postwar  rehabilitation  after  the  disaster  of  Federal 
control.  Ready  to  go  again  in  1927,  P&N  announced 
that  work  was  "about  to  begin,"  only  to  be  thwarted 
once  more,  this  time  by  the  Interstate  Commerce 
Commission,  which  claimed  jurisdiction  over  the 
new  construction  under  the  1920  Transportation  Act 
and  denied  permission.  Claiming  exemption  from 
I.C.C.  control  as  an  interurban,  Piedmont  &  North- 
ern fought  all  the  way  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court 
before  finally  giving  up  the  fruitless  battle  in 
1930.    1 


Piedmont  & 
Northern 
founder  and 
tobacco  tycoon 
James   Buchan- 
an "Buck" 
Duke.    Pied- 
mont & 
Northern 
Railway. 


With  a  uniformed  porter  in  attendance  at  the  step 
box,  this  two-car  P&N  train  was  ready  to  roll  over 
the  South  Carolina  Division.   The  parlor  car  Cataw- 
ba, once  a  handsome  open-platform  observation 
car,  had  suffered  the  installation  of  this  graceless 
solarium  rear  end  in  an  unfortunate  attempt  at  mod- 
ernization.   Piedmont  &  Northern  Railway. 


Headed  by  combine  No.  2101,  a  two-car 
train  roared  through  a  raw  cut  near  Lyman, 
S.  C,  in  1947.    Charles  A.  Brown. 


A  two-car  P&N  train  rolled  into  Spartanburg, 
at  the  northernmost  end  of  the  South  Carolina 
Division,  in  1947.    Charles  A.  Brown. 


ib  its  1 1 *  *  K   fe 


ssoo 


A  prospering  textile  industry  grew  up  in  the  Pied- 
mont Carolinas  along  with  the  Piedmont  &  North- 
ern. The  railway  claimed,  without  exaggeration,  "a 
mill  to  the  mile,"  and  its  freight  business  increased 
as  passenger  traffic  declined.   Freight  power  such  as 


118-ton,  16-wheeled  GE-built  No.  5611,  which 
wheeled  tonnage  through  a  deep  cut  near  Taylors, 
S.  C,  in  1947,  became  the  order  of  the  day  in  the 
final  years  of  the  line's  electric  operation. 
Charles  A.  Brown. 


136 


Summer  homes  and  cottages  at  Wrightsville  Beach,  N.  C,  were  right  handy  to  the 
tracks  of  the  Tidewater  Power  Company' s  14-mile  interurban  line  to  Wilmington. 
The  double  track  roadbed  substituted  for  a  street.    Car  No.  63  rolled  along  be- 
tween the  board  sidewalks  in  November  1938.    Robert  G.  Lewis. 

Atlanta's  Georgia  Power  Company,  which  operated  interurbans  to  nearby  Stone 
Mountain  and  Marietta,  followed  the  commendable,  if  rare,  practice  of  naming  its 
interurbans  after  distinguished  local  personages.  Finished  in  a  cheerful  red  and 
cream  livery,  the  Richard  Peters  (left)  met  the  A.  Stephens  Clay  on  the  Marietta 
line  in  1942.  Fitted  with  automatic  couplers  and  train  doors  for  multiple-unit 
operation,  they  were  unique  among  the  numerous  curved-side  lightweights 
turned  out  by  the  Cincinnati  Car  Company.   Stephen  D.  Maguire. 


137 


The  Interurban's  Midwest  Empire 


The  North  Central  States 


*~***m£^ 


138 


/w 


For  the  benefit  of  the  company  photographer,  one  of  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie's  new  lightweight 
cars  posed  at  Springfield,  O.,  in  1930  in  a  classic  tableau  of  trainside  activity.  Mayfield  Photos  Inc. 


139 


The  Interurban's  Midwest  Empire 


The  North  Central  States 


1HERE  WAS,  it  has  been  said  with  but  little 
exaggeration,  an  interurban  line  wrapped  around 
nearly  every  Indiana  county  courthouse.  The  Mid- 
west was  the  heartland  of  the  interurban,  and  here 
it  grew  in  its  greatest  profusion  and  purest  form. 
Within  the  five  East  North  Central  states  of  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Michigan,  Illinois,  and  Wisconsin  was  con- 
centrated some  7540  miles  of  interurban  railway  — 
better  than  40  per  cent  of  the  U.  S.  total.  Ohio  had 
a  greater  interurban  mileage  than  any  state  in  the 
Union,  and  Indiana  was  not  far  behind.  There  was 
hardly  a  major  city  in  either  state  that  was  not 
reached  by  at  least  one  interurban  line.  The  popula- 
tion centers  of  southern   Michigan  were  laced   to- 


gether with  an  equally  extensive  trolley  network. 
Illinois  ranked  fourth  in  national  interurban  mile- 
age, with  a  network  of  major  lines  radiating  from 
Chicago  and  the  greatest  of  all  Midwest  interur- 
bans  —  Congressman  McKinley's  Illinois  Traction 
System  —  slicing  through  central  Illinois  from  St. 
Louis  to  the  Indiana  border.  Wisconsin  alone  among 
Midwestern  states  east  of  the  Mississippi  lacked 
broad  electric  railway  development,  but  among  the 
few  Dairyland  interurbans  was  one  of  the  finest 
systems  of  the  entire  Midwest.  West  of  the  Mississip- 
pi Midwestern  interurban  development  was  less 
frequent,  except  in  Iowa,  where  flourished  some 
of    the    most    successful    of    all    U.  S.    interurbans. 


An  early  nighttime  photograph  at  the  Springfield  (O.)  interurban  depot  recorded 
in  dramatic  fashion  the  dashing  front  end  of  the  Indiana,  Columbus  &  Eastern 
Traction  Company's  interurban  No.  93.  Formed  in  1906  from  several  financial- 
ly distressed  lines,  the  IC&E  became  part  of  the  great  Ohio  Electric  Railway 
system  in  1907,  went  its  own  way  after  dismemberment  of  the  OE  in  1921,  and 
finally  became  part  of  the  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


140 


141 


Among  electric  railway  historians  are  some 
who   regard  the  Akron,   Bedford  &   Cleve- 
land  Railroad   as   the   first   real   interurban. 
Certainly  the  company's  35-mile  line  between 
Cleveland  and  Akron,  opened  in  1895,  two 
years  after  the  pioneer  Oregon  City  interurhan, 
was  among  the  earliest  of  the  major  interur- 
han systems.   Shortly  after  the  turn  of  the 
century  the  AB&C  became  part  of  the  Everett- 
Moore  syndicate's  Northern  Ohio  Traction  & 
Light  Company  that  ultimately  expanded  into 
one  of  the  major  Ohio  electric  railways,  with 
street   and   interurban   railway    operations 
throughout   much   of  northeastern   Ohio. 
Workmen  at  the  Canton  carbarn  posed  about 
1910  with  an  assorted  line-up  of  Northern 
Ohio   city   and   interurban   equipment. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


n^ph|Tf 


Despite  phenomenal  depression  deficits  the  Lake  Shore 
Electric  Railway,  one  of  the  most  important  Ohio  in- 
terurhans,  managed  to  keep  going  until  1918,  when  this 
big  Jewett  interurban  rumbled  through  the  streets  of 
Lakewood  to  Cleveland  on  the  last  day  of  operation.    In 
more  prosperous  days  LSE  did  a  big  excursion  business 
to  the  numerous  Lake  Erie  resorts  along  its  route  from 
Cleveland  to  Toledo,  and  through  cars  transported  long- 
distance passengers  all  the  way  to  Lima  and  Detroit  over 
connecting  electric  lines.    G.  R.  Boeddener. 


The  trainshed  in  this  1926  scene  is  at 
the  Northern  Ohio's  then  new  Akron 
terminal.    The  motor  bus  connection 
operated  a  direct  service  to  Youngs- 
town,  which  could  be  reached  from 
Akron  only  by  roundabout  interur- 
ban travel.    Dudley  S.  Weaver 
Collection. 


143 


Aside  from  the  Ohio  Electric  system,  Ohio's  larg- 
est interurban  was  the  Cleveland,  Southwestern  & 
Columbus  Railway,  which  operated  a  total  of  217 
miles  of  track  emanating  from  Cleveland  to  Wooster, 
Bucyrus,  and  Norwalk.  The  "Green  Line"  operated 
its  route  to  Norwalk  in  spirited  competition  with 
the  Lake  Shore  Electric  Railway,  which  also  reached 
the  city  from  Cleveland.  The  rivalry  led  to  a  re- 
markable race  between  the  two  interurbans  on 
December  11,  1903,  when  a  Norwalk  group  char- 
tered two  electric  cars,  one  from  each  line,  for  an 
excursion    to   Cleveland.     Each   of   the    lines    made 


elaborate  preparations  for  the  race,  and  the  chartered 
cars  were  given  right  of  way  over  all  other  move- 
ments. The  Southwestern  car  reached  Cleveland 
first,  requiring  only  an  hour  and  a  half  for  the  58- 
mile  trip,  45  minutes  faster  than  regular  limited 
schedules.  Delayed  by  a  broken  wire,  the  LSE  car 
lost  the  race,  although  its  actual  running  time  ex- 
cluding the  delay  was  10  minutes  better.  Ultimately, 
the  Lake  Shore's  faster  line  won  out  over  the  South- 
western, and  the  "Green  Line"  cut  its  route  back 
to  Oberlin  in  1924.  This  wrote  finis  to  a  traction  ver- 
sion of  the  Broadway  vs.  Century  races. 


Among  the  few  steel  cars  operated  by  the  Southwestern  were  a  half  dozen  of  these  heavy  37- 
ton,  62-foot  cars  of  a  design  peculiar  to  the  G.   C.   Kuhlman  Car   Company   of   Cleveland, 
which  manufactured  them  in  1919  for  service  on  the  company's  Southern  Division.    Freshly 
rebuilt  as  a  parlor  car  and  finished  in  new  orange,  blue,  and  ivory  colors.  No.  205  operated 
in  limited  train  service  from  Cleveland  to  Mansfield  and  Galion.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


In  an  early  scene  at  Seville  Junction  on  the  Southwestern 's  Southern  Division,  a  limited  car  is  en  route  to 
Cleveland  from  Bucyrus,  where  the  company  made  a  connection  for  Columbus.  Max  E.  Wilcox  Collection. 


Ohio's  only  third-rail  electric  line,  the  Scioto  Valley  Traction  Company,  op- 
erated interurban  routes  constructed  to  exceptionally   high  standards  from 
Columbus  to  Lancaster  and  Chillicothe.    Original  equipment  for  the  "Valley 
Route,"  such  as  1903  American  Car  &  Foundry  coach  104,  was  of  remarkably 
simple  lines  for  a  time  when  interurban  car  design  tended  to  the  ornate.    The 
60-foot  wooden  coach  seated  71  on  plain  cane-upholstered  seats.   Later  on,  Sci- 
oto Valley  Traction  bought  heavy  steel  cars  and  during  the  last  few  years  of  pas- 
senger operation  provided  several  parlor  car  limited  schedules  on  both  of  its  lines. 

O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


144 


■ 


■ 


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SOVTHH 


'■Mlliliiiiin 


^ 


145 


Operating  over  one  of  the  few  stretches  of 
electric  railway  actually  constructed  by  the 
company,   a   southbound   Ohio    Electric 
Toledo-Lima  local  loaded  passengers  on 
Keyser  Avenue  in  Deshler,  O.,  in  1910. 
John  A.  Rehor  Collection. 


Flanges  squealed  as  this  Ohio  Electric  ivood 
combine  negotiated  abrupt  track  curvature 
in  the  streets  of  Zanesville,  O.    The 
car  was  characteristic  of  hundreds  of 
its  contemporaries  on  the  interurban  prop- 
erties of  the  Midwestern  states.    Ste- 
phen D.  Maguire  Collection. 


Largest  of  all  the  Ohio  interurbans,  for  a  rela- 
tively brief  period  at  least,  was  the  Ohio  Electric 
Railway  system  organized  in  1907  by  the  Schoepf- 
McGowan  syndicate,  which  by  leases  and  new  con- 
struction assembled  a  network  of  over  600  miles  ex- 
tending from   the  Ohio  River  to  Lake  Erie,  west- 


ward to  Richmond  and  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  and  as 
far  east  as  Zanesville,  O.  In  the  years  following 
World  War  I  the  financially  distressed  OE  system 
began  to  fall  apart,  and  by  1921  all  of  its  various 
predecessor  companies  had  resumed  independent 
operation. 


146 


Red  Devils  in  the  Buckeye  State 

Beginning  with  the  reorganization  of  the  bank- 
rupt Cincinnati  &  Dayton  Traction  Company  as  the 
Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railway  in  1926,  the 
principal  lines  of  the  dismembered  Ohio  Electric 
Railway  system  were  reassembled  by  a  group  headed 
by  Dr.  Thomas  Conway  Jr.  The  CH&D  was  liberal- 
ly rebuilt,  new  equipment  was  purchased,  and  a 
greatly  expanded  freight  service  developed.  In  1930 
CH&D  was  joined  with  the  Indiana,  Columbus  & 
Eastern  Traction  Company  and  the  Lima-Toledo 
Railroad,  both  former  OE  lines,  to  form  the  Cin- 
cinnati &  Lake  Erie  Railroad,  which  extended  from 
Cincinnati  to  Toledo,  with  a  branch  from  Spring- 


field to  Columbus,  and  from  1931  to  1936  operated 
the  Dayton  &  Western  Traction  Company.  Twenty 
splendid  lightweight,  high-speed  cars  were  acquired 
for  new  limited  services,  and  such  innovations  as 
rail-highway  containers  were  adopted  for  the  sys- 
tem's important  l.c.l.  freight  operation.  Until  aban- 
donment of  the  Eastern  Michigan-Toledo  Railway  in 
1932,  such  C&LE  limiteds  as  the  Meteor,  the  Ar- 
roivhead,  and  the  Rocket  operated  in  through  Cin- 
cinnati-Detroit service  three  times  daily,  and  ex- 
tensive through  freight  services  were  operated  with 
connecting  electric  lines.  The  C&LE  experiment 
only  proved  the  hopelessness  of  the  interurbans' 
plight;  by  1932  the  system  was  in  receivership  and 
by  1939  its  interurban  lines  were  entirely  abandoned. 


This  most  famous  of  all  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  photographs  depicted  high-speed 
interurban  No.  126  during  the  course  of  a  race  with  an  airplane  staged  for  news- 
reel  cameras  near  Dayton  in  July  1930.    The  Cincinnati-built  car  attained  a 
reputed  speed  of  97  miles  per  hour  to  outdistance  the  plane.    This  and  similar 
publicity  stunts  served  to  introduce  the  new  C&LE  system  to  Ohioans  in  dra- 
matic fashion.   Mayfield  Photos  Inc. 


Medium-weight  equipment  delivered  by  the  G.  C,  Kuhlman  Car  Company  in  1927  for  the  Conway  rehabili- 


148 


tation  of  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  made  up  a  three-car  C&LE  train.    George  Krambles  Collection. 

149 


"The   comfortable   car   goes   kiting 
along  sounding  a  fish-horn  blast  like 
schooners  on  the  Grand  Banks,"  wrote 
Christopher  Morley  of  a  trip  over 
the  "Red  Electric."   A  "Red  Devil" 
sped  southbound  on  a  Cincinnati 
Limited  schedule  in  1937.    Alfred 
Seibel,  from  Jeffrey  K.  Winslow 
Collection. 


The  most  important  of  the  several  con- 
necting lines  between  the  electric  systems 
of  Ohio  and  Indiana   was  the  Dayton  & 
Western  Traction  Company,  a  link  in  a 
direct  route  between  Dayton  and  Indian- 
apolis.   During  the  company's  existence 
it  was   variously   under   control  of  the 
Ohio  Electric  Railway,  the  Cincinnati  & 
Lake  Erie,  and  finally  the  Indiana  Railroad, 
with  a  few  periods  of  independent  op- 
eration.  This  freshly  overhauled  train  was 
some  of  the  equipment  employed  in  the 
company's  through  Buckeye  Special  and 
Hoosier  Special  service  between  Dayton  and 
Indianapolis,  operated  jointly  with  the 
connecting  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  & 
Eastern.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


150 


Mi/?! 


$-■*; 


S$ 


Among  the  more  obscure  Ohio  interurbans  was 
the   Hoc  king-Sunday   Creek   Traction    Company, 
operating  a   I 5-mile  line  between  Athens  and 
Nelsonville  in  the  coal  country   of  southeastern 
Ohio.   A  planned  extension  to  a  junction  with  the 
Scioto  Valley  Traction  Company  at  Lancaster  never 
materialized,  and  the  little  line  remained  isolated 
from  the  remainder  of  the  state  s  electric  railway 
network.    Unlike  the  majority  of  Midwestern  in- 
terurbans, the  company  employed  equipment  of  the 
street  railway  type.    No.  14,  on  a  trestle  midway 
between  the  two  terminals,  was  typical.  Charles 
Goethe  Collection. 

Toledo,  with  no  less  than  10  inter  urban  lines  radiat- 
ing in  every  direction,  was  among  the  leading  Mid- 
western interurban  centers.    Longest  lived  of  the 
Toledo  lines,  and  indeed,  one  of  the  most  enduring 
of  all  Ohio  interurbans,  was  Toledo,  Port  Clinton  & 
Lakeside  Railway.  TPC&L  extended  eastward  on  the 
Marblehead  peninsula  to  Marblehead  and  Bay  Point, 
where  a  connection  was  made  with  Lake  Erie  steam- 
ers operating  to  the  Cedar  Point  resort  and  Sandus- 
ky.   Remnants  of  the  system  survived  until  1958  as 
the  freight-only  Toledo  &  Eastern  Railroad.    When 
Niles  coach  No.  6  was  photographed  at  Port  Clinton 
in  the  late  '30's,  the  company  was  known  as  the 
Ohio  Public  Service  Company.    Hayden   Alford 
Collection. 


151 


The  exquisitely  furnished  and  detailed  Martha,  Union 
Tractions  official  car,  was  employed  only  for  the  most  im- 
portant of  occasions.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 

Rarely  was  interurban  equipment  more  magnificent  than 
that  of  Union  Tractions  Hoosierland  of  1925,  headed  by 
the  new  steel  combine  Fort  Wayne,  finished  in  a  deep  red. 

O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 

Stately  Cars  in  Hoosierland 

The  first  —  and  the  largest  —  of  the  great  Indiana 
interurban  systems  was  that  of  the  Union  Traction 
Company,  which  operated   over  400  miles  of  line 
in   central   Indiana   radiating   northeast   and    north 
from    Indianapolis.     The    Union    Traction    system 
was  initially  conceived  by  Charles  L.  Henry  of 
Anderson,  the  "father  of  the  interurban,"  who  de- 
veloped plans  for  an  interurban  linking  Anderson 
with    Muncie,   Marion,   and    Indianapolis   in    1892. 
The  panic  of  1893  prevented  the  immediate  start  of 
construction,  and  it  was  not  until  1898  that  the  first 
car  operated  over  11  miles  of  track  between  Ander- 
son and  Alexandria.    The  initial  cars  developed  by 
Union  Traction  largely  established  the  arrangement 
that  was   to  become   typical  of  Midwestern   inter- 
urban equipment,  and  the  company  was  among  the 
first  (in  1913)  to  acquire  all-steel  equipment.    The 
company's   powerhouse   at   Anderson   was   the   first 
to  employ  a  three-phase  distribution  system.    Power 
was  generated   and   distributed   from   Anderson   at 
15,000   volts   to   substations   about    12    miles   apart, 
where  transformers  and  rotary  converters  changed 
it  to  600-volt  D.C.  for  the  trolley  wire,  an  arrange- 
ment that  was  to  become  virtually  standard  for  in- 
terurban operation.  Parlor-buffet  cars  were  provided 
on   a    few   of   the  chief   Union   Traction   routes, 
and  the  company's  timecard  listed  such  memorable 
interurban   name   trains  as   the   Marion   Flyer,   the 
Kokomo  Traveler,  and  the  Muncie  Meteor. 


152 


153 


The  Indianapolis  &  Louisville  Traction  Company,  which  formed  the  Seymour-Sellersburg  (hid.)  link 
in  the  route  between  the  two  cities,  was  the  first  interurban  to  actually  begin  operation  with  the 
newly  developed  1200-volt  D.C.  electrification  system.    Since  equipment  of  the  other  two  lines  in 
the  route  was  capable  of  operation  on  600-volt   current  only,   Indianapolis  &  Louisville  Traction 
cars  were  used  exclusively  for  the  celebrated  Dixie  Flyer  and  Hoosier  Flyer  through  limited  sched- 
ules installed  in  1908.   Niles  interurbans  provided  the  initial  service.    General  Electric  Company. 


Late  in  1907,  with  the  completion  of  the  Indianap- 
olis &  Louisville  Traction  Company,  a  through  in- 
terurban routing  over  the  rails  of  three  independent 
electric  lines  became  available  between  the  two 
cities.    The  southernmost  portion  of  the  route  rep- 


resented one  of  utilities  baron  Samuel  Insull's  first 
ventures  into  electric  railways,  and  by  1912  Insull 
had  acquired  control  of  the  entire  route,  which  then 
became  known  as  the  Interstate  Public  Service 
Company. 


In  Dixie  Flyer  service,  this  Interstate  train  included  a  Cincinnati  combine  and  the 
parlor-buffet  car  Jeffersonville.    O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


r, 


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FIJYJEK 


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During  the  '20's  the  Insull  management  initiated 
an  equipment  program  for  the  Interstate  that  in- 
cluded thorough  rebuilding  of  many  existing  cars 
and  acquisition  of  some  of  the  finest  examples  of 
heavy  steel  interurban  car  construction  ever  produced. 
Among  them  ivere  a  half  dozen  parlor-buffet  cars 
which  operated  five  daily  round  trips  on  the  Dixie 
and  Hoosier  Flyers,  and  three  sleepers  for  an  over- 
night service  between  Indianapolis  and  Louisville. 
Since  it  was  hardly  possible  to  spend  the  entire  night 
on  the  117-mile  journey,  the  sleepers  were  placed  in 
sidings  along  the  route  during  the  night  and  brought 
into  the  terminals  on  the  first  train  in  the  morning. 
A  new  steel  combine,  a  rebuilt  coach,  a  sleeper,  and 
a  parlor-buffet  car  respectively  were  included  in 
the  line-up  for  this  publicity  photograph.   O.  F.  Lee 
Collection. 


In  1925  the  large  traction  holdings  of  the  Insull  in- 
terests in  northern  and  central  Indiana  were  further 
expanded  with  the  purchase  of  the  Indiana  Service 
Corporation.    In  common  with  other  Insull  inter- 
urban  acquisitions,  ISC  received  extensive  improve- 
ments, including  heavy  steel  cars  to  re-equip  prin- 
cipal schedules.  Among  them  were  the  magnificent 
cars  in  this  1926  photograph.   Both  the  combine  and 
the  parlor-buffet  car  Little  Turtle,  newly  delivered 
by  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company,  were  employed  in 
the  Wabash  Valley  Flyer  service  operated  between 
Fort  Wayne  and  Indianapolis  via  Peru  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Union  Traction  Company.    IT  pro- 
vided equivalent  equipment  for  the  similar  jointly 
operated  Hoosierland  service  via  Bluff  ton.   These 
and  other  imperious  ISC  "flyer"  schedules  deigned 
to  stop  only  at  county  seats  and  points  of  similar 
importance.     George    Krambles    Collection. 


155 


The  oldest  portion  of  the  Indianapolis-Louisville 
route  was  the  Indianapolis,  Columbus  &  Southern 
Traction  Company,  which  on  the  first  day  of  the 
new  century  had  operated  the  first  interurban  car 
ever  to  reach  Indianapolis.    The  triumphal  arrival 
was  not  without  difficulty,  for  the  big  interurban 
proved  to  be  too  wide  to  clear  the  overhead  poles 
located  in  the  center  of  the  street.  In  order  to  squeeze 


the  car  by,  workmen  had  to  remove  its  handrails, 
and  passengers  were  obliged  to  shift  to  the  far  side 
of  the  car.  Further  complications  arose  when  the  in- 
terurban reached  the  Belt  Railroad.    The  car  was 
forced  to  jump  the  rails,  since  the  crossing  had  not 
yet  been  installed.  The  company's  No.  21,  a  hand- 
some Pullman  green  coach,  is  shown  in  Indianapolis 
streets.   William  D.  Middleton  Collection. 


Less  altered  than  most  cars  under  the  THI&E  modernization  program  was  No.  29,  the  Hendricks,  seen 

taking  the  curve  at  Market  and  Capitol  in  Indianapolis.    Despite  scuffs  and  abrasions  of  long  years  of 

service,  the  car  still  bore  an  air  of  dignity  lent  by  the  classic  Gothic  lines  of  its  Cincinnati  builders. 

Jeffrey  K.  Winslow  Collection. 


156 


Most  interurbans  were  constructed  for  motives  of 
profit  to  their  stockholders,  hut  the  Winona  Inter- 
urban  Railway ,  which  operated  between  Goshen 
and  Peru,  Ind.,  was  devoted  to  more  lofty  objectives. 
The  railway  was  constructed  by  the  Winona  As- 
sembly and  Summer  School  Session,  and  its  profits 
went  to  the  operation  of  a  trade  school  for  the  ed- 
ucation of  underprivileged  children.    During  the 
company's  early  years  its  hidebound  directors  re- 
fused to  operate  on  Sundays,  and  not  until  bond- 


holders brought  suit,  alleging  that  the  policy  had 
caused  the  road  to  fail  to  meet  interest  payments, 
did  they  relent.    To  operate  a  new  Goshen-lndian- 
apolis  through  service  with  the  Union  Traction 
Company  in  1910,  the  Winona  acquired  a  pair  of 
named  wooden  Jewett  interurbans  of  the  parabolic- 
nosed  "u'indsplitter"  design.  The  Warsaw  is  shown 
here  stuck  tight  in  drifts  not  far  from  its  name- 
sake city  during  the  big  snow  of  1918.  Van  Dusen 
Collection. 


Among  Indiana  interurbans  the  Terre  Haute,  In- 
dianapolis &  Eastern  Traction  Company  was  second 
in  size  only  to  Union  Traction.  Formation  of 
THI&E  was  begun  in  1907,  and  by  the  time  the 
system  was  completed  in  1912,  its  lines  extended 
from  Paris,  111.,  across  central  Indiana  almost  to  the 
Ohio  border.  The  Terre  Haute-Paris  branch  fell 
only  20  miles  short  of  a  connection  with  William  B. 
McKinley's  Illinois  Traction  System,  which  would 
have  permitted  continuous  electric  travel  all  the 
way  to  St.  Louis  and  Peoria,  but  the  break  was 
never  closed.  A  plan  for  a  more  direct  connecting 
line  from  Crawfordsville  to  Danville,  111.,  also  was 
unfulfilled,  although  the  idea  was  kept  alive  until 
as  late  as  1928.    Never  a  particularly  profitable  in- 


terurban,  THI&E  was  unable  to  follow  the  example 
of  the  other  major  Indiana  electrics,  which  invested 
in  heavy  steel  rolling  stock  for  their  principal  sched- 
ules during  the  '20's.  Instead,  the  company  began 
a  sweeping  modernization  program  for  its  hetero- 
geneous roster  of  elderly  wooden  rolling  stock  for 
service  on  such  celebrated  THI&E  limiteds  as  the 
Highlander,  the  Tecutnseh  Arrow,  and  the  Ben-Hur 
Special,  the  last  named  for  the  protagonist  of  the 
famous  novel  written  by  Gen.  Lew  Wallace  of  Craw- 
fordsville. A  splashy  chrome  yellow  and  black  col- 
or scheme  was  applied  and  the  cars  were  given 
names  selected  to  honor  the  territory  served,  its  in- 
stitutions, distinguished  historical  figures,  and  oc- 
casionally a  deceased  company  executive. 


The  abrupt  decline  of  the  Indiana  interurbans 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  '20's  presented  Samuel 
Insull's  Midland  United  Corporation  with  an  op- 
portunity to  carry  forward  a  grand  plan  for  a  uni- 
fied Indiana  interurban  network. The  earliest  Insull 
interest  in  Hoosier  traction  properties  dated  to  1903, 
but  not  until  the  mid-'20's  were  his  Indiana  hold- 
ings greatly  expanded.  Union  Traction  went  into 
receivership  in  1925,  and  after  acquiring  the  system 
for  a  bargain  price  in  1930,  Midland  United  was  able 
to  use  it  as  the  heart  of  a  consolidation  of  the  Insull 
lines  into  the  remarkable  Indiana  Railroad  system. 
The  lines  of  the  Indiana  Service  Corporation  and 
the  Northern  Indiana  Power  Company  extended 
IRR  domination  throughout  much  of  north  central 
Indiana  and  to  points  north  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  the 
Indianapolis-Louisville  line  of  the  Interstate  carried 
the  new  system  to  the  Ohio  River.  The  Fort  Wayne- 
Lima  Railroad  was  operated  under  IRR  supervision, 
but  remained  independent.  The  purchase  of  the 
bankrupt  THI&E  in  1931  added  trackage  extending 
across  the  breadth  of  central  Indiana,  and  for  a  few 
years  after  1936  the  lease  of  the  Dayton  &  Western 
carried  IRR  into  Ohio. 

An  ambitious  program  was  evolved  for  modern- 
ization of  the  Indiana  system.  Weak  and  clearly 
hopeless  lines  were  abandoned  forthwith,  while 
major  improvements  were  planned  for  those  which 
were  thought  to  have  a  future.  New  equipment, 
track  and  power  improvements,  belt  lines  and  re- 
routings,  and  reduction  of  excessive  curves  and 
grades  were  all  part  of  the  contemplated  program. 
An  ultimate  aim  of  IRR  management  was  to 
straighten  and  improve  the  system's  major  trunk 
routes  to  permit  the  operation  of  standard  steam  rail- 
road freight  equipment.  The  most  immediate  IRR 
improvements  were  new  schedules  that  were  better 
co-ordinated  than  those  of  the  previously  independ- 
ent companies,  and  by  the  summer  of  1931  a  million- 
dollar    investment    in    35    magnificent    lightweight, 


In  depression  times  IRR  traffic  was  only  rarely  suf- 
ficient to  require  multiple-unit  operation  of  the  line's 
lightweight  cars.  A  three-car  train  was  photographed 
at  Rock  Cut,  west  of  Greencastle,  on  a  railroad  en- 
thusiast excursion.  George  Krambles  Collection. 


high-speed  cars  went  into  service  on  the  principal  In- 
dianapolis-Louisville and  Indianapolis-Fort  Wayne 
lines.  Another  half  million  was  spent  for  power  sup- 
ply and  track  improvements  on  the  same  lines. 
Freight  traffic  was  aggressively  solicited,  and  in  1933 
drastic  passenger  fare  reductions  were  made.  In 
1936  older  steel  equipment  was  refurbished  and  con- 
verted to  one-man  operation. 

But  modernization  of  the  Indiana  system  started 
too  late.  Even  as  the  system  was  being  formed 
the  nation  was  plunging  into  a  deepening  depres- 
sion. The  Insull  utilities  empire  collapsed  in  1932, 
before  the  needed  Indiana  Railroad  improvements 
had  barely  been  started.  By  1933  the  IRR  was  in 
receivership,  and  only  once  in  its  existence  —  in 
1936  —  did  the  system  show  a  profit.  From  a  brief 
peak  of  over  800  miles  of  track  Indiana  Railroad 
mileage  rapidly  declined  as  line  after  line  was  given 
up,  and  after  barely  a  decade  of  operation  the  last 
IRR  passenger  service  was  ended  in  1941,  on  the 
eve  of  World  War  II. 


***V 


i#- 


Southbound  to  Louisville  as  the  Dixie  Flyer,  In- 
diana Railroad  lightweight  No.  68  took  a  sharp 
curve  at  Sellersburg,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Ohio 
River.    Barney  Neuberger  Collection. 


158 


In  1935  IRR  secured  two  Railway  Post  Office  contracts,  between  Fort  Wayne-New 
Castle  and  Indianapolis-Peru,  given  up  by  the  Nickel  Plate  Railroad.   To  operate 
the  service  four  former  Indiana  Service  Corporation  combines  were  rebuilt  with 
RPO  compartments.  A  fan  excursion  brought  the  376  to  the  White  River 
bridge  near  Anderson.  The  Union  Traction  name  was  still  visible  on  the  bridge. 


159 


The  company's  glittering  parlor  car  7500,  available  for  official  duties  or  charter  service,  was 
fitted  with  deep  solarium  windows  at  the  front  end  and  this  elegant  observation  platform 
at  the  rear.   George  Krambles  Collection. 


Detroit  United's  finest  line  was  the  Detroit,  Mon- 
roe &  Toledo  Short  Line,  built  with  a  maximum 
grade  of  1  per  cent  and  standards  of  curvature 
which  obviated  speed  restrictions.   The  line  was  well 
graded  and  track  was  laid  with  70-pound  rail  and 
rock  ballast.  About  half  of  the  route  was  double 
tracked,  and  grade  crossings  with  other  railways 
were  avoided.   Beginning  in  1911  frequent  through 
limited  service  was  operated  between  Detroit  and 
Cleveland  over  the  connecting  Lake  Shore  Electric 
Railway,  and  for  a  few  years  after  1930  through 
Detroit-Cincinnati  cars  were  operated  with  the  new 
C&LE.    Rebuilt  Kuhlman  steel  car  8005  was  operated 
in  a  de  luxe,  reserved-seat  chair-car  service  between 
Detroit  and  Toledo  installed  during  the  mid-'20's. 
George  Krambles  Collection. 


The  large  interurban  system  of  the  Detroit 
United  Railways,  which  was  assembled  in  1901  by 
the  Everett-Moore  syndicate  from  a  wide  variety  of 
predecessor  companies,  radiated  from  the  city  in  all 
directions  and  even  had  a  Canadian  affiliate,  the 
Sandwich,  Windsor  &  Amherstburg  Railway,  which 
operated  along  the  Ontario  shore  of  the  Detroit 
River.  Detroit  was  one  of  the  earliest  traction  cen- 
ters, and  almost  all  of  its  interurban  lines  were  built 
in  the  '90's  or  the  first  few  years  of  the  new  century. 
Detroit  also,  of  course,  became  one  of  the  early 
automobile  centers,  and  its  interurbans  turned  out 
to  be  some  of  the  first  casualties  among  major  Mid- 
western systems. 


Detroit  United  car  7794  made  a  special  trip  over  branch-line  trackage  which  was  an  extreme  example  of 
the  meandering,  hill-and-dale,  roadside  variety  of  interurban  construction.    BARNEY  NEl'BERGER  Collection. 


161 


In  the  areas  west  and  north  of  the  territory  served 
by  the  Detroit  United  system,  extensive  interurban 
operations  were  conducted  by  the  Michigan  Rail- 
ways system,  whose  main  routes  north  from  Flint 
and  Jackson,  and  west  from  Jackson,  served  as  ex- 
tensions of  the  Detroit  system.  The  company,  whose 
corporate  structure  and  history  were  among  the 
most  involved  in  Midwestern  traction,  was  distin- 
guished by  a  large  mileage  of  third-rail  track  and 
by  some  notable  —  though  generally  unsuccessful  — 
experiments  in  high  voltage,  direct  current  systems. 
Several  of  the  Michigan  Railways'  main  routes 
were  constructed  to  some  of  the  highest  standards 
in  the  industry,  and  the  company  was  among  the 
earliest  to  make  wide  use  of  steel  equipment.  At 
one  time  the  Michigan  Railways  entertained  am- 
bitions of  an  electric  line  across  the  state  connecting 
Kalamazoo  with  a  Lake  Michigan  port  or,  even  bet- 
ter, with  Chicago.  For  this  purpose  the  company  in 
1911  leased  a  steam  railroad,  the  Kalamazoo,  Lake 
Shore  &  Chicago,  which  reached  South  Haven  on 
Lake  Michigan  and  connected  with  the  Benton  Har- 
bor-St.  Joe  interurban  at  Paw  Paw  Lake  Junction. 
Plans  to  electrify  the  line  were  never  carried  out, 
and  after  five  years  of  operation  with  steam  equip- 
ment, the  lease  was  given  up. 


These  splendid  Niles  interurbans  were  operated  by  Michigan  Railways  in  through  Bay  City- 
Detroit  service.   From  Bay  City  to  Flint  the  journey  was  made  over  the  company's  Northeast- 
ern Division,  which  employed  both  overhead  trolley  and  third-rail  power  distribution,  while  the 
remainder  of  the  trip  was  made  over  Detroit  United  rails.  George  Krambles  Collection. 


One  of  the  most  magnificently  engineered  lines 
of  the  interurban  era  was  the  Michigan  Railways' 
Western  Division,  which  opened  a  50-mile  main 
line  between  Kalamazoo  and  Grand  Rapids  in  1915. 
Track  was  built  on  a  100-foot-wide  private  right 
of  way  and  laid  with  80-pound  rail,  with  a  maximum 
curvature  of  3  degrees  and  maximum  grades  of  1 
per  cent.  Rural  portions  of  the  line  were  provided 
with  a  unique  2400-volt  D.C.  third-rail  system.  So 
extreme  was  the  resulting  safety  hazard  that  passen- 
gers at  way  stations  were  loaded  from  enclosed  floor 
level  "safety  platforms"  which  have  been  described 
as  reminiscent  of  cattle  pens.  Conductors  unlocked 
a  switch  lock  to  drop  the  front  side  of  the  en- 
closure, which  formed  a  bridge  between  the  plat- 
form and  the  car  floor  for  boarding  passengers.  Even 
more  serious  were  the  frequent  cases  of  an  arc 
striking    from   the    third    rail   to    journal    boxes. 


This  burned  away  the  box  and  then  the  end  of 
the  axle.  To  extinguish  the  arc  motormen  laid  a 
metal  bar  between  the  third  rail  and  a  running  rail, 
which  short-circuited  the  power  feed  and  tripped 
the  substation  breakers,  killing  the  power  supply  on 
the  line.  After  a  year  of  such  difficulties,  the  line 
was  converted  to  1200-volt  power.  A  44-mile  branch 
between  Allegan  and  Battle  Creek,  purchased  from 
the  Michigan  Central,  was  similarly  electrified.  The 
Kalamazoo-Grand  Rapids  main  line  was  designed 
for  maximum  speeds  of  90  miles  per  hour,  and  even 
though  actual  maximum  speeds  were  lower  than 
this  figure,  the  line  was  one  of  the  fastest  of  all  in- 
terurbans. "Flyer"  schedules  between  the  two  cities 
covered  the  50-mile  route  in  1  hour  10  minutes, 
and  for  several  years  during  the  '20's  the  company 
was  among  the  top  five  in  the  U.  S.  in  the  annual 
Electric  Traction  speed  trophy  competition. 


On  display  in  Grand  Rapids  for  a  1922  convention  is  one  of  the  seven  huge  coach-parlor-obser- 
vation cars  delivered  in  1914-1915  by  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company  for  limited  service  over  the 
Western  Division.    Weighing  70  tons,  and  over  67  feet  in  length,  they  were  the  heaviest  inter- 
urban cars  ever  built.    Although  of  all-steel  construction,  they  were  provided  with  scribed 
sides  to  simulate  wood  siding.    George  Krambles  Collection. 


162 


^UjW  Ct 


J' 


^?M' 


The  only  connection  between  Michigan  and  the 
traction  network  of  Indiana  was  provided  by  the 
Southern  Michigan  Railway,  which  operated  from 
South  Bend  to  St.  Joseph,  Mich.   In  1914  the  com- 
pany was  among  those  that  joined  in  the  operation  of 
the  new  Cannonball  Express,  an  overnight  inter- 
urban  fast  freight  which  operated  between  Indian- 


apolis and  Benton  Harbor,  where  a  connection 
was  made  with  Chicago  steamships.  Brand  new 
from  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company,  interurban  No.  304 
passed  through  Niles,  Mich.,  in  1906  on  one  of  the 
first  through  trips  over  the  newly  completed  line 
between  South  Bend  and  St.  Joseph.    George 
Krambles  Collection. 


-   -J 


V 


**»gv^ v.^a 


The  Rock  Island  Southern  Railway,  whose  main 
line  between  Rock  Island  and  Monmouth,  III., 
opened  in  1910,  employed  steam  power  for  freight 
trains,  but  the  W'estinghouse  single-phase  alternat- 
ing current  system  was  installed  for  passenger  trains. 
RIS  was  the  last  interurban  to  begin  operation  with 
an  alternating  current  poiver  system,  which  by  this 
time  had  proven  considerably  less  satisfactory  than 


the  direct  current  systems  then  available.   Six  big 
Niles   "Electric   Pullmans,"  acquired  secondhand 
from  Washington,  Haiti  more  &  Annapolis,  operated 
the  infrequent  passenger  schedules.    Here,  one  of 
them  crosses  the  Pope  Creek  trestle.   The  electrifica 
lion  was  junked  in  1926,  but  steam  freight  opera- 
tion continued  for  another  quarter  century.    Wil- 
liam D.  Miudleton  Collection. 


165 


To  Green  and  Rural  Places 

Among  the  finest  of  Midwest  traction  properties 
was  the  elaborate  system  of  The  Milwaukee  Elec- 
tric Railway  &  Light  Company,  which  between  1896 
and  1909  constructed  some  200  miles  of  high-speed 
interurban  routes  running  from  Milwaukee  to  Ke- 
nosha, Burlington,  East  Troy,  and  Watertown,  Wis. 
The  Milwaukee  Northern  Railway,  which  com- 
pleted a  line  north  along  Lake  Michigan  to  Sheboy- 
gan in   1908,  was  merged  with  TMER&L  in  1928. 


Projected  Milwaukee  Electric  extensions  to  Chi- 
cago, Lake  Geneva,  Beloit,  Madison,  and  Fond  du 
Lac  were  never  built;  instead,  most  were  eventually 
reached  with  joint  rail-bus  services.  In  1922  the 
company  began  a  massive  improvement  program  for 
its  interurban  lines,  expending  in  the  vicinity  of 
6  million  dollars  before  the  depression  finally  halted 
work.  A  superb  new  rapid-transit  right  of  way  was 
built  for  the  interurban  routes  from  the  west,  bring- 
ing them  within  a  few  blocks  of  the  company's 
downtown  Milwaukee  terminal.  To  the  south  a  new 


166 


The  Milwaukee  Northern's  Lake  Shore  Limited  was 
one  of  several  extra-fare,  parlor  car  limited  schedules 
installed  by  the  company  in  a  1923  burst  of  com- 
petitive spirit.    Close  connections  were  made  at  Mil- 
waukee with  the  North  Shore  Line's  parlor  and  din- 
ing car  limited  trains  to  Chicago.    With  but  one 
scheduled  stop  en  route,  the  MN  limiteds  covered  the 
57  miles  to  Sheboygan  in  only  1  hour  39  minutes, 
despite  extended  street  running  in  Milwaukee. 
State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin. 


Deck-roofed  TMER&L  interurban  No.  1101 
is  seen  operating  on  the  line  to  Oconomowoc 
and  Water  town  shortly  after  the  line's  con- 
version in  1910  to  the  1200-volt  D.C.  system 
from  the  unsatisfactory  3300-volt  single-phase 
A.C.  power  supply  originally  provided. 
During  the  company's  great  improvement 
program  of  the  '20's,  cars  of  this  type  were 
rebuilt  into  the  handsome  cars  of  entirely  dis- 
similar appearance  shown  on  the  next  few 
pages.   General  Electric  Company. 


101  2-mile  belt  line  around  South  Milwaukee  and 
Cudahy  cut  30  minutes  from  timings  on  the  route 
to  Racine  and  Kenosha.  A  similar  project  on  the 
Sheboygan  line  and  a  half-mile  subway  into  the 
terminal  from  the  western  route  were  both  started 
in  1930  but  were  never  completed.  Elsewhere  on 
the  system  the  original  interurban  lines  were  recon- 
structed with  heavier  rail  and  new  ballast.  Block 
signals  were  installed  and  the  system's  power  sup- 
ply improved.  Forty-one  interurban  passenger  cars 
were    completely    rebuilt    in    company    shops,    re- 


ceiving new  motors,  trucks,  and  controls.  Exterior 
appearance  of  the  cars  was  completely  altered,  and 
interiors  were  refinished  and  fitted  with  new  leather 
bucket  seats.  Eight  secondhand  steel  cars  were 
rebuilt  into  84-passenger  articulated  units,  and  a 
few  new  steel  cars  were  purchased  or  manufactured 
in  company  shops,  including  a  pair  of  articulated 
coach-diner  units  for  through  limited  service  be- 
tween Kenosha,  Racine,  Milwaukee,  and  Water- 
town,  where  a  Madison  bus  connection  was 
provided. 


Work  was  still  under  way  on  the  Milwaukee  Electric's  new  rapid-transit  route  to 
West  Junction  when  this  rebuilt  motor  car  and  trailer  came  out  of  the  shops  for 
a  1926  inspection  trip.    Car  1111  was  soon  nicknamed  the  Four  Aces  by  crews. 
State  Historical  Society  of  Wisconsin. 

West  of  the  city  proper.  Milwaukee  Electric  interurbans  shared  their  superb  rapid-transit  right  of  u.n 
with  the  company's  massive  high-tension  towers,  resulting  in  some  impressive  scenes  of  heavy-duty 
electric  railroading.    The  single  car  in  this  scene,  1119,  was  eastbound  at  40th  Street  in  1948. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


169 


One  of  the  articulated  "duplex"  units  rebuilt  by  TMER&L  shops  from  conventional  equipment  in  1929 
crossed  the  substantial  steel  structure  that  carried  the  rapid-transit  route  over  the  Menomonee  River 
and  the  Milwaukee  Road  main  line.    William  D.  Middleton. 


170 


Among  the  extensively  rebuilt 
Milwaukee  Electric  inter ur bans 
of  the  '20's  were  four  of  these 
parlor-observation  cars  for  lim- 
ited train  service  on  the  Racine- 
Kenosha  and  Watertown  lines. 
The  Mendota  was  rebuilt  in  1 924 
from  a  coach  almost  identical  in 
appearance  to  that  shown  on 
page  167.   In  1941  the  Mendota 
was  sold  to  the  London  &  Port 
Stanley  in  Ontario,  but  is  now 
back  in  home  territory  in  the 
ownership  of  a  Chicago  histori- 
cal group.    To  accommodate  ex- 
tremes in  Great  Lakes  weather, 
TM  cars  were  fitted  with  re- 
movable screens  and  storm 
windows.    George   Krambles 
Collection. 


Inbound  from  Hales  Corners  in 
1949,  a  Milwaukee  Electric  in- 
terurban  crossed  over  the 
Chicago  &  North  Western  at 
West  Junction  on  a  bridge  that 
was  clearly  constructed  to  accom- 
modate future  multiple  track. 
The  structure  was  part  of  a 
mile-long  cutoff  completed  in 
1927  which  afforded  Burlington 
and  East  Troy  interurbans  ac- 
cess to  the  new  rapid-transit 
entry  to  Milwaukee,  cutting  23 
minutes  from  previous  running 
times  via  city  streets.   Wil- 
liam D.  Middleton. 


The  two  near  tracks  west  of 
Soldiers  Home  carried  interur- 
ban  traffic,  while  the  remainder 
accommodated  West  Allis  local 
cars.    The   W aukesha-bound  car 
appeared  in  the  Milwaukee 
Electric' S    bright    yellow   and 
green  postwar  color  scheme, 
which  replaced  the  more  digni- 
fied Pullman  green  with  yellow 
trim   of  ear  Her    years.    WIL- 
LIAM D.  Middleton. 


171 


Y? 


«mti£J 


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sam 


Southbound  from  Port  Washington  on  the  last 
day  of  operation  of  former  Milwaukee  Northern 
trackage  in  1 948,  a  Milwaukee  Electric  inter  urban 
rumbled  across  the  Milwaukee  River  bridge  near 
Grafton,  providing  the  scene  for  what  is  among 
the  finest  of  all  Milwaukee  Electric  photographs. 
These  through  truss  spans  were  nearly  100  years 
old.  They  were  built  in  the  WW's  for  the  Michi- 
gan Central  Railroad  and  were  purchased  second- 
hand for  $5722  by  the  MN  in  1906.   GEORGE 
Krambles. 


Following  World  War  II,  TMER&L's  Waukesha  and  Hales 
Corners  routes,  all  that  remained  of  the  original  W atertown, 
East  Troy,  and  Burlington  lines,  were  operated  briefly  by 
two  bus  companies  before  becoming  the  Milwaukee  Rapid 
Transit  &  Speedrail  Company  in  1949.  The  Speedrail  effort 
to  rebuild  the  property  into  a  profitable  concern  ended 
ignomiuiously  with  a  disastrous  wreck  in  1950,  bankruptcy, 
and  final  abandonment  in  1951.   Lightweight  cars  operated 
most  of  the  schedules  under  Speedrail  management.    This 
Cincinnati  car  departing  from  the  Milwaukee  terminal,  in- 
terestingly enough,  had  replaced  heavy  steel  cars  on  the 
Indianapolis  &  Southeastern  in  1929,  which  were  then  re- 
built into  articulated  units  by  Milwaukee  Electric.    After 
passing  through  the  hands  of  two  Ohio  companies  in  the  in- 
tervening 20  years,  the  lightweights  turned  up  in  Milwau- 
kee in  1949  to  again  displace  the  same  heavyweight  equip- 
ment.  William  D.  Middleton. 


173 


:.  w  rtti 


This  particularly  attractive  interurban,   built  by  Cin- 
cinnati in  1908,  operated  over  the  Sheboygan  Light,  Pow- 
er &  Railway  Company's  interurban  line  to  Plymouth 
and  Elkhart  Lake,  the  northernmost  point  from  Chicago 
that  could  be  reached  by  continuous  electric  travel.  The 
photograph  was  taken  at  the  Sheboygan  depot.   Frank  E. 
Butts  Collection. 


Traction  on  the  Iron  Range 

One  of  Greyhound's  earliest  victims  was  the 
little-known  Mesaba  Electric  Railway,  which 
opened  a  35-mile  line  across  the  Missabe  Range 
of  northern  Minnesota  in   1913.    The  well- 
constructed   line   between   Hibbing  and   Gil- 
bert employed  70-pound  rail  and  gravel  bal- 
last, and  cars  were  provided  with  a  cab  signal 
system.    In  deference  to  the  Minnesota  winters, 
the  composite  wood  and  steel  cars  delivered 
by  Niles  were  built  with  double  side  walls 
artel  fitted  with  storm  sash.   Unfortunately,  the 
small   livery    service   that   was    the   earliest 
forerunner  of  the  Greyhound  Lines  bus  sys- 
tem got  its  start  in  Hibbing  only  a  year  after 
the  Mesaba  Railway  opened  and  no  doubt  was 
a  factor  in  the  interurban' s  early  demise 
in  1927.   Franklin  A.  King  Collection. 

Twin  City  Rapid  Transit's  half  dozen  express 
steamers,  like  almost  all  of  its  passenger  cars, 
were  built  in  the  Snelling  shops.   As  can  be 
seen  in  this  photograph  of  the  Hopkins,  cabin 
design  on  the  steamers  bore  a  family  resem- 
blance to  that  of  the  company's  electric  cars. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


In  addition  to  purely  streetcar  services  in  Minnesota's  twin 
cities  of  Minneapolis  and  St.  Paul,  the  Twin  City  Rapid 
Transit   Company   operated  interurban   routes  to    White 
Bear  Lake,  Stillwater,  and  Lake  Minnetonka,  where  the  cars 
connected  with  the  company's  express  steamer  service  to 
points  on  the  lake.   Interurban  cars  built  for  the  lines  in  the 
company's  Snelling  shops  were  identical  in  appearance  to 
its  city  cars,  but  interurban  trucks  and  motors  enabled  them 
to  attain  mile-a-minute  speeds  with  ease.    In  1906  a  Twin 
City  interurban,  shown  at  Excelsior  on  the  Lake  Min- 
netonka line,  was  rebuilt  as  a  double-deck  car,  rare  in  North 
American  electric  railway  practice.    The  experiment  met 
with  only  indifferent  success  and  the  second  story  was  re- 
moved about  1909.   Bromley  Collection,  Minneapolis 

Public  Library. 


174 


175 


.N»"  ' •>.♦  .  >vtv 


176 


In  an  earlier,  more  prosperous  time  passen- 
gers on  the  predecessor  lines  of  the  Clinton, 
Davenport  &  Muscatine  rode  in  big  wooden 
cars  of  traditional  pattern,  and  such  attractions 
as  joint  interurban-Mississippi  River  steamer 
excursions,    with   an    observation    car    trip 
through  Davenport,  Moline,  and  Rock  Island 
thrown  in,  drew  a  big  business.   Long  before 
this  car  was  photographed  in  193S  climbing 
out  of  the  /Mississippi  Valley  westbound  from 
Davenport  to  Muscatine,  declining  traffic  had 
forced  the  CD&A1  to  adopt  the  economies  of 
lightweight,  one-man  cars,  which  were  no 
more  than  old  Davenport  city  cars,  rebuilt  and 
souped  up  for  interurban  service.    Paul 
Stringham. 


Land  of  the  Steam  Road  Trolleys 

Unique  among  Midwestern  electric  railways  were 
the  Iowa  interurbans.  Some  had  originally  been 
steam  short  lines  and  others  developed  as  connec- 
tions too,  complementing  the  steam  railroad  net 
more  than  they  competed  with  it.  The  steam  line- 
interurban  relationship  was  usually,  therefore,  a 
more  cordial  one  than  elsewhere  in  the  Midwest, 
and  carload  freight  traffic,  freely  interchanged  with 
the  trunk  lines,  was  substantial  from  the  very  be- 
ginnings of  the  Iowa  interurbans,  a  major  factor  in 
their  remarkable  longevity.  Almost  half  of  them 
continued  to  operate  passenger  service  until  well 
after  World  War  II,  and  a  majority  remained  active 
as   freight-only   short   lines   in    1961. 


1 


Bearing  green  flags 
for  a  following  sec- 
ond section,  this 
Cedar  Rapids  &  Iowa 
City  interurban, 
bright  in  canary  yel- 
low with  brown  and 
red  trim,  raced  south 
to  Iowa  City  in  1950 
beside  a  row  of  over- 
head poles  that  ex- 
tended to  the  horizon 
of  the  rolling  rural 
landscape.  Wil- 
liam D.  Middleton. 


Roaring    downgrade 
to   the   Iowa   River 
bridge,   a   Crandic 
"Comet,"  as  the  one- 
time   C&LE    "Red 
Devils"    became    in- 
formally  known  in 
their  new  corn  belt 
home,  headed  north- 
ward  to  Cedar  Rap- 
ids in  1949.  Wil- 
liam D.  Middleton. 


■;J!| 


177 


One  of  the  most  prosperous  of  all  the  Iowa  lines 
was  the  Cedar  Rapids  &  Iowa  City  Railway,  known 
widely  by  the  "Crandic"  abbreviation  of  its  corpo- 
rate title.  At  one  time  the  company's  ambitions  ex- 
tended well  beyond  the  two  cities  named  in  its 
title.  A  projected  eastern  extension  to  Davenport 
never  got  beyond  Lisbon,  17  miles  out  of  Cedar 
Rapids,  but  the  interurban's  bus  subsidiary,  Crandic 
Stages,  ranged  from  Chicago  to  Denver  with  a  fleet 
of  some  60  buses  before  it  was  sold  to  another  bus 


operator.  Crandic  passenger  service  achieved  its 
greatest  distinction  after  1939,  when  the  company 
acquired  a  half  dozen  of  the  Cincinnati  &  Lake 
Erie's  notable  lightweight,  high-speed  cars,  later 
augmented  by  a  similar  Indiana  Railroad  unit.  Dur- 
ing World  War  II  the  high-speed  cars,  aided  by 
older  wooden  equipment,  transported  the  greatest 
passenger  traffic  in  the  Cedar  Rapids  &  Iowa  City's 
history,  reaching  a  peak  of  more  than  573,000  in 
1945. 


Before  the  arrival  of  its  secondhand  lightweight  equipment,  Crandic  passenger 

service  was  maintained  by  rebuilt  wooden  cars.    Soon  after  this  photograph 

■was  taken  on  the  Iowa  River  bridge  during  a  1941  excursion,  car  No.  109,  a 

former  Southern  New  York  Railway  car  built  by  Cincinnati  in  1908,  was  leased 

to  the  hard-pressed  Des  Moines  &  Central  Iowa  Railroad  for  wartime  service. 

Charles  A.  Brown. 


During  the  '40's  the  CR&IC  acquired  a  variety 
of  used  freight  equipment  to  accommodate  a 
rapidly  growing  traffic.   Seventy-ton  locomotive 
No.  13,  southbound  from  Cedar  Rapids  in  1950, 
was  one  of  two  purchased  in  1948  from  the 
Union  Electric  Railway,  which  in  turn  had  ob- 
tained them  from  the  Oklahoma  Railway.   After 
CR&IC  converted  to  diesel  power  in  1953,  the 
two  much-traveled  locomotives  moved  on  to 
the  Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin.    William   D. 
Middleton. 


The  CR&lC's  lone  former  Indiana  Railroad  light- 
weight. No.  120,  took  siding  at  Oakdale  for  a  north- 
bound ex-C&LE  car  in  1950.    Such  meets  were  fa- 
cilitated by  a  unique  trolley  wire  switch  —  developed 
by  Crandic  master  mechanic  John  Munson  —  which 
automatically  moved  with  the  track  switch,  elimi- 
nating the  need  for  resetting  the  trolley  pole  when 
entering  or  leaving  a  siding.    William  D. 
Middleton. 


178 


Long  after  similar  rural  operations  bad  vanished  elsewhere,  the  Charles  City  Western 
Railway  continued  to  operate  two  round  trips  daily  from  Charles  City  to  nearby  Col- 
well  (population  122),  and  to  Marble  Rock  (population  470)  where  a  connection  was 
made  with  Rock  Island  steam  trains.    For  the  first  few  years  of  its  existence  CCW 
transported  passengers  aboard  a  racy  looking  McKeen  gas  car.    When  the  line  was 
electrified  in  1915,  McGuire-Cunimings  delivered  a  neat  little  combine,  No.  50,  which 
was  still  regularly  rattling  over  the  21-mile  line  in  1949  when  the  car  crossed  the 
Flood  Creek  trestle  on  a  trip  from  Marble  Rock.    William  D.   Middleton. 


Near   Denver   on   the   22-mile 
Waverly  branch,  Waterloo,  Ce- 
dar Falls  &  Northern  No.  102 
made  a  splash  of  orange  in  the 
bright   green   Iowa   spring   of 
1954.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Crossing  the  IC  just  outside  of 
Waterloo,   la.,    WCF&N    102 
headed  for  the  paralleling  Wa- 
verly branch  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 
Had  this  train  been  bound  for 
the  main  line  to  Cedar  Rapids, 
it  would  have  slowed  for  a  wye 
just  ahead.    The  single-ended 
cars  were  also  wfed  at  each  end 
of  the  line,  keeping  the  conduc- 
tor busy.   William  D. 
Middleton. 


180 


With  its  diesel-type  air 
born  blaring,  the  102 
trundled  along  the  It  "a- 
verly  branch.    how  pow- 
er and  rough  track  kept 
speeds  down.  Wil- 
liam  D.   Middleton. 


The  three  Cass  brothers  who  built  the  Waterloo, 
Cedar  Falls  &  Northern  Railroad  were  former  steam 
railroad  men,  and  they  constructed  the  company's 
64-mile  southern  extension  from  Waterloo  to  Cedar 
Rapids,  opened  in  1914,  to  standards  employed  by 
steam  lines.  The  brothers  were  determined,  too,  that 
passenger  service  over  the  splendid  new  electric  line 
would  be  equivalent  in  every  way  to  the  best  prac- 
tices of  the  steam  railroads.  To  this  end  three  mag- 
nificent parlor-buffet-observation  cars  were  included 
among  the  steam-car-proportioned  steel  interurbans 
delivered  for  the  new  service  by  McGuire-Cum- 
mings.   Interiors  were  finished  in  oak,  with  writing 


desks,  and  leather  upholstered  wicker  chairs  and 
davenports.  Floors  were  covered  with  green  Wilton 
carpeting,  and  plate  glass  mirrors  decorated  the  in- 
terior bulkheads.  A  uniformed  porter  served  a  la 
carte  meals  from  a  Tom  Thumb  kitchenette.  The 
spacious  observation  platforms  were  equipped  with 
brass  railings  and  scalloped  awnings,  and  the  com- 
pany's "Cedar  Valley  Road"  emblem  was  displayed 
on  the  rear  platform  railing  in  the  grand  manner  of 
steam  railroad  limited  trains  of  the  time.  Extra- 
fare,  limited  train  service  proved  none  too  profitable 
and  the  cars  were  subsequently  rebuilt  into  de  luxe 
coaches. 


Rebuilt  into  a  solarium-observation  coach  during  the  '20's,  car  100  (at  Cedar  Rapids  station)  teas  the 
only  member  of  WCF&N's  trio  of  de  luxe  cars  to  survive  a  1954  roundhouse  fire  that  wiped  out  the 
road's  shops  in  Waterloo.    The  100  continued  to  operate  in  interurban  passenger  service  until  1956. 
The  unused  semaphore  alongside  the  station  dated  from  the  days  when  trains  continued  into  downtown 
Cedar  Rapids  over  city  streets.   William  D.  Middleton. 


A  McGuire-Cummings  steeple-cab 
locomotive  beaded  this   1934 
WCF&N  freight  train  which  was 
southbound  near  Waterloo  on 
the  Elk  Run  bridge,  one  of  two 
substantial  concrete  arch  crossings 
of  the  Cedar  River  that  character- 
ized the  high-class  construction 
of  the  company's  southern  exten- 
sion. The  Cedar  Valley  Road  was 
among  the  earliest  interurbans  to 
pursue  a  volume  carload  freight 
business,  and  its  efforts  met  with 
extraordinary  success.    In  relative- 
ly recent  years  WCF&N  freight 
revenues  have  been  in  the  vicinity 
of  2  million  dollars  annually.    Of 
particular  value  in  the  develop- 
ment of  freight  traffic  was  the 
company's  industrial  belt  line 
around  Waterloo  which  provided 
exclusive  service  to  several  in- 
dustries. William  D.  Middleton. 


Since  its  donation  to  the  Iowa  Railway  Historical  Museum  in  1956,  No.  100  has  operated  on 
occasional  excursion  trips   over  the  Southern   Iowa  Railway  at  Centerville.    This  was  a  1957  fall 
foliage  outing.    William  D.  Middleton. 


183 


N 

X 


A  jour-truck  locomotive  that  once  wheeled  Oregon  Electric  tonnage  through  the 
Willamette  Valley  had  backed  its  Fort  Dodge  Line  train  into  the  Rockwell  City 
branch  at  Hope  to  clear  a  northbound  car.    William  D.  Middleton. 


Bright  yellow  car  12  of  the  FDDM&S  was  southbound  on  the  approach  to  the  Chi- 
cago &  North  Western  overcrossing  at  Boone.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Iowa's  largest  interurban,  the  Fort  Dodge,  Des 
Moines  &  Southern,  originated  in  the  '90's  as  a 
steam  freight  line  and  ultimately  reverted  in  the 
late  '50's  to  a  diesel-powered,  freight-only  short  line. 
During  its  half  century  as  an  electric  interurban  the 
Fort  Dodge  Line  provided  the  usual  amenities  of 
high  quality  interurban  travel,  including  observa- 
tion-parlor cars  —  available  to  Fort  Dodge-Des 
Moines   travelers   for  an   extra   fare   of  25   cents  — 


which  were  finished  in  inlaid  mahogany  and  fitted 
with  Brussels  carpeting,  art  glass  Gothic  windows, 
and  bronze  chandeliers.  The  FDDM&S  was  un- 
usual among  interurbans  in  that  freight  traffic  was 
always  of  predominant  importance,  and  even  before 
World  War  I,  when  the  interurban  passenger  trade 
enjoyed  its  most  successful  years,  the  company 
derived  fully  60  per  cent  of  its  revenues  from 
freight,    i 


184 


The  workhorses  of  Fort  Dodge  Line  passenger 
service  throughout  its  history  were  10  wooden 
Niles  interurbans  of  exceptionally  graceful  pro- 
portions.   In  the  course  of  its  daily  round  trip 
over  the  Des  Moines-Fort  Dodge  main  line  dur- 
ing the  last  year  of  passenger  operation  —  J 95 5 
—  No.  12  crossed  the  highest  of  all  interurban 


bridges,  the  steel  "High  Bridge"  over  a  ravine  in 
the  Des  Moines  River  valley.    Erected  in  1912 
at  a  cost  of  $110,000,  the  1%-foot-high  structure 
replaced  an  earlier  wooden  trestle  (destroyed  by 
a  flood)   which  had  incorporated  a  million 
board  feet  of  lumber  in  its  construction.  Wil- 
liam D.  Middleton. 


186 


A    line-up   of   equipment    was 
photographed  just  outside  Hutch- 
inson,  Kans.,  on  the   opening 
day  of  through  service  to  Wichita 
by  the  Arkansas  Valley  Interur- 
han  Railway  in  1915.    The  com- 
plete absence  of  ballast  nas  a  con- 
dition  that,   unfortunately,   re- 
mained permanent  on  much  of  the 
AVI.    Car  No.  6,  in  the  fore- 
ground, expired  in  spectacular 
fashion    in    1928    when    it    way 
wrecked  and   burned  in  a  high- 
speed head-on  collision    with  a 
freight  train.    William    J. 
Clouser  Collection. 


187 


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. 


Center-door  steel  cars   of  substantial  appearance 
operated  on  Missouri's  largest  interurban  system, 
the  79-mile  Kansas  City,  Clay  County  &  St.  Joseph 
Railway,  which  opened  a  pair  of  high-class  1200- 
volt  lines  from  Kansas  City  to  Excelsior  Springs 
and  St.  Joseph  in  191).    Cathedral  glass  panels  in 


the  upper  window  sash  provided  just  the  right 
touch  of  elegance.    To  accommodate  special  parties 
the  rear  of  the  cars  was  designed  for  conversion  to 
an  observation  compartment.    Regular  seats   were 
removed  and  carpeting  and  mahogany  lounge  chairs 
installed.    Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


toTi 


An  obscure  Midwestern  inter- 
urban  was  the   Burlington's   5- 
mile  electrification  of  a  portion 
of  the   ^-foot-gauge  Deadwood 
Central  Railroad  between  Lead. 
Pluma,  and  Deadwood  in  the 
Black  Hills   of  South   Dakota. 
Passenger   car    12150,   a   little 
interurban  with  a  big  number, 
was  one  of  five  cars  operated 
over  the  line.    Here  it  is  at 
the  three-level  crossing   with 
the  North  Western  and  a  mine 
railroad  in  Lead  about  1906.  STE- 
PHEN D.  Maguire  Collection. 


Electric  cars  of  the  Union  Electric  Railway  wandered  over  a  devious  77-mile 
route  from  Nowata,  Okla.,  to  Parsons,  Kans.    The  entire  trip,  which  jew  at- 
tempted, required  about  4  hours.    Hard  pressed  to  make  ends  meet  throughout 
much  of  its  existence,  the  company  economized  by  purchasing  lightweight,  one- 
man  cars  from  the  American  Car  Company  in  1925.    One  of  them  waited  for  the 
passage  of  a  Frisco  freight  at  Cherry  vale,  Kans.,  in  1946.    Gordon  E.  Lloyd. 


189 


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The  McKinley  Lines 

Illinois  Traction  System 


Headlight  aglow,  an  Illinois  Terminal  interurban  waited  at  the  joint  IT-Wa- 
bash  depot  in  Champaign  during  a  1955  snowfall.  William  D.  Middleton. 


I '  »J 


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The  McKinley  Lines 


Illinois  Traction  System 


.DURING  the  first  decade  of  the  new  century,  as  a 
great  interurban  network  spread  across  Mid-Ameri- 
ca, the  Illinois  Traction  System  assembled  by  Illinois 
congressman  and  utilities  tycoon  William  B.  McKin- 
ley clearly  emerged  as  the  giant  of  Midwest  traction. 

Only  seven  years  after  he  opened  his  first  electric 
line  in  1901 — a  6-mile  stretch  between  Danville  and 
Westville,  111.  —  McKinley  had  pushed  the  main 
lines  of  his  traction  empire  to  their  full  geograph- 
ical extent.  From  Granite  City,  across  the  Mississippi 
from  St.  Louis,  the  McKinley  lines  extended  167 
miles  northward  to  Springfield  and  Peoria;  125  miles 
eastward  from  Springfield  to  Decatur,  Champaign, 
and  Danville,  on  the  Indiana  border;  and  from  De- 
catur to  Peoria  via  Bloomington.  In  1910  a  great 
new  Mississippi  River  bridge  was  opened  and  Illi- 
nois Traction  trains  rolled  across  to  a  new  St.  Louis 
terminal.  That  same  year  a  sleeping  car  service 
was  inaugurated  —  the  only  one  of  its  kind  on  any 
interurban  —  with  specially  designed  cars  that  out- 
did even  Pullman,  and  a  year  later  a  fleet  of  luxuri- 
ous parlor-observation  cars  appeared  on  limited 
trains  operating  over  the  main  lines  from  St.  Louis 
to  Springfield,  Peoria,  and  Danville.  Small  wonder 
that  they  were  calling  Illinois  Traction  the  "greatest 
interurban  system  in  the  world." 

Only  a  few  years  later  McKinley  acquired  the 
Illinois  Valley  lines  of  the  Chicago,  Ottawa  & 
Peoria,  which  reached  neither  Chicago  nor  Peoria 
but  had  connections  at  Joliet  with  the  Chicago  & 
Joliet  and  plans  for  extensions  from  Streator  to 
Peoria  and  Mackinaw  Junction  on  the  main  IT 
system.  It  was  considered  only  a  matter  of  time  be- 
fore the  missing  links  would  be  filled  in  and 
through  service  over  an  uninterrupted  Chicago-St. 
Louis  electric  route  would  become  a  reality.  As  early 
as  1906  ITS  had  purchased  three  special  Com  Belt 
Limited  cars  that  were  to  enter  a  through  St.  Louis- 
Indianapolis  service  just  as  soon  as  the  20-mile  gap 
was  closed  between   the  McKinley  Lines  at  Ridge 


Farm,  111.,  and  the  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  & 
Eastern  at  Paris,  111. 

Illinois  Traction  or  its  subsidiary  companies  oper- 
ated local  streetcar  lines  in  19  Illinois  cities,  and 
fully  half  of  the  electric  railway  mileage  in  the  state 
was  under  McKinley  control.  By  1916  McKinley 
owned  some  40  railway,  light  and  power  companies 
in  Illinois,  Kansas,  Missouri,  Iowa,  Nebraska,  and 
Wisconsin,  and  an  estimated  800  miles  of  electric 
railway  track  was  under  ITS  supervision. 

Expansion  of  the  system  continued  even  in  later 
years,  although  the  Chicago  and  Indianapolis  con- 
nections were  never  realized.  In  1928  Illinois  Trac- 
tion was  merged  with  the  prosperous  and  strategic 
Illinois  Terminal  Company,  a  steam-operated  ter- 
minal line  in  the  Alton-East  St.  Louis  area.  Two 
years  later  still  more  electric  mileage  was  added  to 
what  was  now  known  as  the  Illinois  Terminal  Rail- 
road System  when  the  St.  Louis  &  Alton  Railway 
was  leased. 

The  greatest  single  undertaking  of  the  McKinley 
Lines,  and  indeed  the  greatest  engineering  work 
ever  attempted  by  any  interurban,  was  the  mighty 
bridge  McKinley  flung  across  the  Mississippi  to 
gain  access  to  St.  Louis  for  his  traction  empire. 
Finding  the  lack  of  a  direct  entry  to  the  city  a 
hindrance  to  the  development  of  his  company,  and 
barred  from  the  only  available  bridge  to  downtown 
St.  Louis  by  a  monopoly  of  his  steam  road  competi- 
tors, the  undaunted  McKinley  undertook  the  4.5- 
million-dollar  project  in  1906.  The  structure,  at  the 
time  the  largest  and  strongest  Mississippi  crossing 
ever  built,  took  four  years  to  build,  and  its  com- 
pletion was  observed  on  November  10,  1910,  with 
appropriate  ceremony.  Special  trains  bearing  Gover- 
nors Hadley  of  Missouri  and  Deneen  of  Illinois  met 
at  the  center  of  the  flag-bedecked  span;  the  two  men 
"clasped  hands,  each  congratulating  the  other  on 
this  newest  bond  between  Missouri  and  Illinois"; 
and  Congressman  McKinley's  niece  raised  the  U.  S. 


192 


**  r* 


H 


Running  in  place  of  the  streamliner  Mound  City,  Illinois  Terminal  interurban  car  No.  2H3,  trailed 
by  the  parlor-buffet-observation  car  Cerro  Gordo,  headed  south  from  Mackinaw  junction  in  1950  on 
a  fast  Peoria-St.  Louis  schedule.    William  D.  Middleton. 


flag  to  the  peak  of  the  bridge  as  a  band  played  the 
national  anthem.  That  evening,  while  the  Illinois 
Traction  System  entertained  700  prominent  guests 
at  a  banquet  in  St.  Louis'  Planter's  Hotel,  thousands 
watched  a  fireworks  display  on  the  bridge. 

McKinley  Bridge,  the  only  exclusive  river  cross- 


ing to  St.  Louis  owned  by  any  railroad,  greatly 
strengthened  the  competitive  position  of  Illinois 
Traction's  far-flung  interurban  passenger  service, 
and  by  gaining  direct  access  to  St.  Louis  industry, 
greatly  accelerated  the  growth  of  an  ITS  freig 
business  that  was  already  assuming  major  prop 


193 


A  typical  Peoria-St.  Louis  limited  train  of  1925,  made  up  of  a  handsome  arcb-roofed  coach  and  match- 
ing parlor-buffet  car  with  open  observation  platform,  rolled  across  the  jackknife  draw  span  of  Illinois 
Traction's  substantial  Illinois  River  bridge  at  Peoria.    This  structure  became  insignificant  only 
in  comparison  with  the  company's  Mississippi  span  at  St.  Louis.   William  J.  Clouser  Collection. 


tions.  A  new  suburban  service  between  St.  Louis  and 
Granite  City,  inaugurated  with  the  opening  of  the 
bridge,  proved  to  be  a  lucrative  by-product.  Only 
a  few  months  after  the  line  was  opened,  ITS  was 
able  to  report  an  average  of  10,000  passengers  a  day, 
a  figure  that  tripled  on  Sundays  when  thirsty  St. 
Louis  citizens  fled  their  dry-on-Sunday  city  for  the 
saloons  of  nearby  Illinois. 

Far  earlier  than  .most  of  its  contemporaries,  Illi- 
nois Traction  recognized  the  value  and  importance 
of  a  carload  freight  traffic  interchange  with  steam 
railroads.  Like  most  interurbans,  ITS  usually  trav- 
ersed the  streets  of  intermediate  cities  and  towns, 
where  sharp  curves  or  legal  limitations  frequently 
precluded  the  operation  of  long  freight  trains,  and 
as  early  as  1906  the  system  began  the  construction 
of  belt  lines  around  its  principal  cities,  a  move  that 
ultimately  was  to  prove  the  means  for  survival  of 


the  Midwest's  largest  interurban.  Early  attention 
was  also  given  to  the  improvement  of  the  system's 
power  supply,  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  heavy 
freight  locomotives. 


William  B.  McKinley 
built  his  Illinois  Trac- 
tion System  into  the 
Midwest's  greatest  in- 
terurban railway.  His 
distinguished  career 
in  business  and  public 
life   was   climaxed 
with  a  term  in  the 
U.  S.  Senate.  Illinois 
State  Historical 
Library. 


194 


Workhorse  combine  283,  seen  in  the  gloom  of  the  St.  Louis  terminal  in  7955,  bore  the  untnistakable  im- 
print of  Illinois  Traction  electric  car  architecture,  despite  the  blocked-off  side  window  arches  of  a  '30's  re- 
building.   Operation  from  the  left-hand  side  was  an  unusual  IT  feature.    The  rectangular  insert  of  safety 
glass  in  the  motorman's  window  was  a  modern-day  innovation.    William  D.  Middleton. 


I  ;   III 


The  crew  of  this  Illinois  Traction  interurban  viewed  the  roadbed  from 
behind  a  truly  generous  expanse  of  plate  glass.   An  early  arrival  in  ITS 
ranks  (American  Car  Company,  1904),  car  252  predated  the  distinctive 
car  design  that  soon  became  a  virtual  company  trademark.   WILLIAM  D. 
Middleton  Collection. 

Splendid  in   tangerine,  a  special  train,   including  the 

parlor-observation  car  Lincoln,  headed  south  across  the 

Sangamon  River  bridge  near  Springfield,  III.,  in  19}8. 

Paul  Stringham. 


196 


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197 


With  controller  wide  open,  a  St.  Louis-Peoria  local  skimmed  downhill  into  a  little  valley  not  far  from 
Edwardsville,  III.,  in   / 95 5.    By  this  time  the  bright  orange  of  earlier  years  had  been  replaced  by 
less  flamboyant  blue  and  silver  colors.    William  D.  Middleton. 


198 


Trolley  Car  Luxury 

Finished  in  Honduras  mahogany,  heavily  carpeted,  and  richly  furnished,  Illinois  Traction's  parlor-buffet- 
observation  cars  provided  all  of  the  appropriate  comforts  and  a  suitably  dignified  atmosphere  for  ex- 
tra-fare travelers  on  the  company's  crack  Peoria-St.  Louis  limited  trains.   In  later  years  observation  plat- 
forms were  enclosed,  and  such  up-to-the-minute  features  as  air  conditioning  and  indirect  lighting  were 
provided,  along  with  a  less  somber  decor,   George  Krambles  Collection   (Above  Left,  Center); 
Herbert  Georg  Studio,  Springfield  (Above  Right)  ;  William  D.  Middleton  Collection  (Below). 


II       li  M    1    N   A 


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LINCOLN 


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199 


_  * 


The  interurban  sleeping  cars  introduced  by  Illinois  Traction  in  1VW  featured  such  advantages  as  up- 
per-berth windows,  extra-long  berths,  and  individual  safety  deposit  boxes.  The  Edwardsville  was  built 
by  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company  in  1913.    William  J.  Clouser  Collection. 


HI' 


Extensive  through  rates  and  divisions  were  estab- 
lished with  connecting  steam  railroads.  Illinois 
Traction  freight  service  was  even  extended  to  Chi- 
cago in  1910  by  means  of  specially  equipped  cars 
for  less-than-carload-lot  package  freight  shipments, 
which  were  interchanged  with  the  Chicago  &  East- 
ern Illinois  at  Glover,  111.  A  similar  service  was  of- 
fered via  Peoria,  where  l.c.l.  freight  was  transferred 
to  the  Rock  Island. 

Under  the  skilled  direction  of  Master  Mechanic 
J.  M.  Bosenbury,  Illinois  Traction  early  evolved  a 
passenger  car  design  of  altogether  distinctive  ap- 
pearance; and  the  high  arched  "crown"  roof  and  a 
front  end  with  three  graceful  arched  windows  be- 
came a  virtual  company  trademark.  Until  three  new 
streamliners  arrived  in  1948-1949,  IT's  newest  main- 
line passenger  car  dated  to  1918,  and  most  of  its 
rolling  stock  was  considerably  older  than  that.  In 
the  interim  the  company's  Decatur  shops  assumed 
the  substantial  task  of  rebuilding  and  modernizing 
the  elderly  equipment  in  order  to  maintain  a  com- 
petitive position  in  the  passenger  trade.  Through 
the  years  many  of  the  venerable  interurbans  received 
such  improvements  as  reclining  seats,  air  condition- 


lllinois  Traction  brass  and  distinguished  visitors  rode  in  baronial  elegance  aboard  private  car  2  53. 
Originally  constructed  in  1906  as  the  Missouri  for  the  projected  St.  Louis-Indianapolis  Corn  Belt 
Limited  service,  No.  213  was  rebuilt  and  sumptuously  furnished  for  its  official  duties  by  the  St.  Charles 
(Mo.)  shop  of  American  Car  &  Foundry  in  1910.  George  Krambles  Collection  (Upper)  ;  William  J. 
Clouser  Collection   (Lower). 

Shortly  after  World  War  II  Illinois  Terminal  made  an  ill-advised  million-dollar  bid  to  stay  in  the  pas- 
senger business  ivith  three  streamlined  blue  and  aluminum  interurban  trains.   The  City  of  Decatur,  the 
Fort  Crevecoeur,  and  the  Mound  City  were  delivered  by  the  St.  Louis  Car  Company  in  1948-1949.   Pro- 
vided with  every  comfort  of  comparable  steam  railroad  equipment,  the  trains  were  costly  proof  that 
interurban  passenger  traffic  was  irrevocably  lost,  atid  were  withdrawn  from  service  by  1956.   Hoof- 
nosed  streamliner  No.   100  headed  a  two-car  St.  Louis  limited  train  at  the  East  Peoria  station  in  / 95 5. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


201 


ing,  and  other  interior  refinements.  Illinois  Termi- 
nal was,  incidentally,  the  first  electric  line  to  operate 
air-conditioned  equipment,  beginning  in  1935  when 
a  car  was  equipped  for  a  new  high-speed  Peoria- 
St.  Louis  service. 

Illinois  Terminal  continued  to  develop  its  pas- 
senger service  long  after  most  interurbans.  In  the 
early  1930's,  while  much  of  the  nation's  electric 
railway  mileage  was  being  abandoned,  IT  completed 


After  1911  the  mainstay  of  the  high-speed  Alton 
service  was  a  group  of  high-wheeled,  center-door 

cars,  some  of  which  were  capable  of  speeds  in  ex- 
cess of  85  miles  per  hour.  Two  of  the  breed 
entered  St.  Louis  over  the  elevated  line  from  McKin- 
le\  Bridge  in  1948.  Motorman  W.  "Dutch"  Horr- 
man  (far  right),  who  began  operating  cars  over 

the  line  in  1903,  was  at  the  controls  of  an  Alton 

Limited  in  1941.  William  J.  Clouser  (Right); 

Linn  H.  Westcott  (Far  Right). 


An  early  version  of  the  Alton-St.  Louis  Limited 
waited  at  the  end  of  historic  Eads  Bridge  in  1916. 
The  Alton  line,  then  operated  by  the  East  St.  Lou- 


is &  Suburban,  later  became  part  of  Illinois  Ter- 
minal. William  T.  Diesing,  from  William  J. 
Clouser  Collection. 


II 


202 


I             ■ 

1       J 

il         jfl 

pS3 

/«  //>e  /iwa/  year*  o/  &}  S/.  Louis-Granite  City  suburban  service,  Il- 
linois Terminal  provided  streamlined  PCC  trolleys,  modified  for  multi- 
ple-unit, double-end  operation.  A  pair  of  them  descended  the  St.  Louis 
approach  to  McKinley  Bridge  in  1955.  The  Granite  City  cars,  Illinois 
Terminal's  last  passenger  operation,  continued  to  run  until  1958. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


a  new  elevated  structure  that  brought  its  passenger 
trains  from  McKinley  Bridge  close  to  the  heart  of 
St.  Louis,  and  a  short  subway  that  took  them  the 
rest  of  the  way  to  a  basement  terminal  in  the  com- 
pany's huge  new  Central  Terminal  Building.  New 
passenger  stations  were  constructed  at  such  im- 
portant points  as  Peoria,  Springfield,  and  Decatur, 
and  passenger  train  schedules  were  accelerated  by 
routing  the  cars  around  traffic-congested  streets  on 
IT's  freight  belt  lines  at  a  number  of  cities,    i 


Home-Built  for  Tonnage 

These  photographs  record  the   evolution   of  the 

distinctive  motive  power  constructed  in  Illinois 

Terminal's  Decatur  shops  over  a  12-year  period. 

Earliest  of  the  home-built  products  were   18  of 

these  60-ton  Class  B  box-cab  locomotives  built  be- 
tween 1910  and  1918.    Class  B  No.   1566  entered 

East  Peoria,  111.,  in  1950  with  interchange  from  the 
Peoria  &  Pekin  Union.  William  D.  Middleton. 


After   World  War  I  a  steadily  increasing 
freight  traffic  made  the  small  two-truck  Class 
B  locomotives  inadequate  for  mainline  ton- 
nage, and  20  of  these  four-truck  articulated 
Class  C  machines  rolled  out  of  the  shops  be- 
tween 1924  and  1950.   Weighing  80  tons,  they 
were  powered  with  eight  motors  salvaged  from 
scrapped  passenger  cars.   No.  1597  was  pho- 
tographed near  Allentown,  III.,  in  1941  with  a 
northbound   extra.     Paul   Stringham. 


Largest  of  the  Decatur-built  locomotives  were  five 

streamlined  Class  D  units  built  in  1940-1942.    Weighing 

108  tons  and  developing  1800  horsepower  with  eight 

traction  motors,  they  required  double  trolley  poles  to 

draw  sufficient  current.    Virtually  identical  carbodies 

gave  all  three  classes  of  IT  freight  power  a  strong  family 

resemblance.  The  five  Class  D's,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  utilized 

frames  and  carbodies  from  scrapped  Class  C  units.   With 

blowers  whining,  a  Class  D  rolled  into  Springfield 

from  St.  Louis  in  1950.    David  A.  Strassman. 


Lengthened  and  rebuilt  with  "picture  windows,"  air  conditioning,  and  foam 
rubber  seats,  the  big  steel  interurbans  which  were  constructed  during  the 
South  Shore  Line's  overhaul  by  Insull  management  in  the  '20's  still  pro- 
vide the  last  word  in  passenger  comforts.  Two  of  them  operated  a 
South  Bend-Chicago  schedule  near  Gary  in  195  3.    Linn    H.  Westcott. 


206 


V 

< 

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1  , 

j 

1 m  i 

S      i  i 

BP 

Insull's  Interurbans 


The  Great  Chicago  Systems 


AMONG  the  men  who  achieved  prominence  dur- 
ing the  interurban  era,  one  of  the  greatest  traction 
tycoons  of  them  all  was  Chicago's  Samuel  Instill, 
whose  Midwestern  power,  gas,  and  traction  empire 
was  truly  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  '20's.  The  phe- 
nomenal business  career  of  the  London-born  magnate 
began  in  1881  when,  at  the  age  of  21,  he  became 
private  secretary  to  Thomas  Edison.  Insull  stayed 
with  Edison  long  enough  to  assist  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  General  Electric  Company,  then  moved 
west  to  begin  a  conquest  of  Chicago's  public 
utilities.  By  1907  the  city's  entire  electric  power 
business  was  under  the  control  of  Insull's  Com- 
monwealth Edison  Company,  and  only  three  years 
later  an  Insull  "superpower"  system,  destined  to  em- 
brace the  entire  state  of  Illinois  and  much  of  the 
Midwest  as  well,  began  branching  out  from  Chicago. 
Within  20  years  Insull's  Middle  West  Utilities  em- 
pire had  assets  in  excess  of  2  billion  dollars,  pro- 
duced a  tenth  of  the  nation's  electricity,  and  served 
over  1,800,000  customers  in  some  3500  communities 
in  39  states. 

If  only  a  minor  part  of  his  incredibly  complicated 
holdings,  Insull's  traction  network  was  nonethe- 
less impressive.  Convinced  that  electric  transporta- 
tion would  ultimately  supplant  all  other  mass  trans- 
portation media,  Insull  acquired  control  of  Chi- 
cago's surface  and  elevated  railways,  and  provided 
ample  cash  to  place  them  in  top  condition.  His  in- 
terurban interests,  usually  interlocked  with  asso- 
ciated power  companies,  included  a  network  that 
covered  much  of  Indiana,  and  eventually  every  line 
of  consequence  that  radiated  from  Chicago. 

Pre-eminent  among  the  Insull  traction  holdings 
were  the  three  superb  interurbans  which  extended 
north,  west,  and  southeast  from  Chicago.  Each  al- 
ready enjoyed  a  measure  of  distinction  when  Insull 
acquired  control  in  the  decade  following  1916,  but 
Insull  provided  the  management  and  hard  cash  to 
transform  these  railways  into  some  of  the  most  re- 


markable properties  of   the  entire   interurban   era. 

The  oldest  of  the  three,  Chicago  North  Shore  & 
Milwaukee,  began  operation  in  typically  modest 
interurban  fashion  in  1894  as  the  Bluff  City  Electric 
Street  Railway  at  Waukegan,  111.  Reorganized  a  few 
years  later  as  the  Chicago  &  Milwaukee  Electric  Rail- 
way, the  line  was  reorganized  twice  again  before  re- 
ceivers finally  managed  to  complete  in  1909  a  main 
line  which  extended  from  Evanston  to  Milwaukee. 
Hindered  by  the  lack  of  an  entrance  to  the  heart 
of  Chicago,  the  line  was  only  a  modest  success  until 
a  1916  reorganization  under  Insull  control  created 
the  Chicago  North  Shore  &  Milwaukee  Railroad, 
and  the  new  management  invested  5.5  million  dol- 
lars in  an  extensive  development  program.  By  1919 
North  Shore  trains  were  running  to  the  Chicago 
Loop  over  elevated  tracks,  and  a  few  years  later  pas- 
sengers were  being  transported  between  Chicago  and 
Milwaukee  aboard  such  luxurious  limited  trains  as 
the  Eastern  Limited,  the  Badger,  and  the  Interstate, 
which  numbered  parlor-observation  cars  and  diners 
among  their  features  and  offered  close  Chicago  con- 
nections with  the  20tb  Century  Limited  and  the 
Broadway  Limited.  Powerful  new  steel  cars  sped 
between  the  two  cities  over  newly  rebuilt  roadbeds 
in  as  little  as  2  hours  10  minutes,  and  North  Shore 
billboards  challenged,  "Did  you  ever  travel  80 
miles  an  hour?"  Between  1916  and  1922  the  number 
of  daily  trains  increased  from  192  to  295,  and  the 
North  Shore  enjoyed  a  350  per  cent  increase  in  gross 
operating  revenues. 

Chicago's  interurban  to  the  western  suburbs  was 
several  cuts  above  ordinary  interurbans  right  from 
its  opening  day  in  1902.  Conceived  as  a  "super  in- 
terurban," the  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  Railroad 
employed  the  third-rail  system  ihen  highly  regarded 
for  heavy-duty,  high-speed  lines  and  was  engineered 
to  the  extremely  high  standards  required  for  a  con- 
templated 70-mile-per-hour  continuous  maximum 
speed.   A  ruling  grade  of  1  per  cent  and  a  maximum 


208 


Near  Four  Mile  Road,  north  of  Racine,  Wis.,  on  an 
August  morning  in  1955  a  four-car  North  Shore  Line 
Milwaukee  Limited  thundered  across  the  Root  River 
which  meanders  on  through  lush  farmlands  to  Racine 
and   Lake   Michigan.     William    D.    Middleton. 


I  tilities  magnate  Samuel  Instill  built  his  three  big  Chicago  elec- 
tric lines  into  the  wonders  of  the  interurban  era.    CHICAGO 

Historical  Society. 


209 


STOP 
LOQKfM] 
OR 


A  splendid  double- 
track  roadbed  between 
Chicago  and  Milwau- 
kee enabled  the  North 
Shore  to  gain  interna- 
tional recognition  for 
its  speed  achievements 
and  permanent  posses- 
sion of  the  Electric 
Traction  interurban 
speed  trophy  in   1913. 
Freshly  ballasted  in 
crushed   stone   and 
straight  as  a  rifle  bore, 
this  stretch  of  track 
near  Racine  was  typi- 
cal. A  /Milwaukee  Lim- 
ited traveled  it  in  1956 
at  a  speed  considerably 
in  excess  of  a  mile  a 
minute.    William  D. 

MlDDLETON. 


210 


Southbound  on  its  last  trip  of  the  day,  an  Electroliner  paused  briefly  at  North  Chicago  on  its  flight  be- 
tween Milwaukee  and  Chicago.    William  D.  Middleton. 


curvature  of  3  degrees  were  maintained,  and  the  line 
employed  80-pound  rail,  rock  ballast,  and  sturdy 
bridges  of  concrete  and  steel  construction.  Unlike 
other  Chicago  interurbans,  the  AE&C  enjoyed  the 
advantages  of  a  direct  entrance  to  the  Loop  early  in 
its  history,  inaugurating  through  service  over  the 
tracks  of  the  Metropolitan  West  Side  Elevated  Com- 
pany in  1905.  The  superior  transportation  repre- 
sented by  the  AE&C  encouraged  rapid  development 
of  the  western  suburbs,  and  within  a  very  few  years 
after  the  line's  opening  the  number  of  intermediate 
stations,  originally  planned  at  3-mile  intervals,  had 
increased  to  27  in  the  25  miles  between  Chicago  and 
Wheaton. 

Reorganized  as  the  Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin  in 
1922  by  Dr.  Thomas  Conway  Jr.,  later  to  earn  fur- 
ther distinction  as  the  organizer  of  the  Cincinnati  & 
Lake  Erie  system  and  the  rebuilder  of  the  Philadel- 
phia &  Western,  the  line  received  the  benefit  of  bet- 


ter than  a  million  dollars  in  improvements,  includ- 
ing stone  reballasting  between  Chicago  and  Whea- 
ton, power  system  and  shop  improvements,  and  20 
heavy  Pullman-built  steel  passenger  cars. 

Employing  a  6600-volt,  single-phase  power  system, 
the  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South  Bend  Railway, 
opened  in  1908,  achieved  early  prominence  as  one 
of  the  most  important  alternating  current  interur- 
bans. Constructed  to  high  standards,  and  equipped 
with  unusually  large  and  handsome  Niles  wooden 
interurbans,  the  Lake  Shore  line  did  a  substantial 
business  between  the  communities  at  the  foot  of 
Lake  Michigan  and  South  Bend.  The  necessity  for 
a  transfer  to  the  Illinois  Central  at  Kensington,  how- 
ever, had  a  discouraging  effect  on  the  interurban's 
business  into  Chicago,  until  an  agreement  was  ne- 
gotiated with  the  steam  road  in  1913  whereby 
through  trailer  cars  from  seven  Gary-Chicago  lim- 
iteds  daily  were  attached  to  IC  steam  locomotives, 


211 


'iTip^'f 


**, 


ill 


The  North  Shore  by  Night 

In  this  series  of  nighttime  camera  studies,  the  North  Shore  is 
depicted  as  it  went  about  "business  as  usual"  after  a  January 
195H  blizzard.    This  snowfall,  of  the  prodigious  proportions 
common  to  the  shores  of  the  Great  Lakes,  had  raged  across 
Chicago's  North  Shore  suburbs,  thoroughly  disrupting  road 
traffic  and  other  activities  similarly  less  reliable  than  the  elec- 
tric cars.   The  white  stuff  was  still  drifting  down  as  a  Skokie 
Valley  local  stopped  at  the  Liberty ville  (III.)  station. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


Surrounded  by  darkened  interurbans  awaiting  the  morning  rush 
back  to  the  city,  a  late  evening  local  was  about  to  depart  from 
Mundelein  for  Chicago.    William  D.  Middleton. 


While  compressors  hammered  air  into  the  train  line,  a  trio  of 

GE  steeple-cab  locomotives  waited  at  Pettibone  Yard  in  North 

Chicago  with  29  cars  for  the  Elgin,  Joliet  &  Eastern  at  Rondout 

and  the  Soo  at  Mundelein.  William  D.  Middleton. 


213 


H^ 


Dressed  in  skirting  and  red  and  silver  colors,  a  pair  of  heavy  Pullman  cars  of  the  Insull  era  raced 
into  Milwaukee  in  1957.   William  D.  Middleton. 

Instills  management  of  the  CNS&M  produced  the   10-million-dollar  Skokie   Valley  Route  that  cut 
nearly  20  minutes  from  Chicago-Milwaukee  schedules.   The  Dempster  Street  interlocking  at  Skokie 
(Siles  Center)  protected  the  stub  terminal  of  Chicago  Rapid  Transit's  Howard  Street  shuttle  trains, 
which  operated  north  to  this  point  from  1925  to    1948.     The   three-car   Milwaukee   Express,   photo- 
graphed around   1947,  was  decked  out  in  the  green,  gray,  and  red  livery  which  replaced  traction 
orange  and  maroon   with  the  introduction  of  the  Electroliners.    John  Stern. 

fust  after  leaving  congested  Milwaukee  streets  behind,  a  North  Shore  Limited  picked  up  speed  across 
the  high  fill  on  Milwaukee's  south  side.   William  D.  Middleton. 


> 


which  transported  them  to  Illinois  Central's  Ran- 
dolph Street  suburban  station.  Passenger  revenues 
between  Chicago  and  points  on  the  electric  line 
showed  an  encouraging  25  per  cent  increase  soon 
after  the  new  arrangement  went  into  effect. 

Approaching  the  mid-'20's  the  big  Chicago  lines 
found  themselves  facing  a  somewhat  disturbing  fu- 
ture. The  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South  Bend  was 
in  the  worst  predicament.  Hard  hit  by  declining 
traffic,  the  once  handsome  property  had  fallen  into  a 


sorry  state  of  disrepair,  and  was  to  find  itself  in 
receivership  by  1925.  The  North  Shore  Line,  bene- 
fited by  its  extensive  improvement  program,  was 
doing  exceedingly  well  but  still  suffered  an  ener- 
vating slow  drag  through  the  streets  of  Chicago's 
northern  suburbs  which  threatened  the  continued 
prosperity  of  its  important  traffic  between  Chicago 
and  Milwaukee.  Only  the  Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin 
Railroad  was  without  major  plant  improvement 
requirements. 


215 


Aloving  at  a  rapid  clip,  an  Elec- 
troliner  hammered  across  Chi- 
cago &  North  Western  double 
track  at  Oak  Creek  tower,  south 
of  Milwaukee,  early  in  1938. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


Since  construction  of  the  huge  Great 
Lakes  Naval  Training  Center  during 
World  War  I,  countless  thousands  of 
Midwestern   youths  have  arrived  at 
the  gates  of  "hoot  camp"  aboard  the 
electric  cars  of  the  North  Shore  Line. 
Returning  to  the  "Lakes"  from  a  week- 
end liberty,  this  sleepy  whitehat  and 
his  wife  waited  for  departure  of  a  late 
evening    train    from    the    Milwaukee 
depot.  Joseph  C.  O'Hearn. 


216 


At  this  point  Sam  Insull  went  to  work. 

Early  in  1924  Insull  pushed  ahead  with  plans  for 
further  massive  improvements  to  the  North  Shore 
Line.  During  the  next  several  years  no  fewer  than 
65  new  steel  interurbans  were  placed  in  service,  and 
10  million  dollars  was  expended  for  the  new  Skokie 
Valley  high-speed  line,  which  bypassed  the  con- 
gested lake  shore  suburbs  —  cutting  nearly  20  min- 
utes from  Chicago-Milwaukee  schedules  —  and 
opened  a  whole  new  area  to  suburban  development. 
Construction  of  the  line  set  off  what  was  described 
as  a  "spectacular  real  estate  boom"  and  land  values 
increased  to  as  much  as  10  times  their  previous  val- 
ues. Following  the  new  line's  completion  in  June 
1926,  the  North  Shore  enjoyed  the  most  prosperous 
year  in  its  history. 

The  tremendous  carrying  capacity  of  the  new 
Skokie  Valley  line  was  shown  off  in  spectacular 
fashion  a  few  weeks  after  its  completion,  when  a 
great  Catholic  Eucharistic  Congress  was  held  at 
Mundelein,  111.  On  the  final  day  of  the  Congress 
on  June  24,  1926,  the  North  Shore  moved  170,000 


The  North  Shore  entered  the  streamliner  era  in 
1941   with  a  pair  of  articulated  trains  that  repre- 
sented the  finest  inter  urban  equipment  ever  con- 
structed in  the  United  States.    Between  them  the 
Electroliners  have   clocked   more  than  6   million 
train-miles  on  five  daily  Chicago-Milwaukee  round 
trips  offering  air-conditioned  de  luxe  coach  ac- 
commodations for   120  passengers,  plus  tavern- 
lounge  facilities.    A  panned  photograph  captured 
the  seemingly  effortless  pace  of  an  Electroliner  as 
it  glided  southward  at  a  speed  approaching  its  85- 
mile-per-hour  capability.  William  D.  Middleton. 


217 


After  1926  interurbans  of  Sam  Insult's  South  Shore  Line  operated  straight  through 
to  the  Chicago  Loop  from  Kensington  over  the  rails  of  the  Illinois  Central's 
superbly  engineered  suburban  electrification.     In    /956  a  four-car   Chicago   Ex- 
press, operating  over  the  outer  "special"  track  reserved  for  nonstop  trains,  was 
about  to  overtake  an  IC  local  on  six-track  right  of  way  not  far  from  the  Loop. 

William  D.  Middleton. 


A  Pullman-built  North  Shore  coach,  trimmed  in  the  Silverliner  colors  of  recent 
years,  got  a  new  set  of  wheels  in  the  company  shops  at  Highwood,  III.,  in  1955, 
William  D.  Middleton. 


V* 

VM^L 

r":t 

■ 

passengers  from  Chicago's  Loop  to  Mundelein  and 
back,  and  another  60,000  were  transported  between 
the  Chicago  &  North  Western  station  at  Lake  Bluff 
and  Mundelein.  Six-car  trains  of  borrowed  Chicago 
Rapid  Transit  equipment  left  the  Loop  every  2 
minutes  beginning  at  daybreak,  and  13  eight-car 
trains  shuttled  steadily  between  Lake  Bluff  and 
Mundelein  to  carry  the  record  crowd. 

Working  through  his  Midland  Utilities  Com- 
pany, Insull  next  acquired  the  Chicago,  Lake 
Shore  &  South  Bend  at  a  foreclosure  sale  in  1925,  re- 
organized it  as  the  Chicago  South  Shore  &  South 
Bend,  and  during  the  next  three  years  gave  it  a 
6.5-million-dollar  transfusion  of  Insull  capital  for 
rehabilitation  and  new  equipment.  At  the  peak  of 
its  overhaul  program  the  South  Shore  had  900  men 
at  work  laying  rail,  reballasting,  and  building  new 


structures  and  line  relocations.  The  Illinois  Central 
had  just  completed  the  1500-volt  D.C.  electrification 
of  its  suburban  system,  so  the  South  Shore  scrapped 
its  A.C.  equipment,  rebuilt  its  electrical  system  to 
conform  with  the  IC's,  and  negotiated  a  new  track- 
age rights  agreement  that  permitted  South  Shore 
electrics  to  operate  through  to  Randolph  Street  sta- 
tion, cutting  some  12  minutes  from  previous  running 
times  behind  IC  steam  power.  Pullman  and  other 
builders  turned  out  49  new  steel  cars  for  the  system, 
among  them  15  handsome  parlor-observation  and 
dining  cars.  When  South  Shore  began  operation  of 
limited  name  trains  with  the  new  de  luxe  equipment, 
the  trade  periodical  Electric  Railway  Journal  termed 
it  a  "smashing  blow  to  competition."  The  newly 
overhauled  South  Shore  did  well  indeed,  for  in  only 
one  year  —  between   1926  and  1927 — gross  passen- 


ffi 


Eastbound  with  afternoon  commuters  in  1935,  a  Michigan  City  train  pounded  past  Burnham  Yard  near 
Hammond,  Ind.,  where  one  of  the  South  Shore's  three  273-ton  "Little  Joe''  locomotives  made  up  an 
eastbound  freight.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Late  on  a  rainy  evening  a  train  of  heavy 
Pullman  interurbans  rolled  through  the 
streets  of  East  Chicago,  Ind.    By  the 
mid-'Ws  South  Shore  was  running  its 
trains  around  the  city  on  a  new  bypass 
route   built  to   trunk   line   standards. 
H.  A.  List. 


In  pre-Insull  days  the  South  Shore  Line  operated 
its  passenger  service  with  unusually  large  and 
heavy  wooden  interurbans  constructed  by  the  Niles 
Car  &  Manufacturing  Company.  Three  of  them 
headed  an  eastbound  special,  which  included  a 
Chicago  &  Alton  diner,  in  a  scene  at  the  Michigan 
City  (Ind.)  shops.  Chicago  South  Shore  &  South 

Bend  Railroad. 


221 


Before  and  After  Insull 

Geared  for  pulling  power,  a  Niles  combine  of  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South  Bend  days,  photographed  in 

1926  at  Lake  Park  siding,  was  able  to  make  good  time  with  a  six-car  special  of  borrowed  Illinois 

Central  coaches  of  the  familiar  arch-roofed  Harriman  lines  pattern.  Van-Zillmer  Collection. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  later  a  24-wheeled  "Little  Joe,"  developing  better  than  5000  horsepower,  made 

even  easier  work  of  a  10-car  Illinois  Central  picnic  special  made  up  of  the  selfsame  Harriman  coaches. 

The  train  is  seen  eastbound  at  the  Pennsylvania  overpass  east  of  Gary.  Van-Zillmer  Collection. 

Carefully  arranged  for  a  1927  publicity  photograph,  a  Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin  train,  made  up  of  four  handsome 


222 


I 


■JM 


1  ••  -^<* 


Pullman  steel  interurbans  and  a  buffet-parlor  car,  presented  a  fine  sight.    Charles  A.  Brown  Collection. 


223 


ger  revenues  increased  no  less  than   100  per  cent. 

Fresh  from  its  million  dollar  refurbishing  under 
the  Conway  management  when  it  was  added  to  the 
Insull  holdings  in  1926,  the  Chicago  Aurora  &  El- 
gin had  less  need  for  the  sort  of  capital  showered  on 
the  North  Shore  and  South  Shore  lines,  but  none- 
theless received  another  million  and  a  half  for  sta- 
tion and  right-of-way  improvements,  and  15  heavy 
steel  interurban  cars. 

The  splendidly  engineered  and  equipped  Insull 
lines  became  models  for  a  new  kind  of  heavy-duty, 
high-speed  interurban  that  many  hoped  would  bring 
a  new  era  of  traction  prosperity.  High-speed  op- 
eration had  become  the  object  of  growing  interest 
on  the  part  of  electric  railway  managers,  and  the  un- 
paralleled   accomplishments   of    the   Chicago    lines 


End  of  track  for  CA&E's  Elgin  line  teas  this  tranquil 
spot  on  the  Fox  River,  where  car  415  waited  to  de- 
part as  a  Chicago  Express.    Until  1 9  50  interurban 
connections  were  available  at  Elgin  for  Rockford, 
Freeport,  and  southern   Wisconsin  points. 
William  D.  Middleton. 

During  weekday  rush  hours  the  well-kept  Chicago 
Aurora  &  Elgin  roadway  between  Wheaton  and 
Chicago   handled  a  parade  of   multiple-unit  com- 
muter trains  on  streetcar  headway.    On  a  quiet  Sun- 
day morning,  hoivever,  this  car,  westbound  at  Glen 
Oak  station,  was  more  than  adequate  equipment  for 
a  Wheaton  local.    Roarin    Elgin  traffic  dwindled 
after  expressway  construction  forced  discontinuance 
of  "one-seat"  service  to  Chicago's  Loop  in  19*>4,  and 
abandonment  followed  three   years  later. 
William  D.  Middleton. 

A  shirt-sleeved  conductor  waved  a  highball  from  the 
vestibule  and  the  motorman  reached  for  his  con- 
troller as  a  CA&E  Chicago  local  prepared  to  depart 
from  Wheaton  station  in  J  9'*''.   Heading  the  train  was 
one  of  the  line's  10  post-World  War  11  St.  Louis-built 
interurbans,  constructed  with  "fish-belly"  sides  to 
permit  extra  seating  room  despite  Chicago  El  plat- 
form restrictions.   William  D.  Middleton. 

brought  them  widespread  recognition.  In  1924  Elec- 
tric Traction  magazine  began  the  award  of  an  an- 
nual Speed  Trophy  to  America's  fastest  interurban 
railways.  Texas'  Galveston-Houston  Electric  Rail- 
way received  top  honors  for  the  first  two  years,  but 
thereafter,  as  the  benefits  of  the  Insull  improve- 
ments were  realized,  the  three  Chicago  lines  domi- 
nated the  competition.  After  1929  the  Insull  lines 
regularly  held  the  first  three  places  in  the  competi- 
tion, and  in  1933,  after  winning  the  first  position  for 
three  consecutive  years,  the  North  Shore  gained 
permanent  possession  of  the  trophy. 

A  few  years  later  the  North  Shore  earned  world 
distinction  as  the  subject  of  a  special  article  in  Great 
Britain's  The  Railway  Gazette.  Stated  the  Gazette 
in  1935,  after  citing  examples  of  the  North  Shore's 
frequent  start-to-stop  timings  requiring  average 
speeds  in  the  vicinity  of  70  miles  per  hour,  "Some  of 


As  an  express  from  Chicago  cleared  the  single  track 

Aurora  Hue,  a  pair  of  CA&E  freight  motors  headed 

out  of  the  Burlington  interchange  with  tonnage 

for  Wheaton.    The   much-traveled  locomotives  had 

previously  operated  under  the  colors  of  no  less  than 

three  interurbans,  in  Oklahoma,  Kansas,  and  Iowa. 

William  D.  Middleton. 


mmm 


225 


the  point-to-point  bookings  are  probably  without 
rival,  and  the  timings  of  the  hourly  trains  between 
leaving  the  Milwaukee  suburban  area  and  entering 
that  of  Chicago  make  the  whole  service  the  fastest 
of  its  kind  in  the  world." 

Such  high  speed  dominance  among  electric  rail- 
ways has  continued  even  into  recent  years,  when 
the  North  Shore  has  regularly  scheduled  nearly  2000 
miles  daily  of  mile-a-minute  or  better  timings. 

Samuel  Insull's  great  public  utilities  complex 
weathered  the  stock  market  crash  of  1929,  but  fi- 
nancial reverses  of  the  next  few  years  forced  the  util- 
ilities  mogul  into  an  increasingly  difficult  position 


From  a  tower  overlooking  the  junction  of  CA&E's 
Aurora  and  Elgin  branches  at  Wheaton,  the  line's 
dispatcher  ran  his  busy  railroad.   William  D. 

MlDDLETON. 


Drab  platforms  were  transformed  by  wet,  sticky 

snow  at  the  CA&E  National  Street  station  in  Elgin 

as  this  cold  passenger  contemplated  the  joys  of 

electric  heat  aboard  the  coming  train.  DALE  BUFK1N. 


226 


and  finally,  in  1932,  the  Insull  empire  collapsed. 
Thousands  of  small  investors  found  their  savings 
wiped  out  and  Insull,  harassed  by  intense  public  feel- 
ing, fled  to  Europe  to  escape  prosecution.  Seized 
aboard  a  Greek  vessel  at  Istanbul  in  1934,  Insull  was 
returned  to  the  U.  S.  for  trial  on  charges  of  mail 
fraud,  violation  of  federal  bankruptcy  laws,  and 
embezzlement,  from  all  of  which  he  eventually  won 
acquittal. 

It  is  interesting  to  speculate  on  what  might  have 
been  had  the  Insull  empire  survived  the  depression. 
As  early  as  1925,  when  Insull's  Midland  Utilities  ac- 
quired the  bankrupt  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South 
Bend,  the  electric  railway  trade  press  gave  serious 
attention  to  rumors  that  formation  of  a  single  giant 
Insull  interurban  extending  all  the  way  from  Mil- 
waukee to  Louisville  was  in  the  making.  The  affairs 
of  the  three  big  Chicago  interurbans  were  close- 
ly interlocked  following  acquisition  of  control  by 


Midland  Utilities.  The  three  lines  engaged  in  joint 
traffic  promotion,  and  two  of  them,  the  North  Shore 
and  the  South  Shore,  were  headed  by  the  same  presi- 
dent, Britton  I.  Budd.  The  purchase  by  the  South 
Shore  in  1930  of  two  new  locomotives,  designed 
for  either  1500-  or  600-volt  operation  and  trolley, 
pantograph,  or  third-rail  current  collection  to  per- 
mit their  use  on  any  of  the  three  Chicago  lines, 
hinted  at  an  even  closer  relationship  to  come.  The 
extensive  Indiana  properties  of  another  Insull  hold- 
ing company,  Midland  United,  were  actually  con- 
solidated in  1930  into  the  statewide  Indiana  Railroad 
System,  but  no  effort  was  ever  made  to  join  it  with 
the  Chicago  lines.  Some  initial  improvements  were 
made  to  the  Indiana  system,  but  by  this  time  the 
kind  of  capital  needed  to  rebuild  the  lines  after  the 
pattern  of  the  Chicago  super  interurbans  was  no 
longer  available  and  the  network  vanished  scarcely 
10  years  later.    1 


An  Insull  interurban  that  never  made  the  grade 
uas  the  Chicago  &  Interurban  Traction  Company, 
which  got  as  far  as  Kankakee  with  a  line  that  was 
projected  to  reach  Lafayette,  Ind.    Ill  equipped 
to  compete  with  the  neighboring  Illinois  Central 
for  through  business,  and  paralleled  by  Illinois' s 
first  paved  highway  in  1921,  the  line  suffered 
from  a  chronic  shortage  of  passengers  and  fre- 


quent financial  crises.    Electrification  of  Illinois 
Central  suburban  service  in  1926,  which  absorbed 
most  of  the  company's  suburban  business,  was  the 
last  straw,  and  C&IT  promptly  folded.  Soon  after 
delivery  from  St.  Louis  in  1907,  car  No.  202  of 
C&IT -predecessor  Chicago  &  Southern  Traction 
stepped  out  on  a  special  excursion.  William  D. 
Middleton   Collection. 


rs  iron 

Run 


Way  Down  Sout] 

The  South  Central  States 


Houston  Electric  Railway's 

•re  blue  and  white,  trimmed 

observation  compart// 

e  Krambles  Collec 


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Way  Down  South 


The  South  Central  States 


AS  in  the  states  of  the  Confederacy  along  the  At- 
lantic coast,  interurban  development  in  the  central 
states  of  the  Deep  South  was  rare.  In  the  entire  re- 
gion, plus  the  border  state  of  Kentucky,  there  were 
to  be  found  barely  a  half  dozen  important  interur- 
ban systems.  Farther  west,  in  Oklahoma  and  Texas, 
electric  line  development  was  more  frequent,  and 
the  two  states  boasted  several  of  the  most  distin- 
guished—  and  financially  successful  —  properties 
of  the  interurban  era.  Almost  every  important  popu- 
lation center  in  the  two  states  had  at  least  one  inter- 
urban; and  Dallas,  the  leading  traction  center  of 
the  entire  South  Central  region,  had  no  less  than 
six  radiating  routes,  operated  by  three  different  in- 


terurban systems.  Interurban  development  in  the 
two  states  began  relatively  late,  and  continued  well 
after  the  beginning  of  the  decline  and  disintegra- 
tion of  traction  systems  elsewhere  in  North  Ameri- 
ca. The  Northeast  Oklahoma  Railway,  for  example, 
did  not  electrify  its  original  line  until  1921,  and 
continued  the  construction  of  new  lines  until  1923. 
The  ill-considered  Texas  Interurban  Railway,  which 
operated  62  miles  of  track  from  Dallas  to  Terrell 
and  Denton,  was  not  completed  until  1924,  al- 
though total  abandonment  came  only  eight  years 
later.  The  very  last  interurban  to  begin  operation 
in  North  America  was  the  Missouri  Pacific's  Hous- 
ton North  Shore  Railway,  which  opened  in   1927. 


The  most  successful  of  the  two  interurbans  operating  from  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  was  the  Nashville  Interurban  Railway,  later  the  Nash- 
ville-Franklin Railway.  These  two  photographs  showing  a  freight 
train  and  one  of  the  company's  original  passenger  cars  were  taken 
shortly  after  the  line  began  operation  in  1909,  and  track  ballast  was 
still  conspicuously  absent.   Both  Photos:  Mack  Craig  Collection. 


230 


During  the  '30's  the  N-F  acquired  a  few 
secondhand  Cincinnati  lightweights  such 
as  this  one  at  the  Tennessee  Central  cross- 
ing in  Nashville  in  1940,  the  last  year  of 
passenger  operation.    Nashville's  other 
interurban,  the  Nashville-Gallatin  Inter- 
urban  Railway,  opened  a  24-mile  high- 
speed, 1200-volt  route  to  Gallatin  in  1913. 
The  company  proposed  ultimately  to  ex- 
tend its  system  clear  across  the  state  of 
Kentucky  through  Bowling  Green  to 
Louisville,  where  a  direct  connection  was 
to  be  made  with  the  great  traction  net- 
works of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois. 
Nothing,  of  course,  ever  came  of  the 
scheme,  and  the  company  quietly  folded 
after  19  years  of  operation.    Stephen  D. 
Maguire. 


The  first  interurban  to  adopt  the  Cin- 
cinnati  curved-side   lightweight   cat- 
was  the  Kentucky  Traction  &  Ter- 
minal Company,  which  bought  10  of 
them  in  1 922  for  service  on  its  four  inter- 
urban routes  radiating  from  Lexington. 
The  phenomenal  success  of  the  light- 
weights in  achieving  economies  and 
increasing  patronage  led  to  their  wide 
adoption   on   Midwestern   interurbans. 
One  of  the  original  KT&T  light- 
weights,   No.    ill,   was   photographed 
at  Frankfort  en  route  to  Lexington  in 
1932.     Abandonment   came   two   years 
later.   Howard  E.  Johnston 
Collection. 


**\ 


^ 


232 


233 


234 


Although  brightly  painted  cars  such  as  the  Piankasha  provided  frequent  passenger  service  to  points  in  the 
mining  district  in  the  Oklahoma-Missouri-Kansas  corner,  the  Northeast  Oklahoma  Railroad's  principal 
business  was  the  transportation  of  ore  from  the  lead  and  zinc  mines  to  the  smelters  of  owner  Eagle-Picher 
Alining  &  Smelting  Company.    The  last  passenger  cars  quit  running  in  1940,  but  freight  traffic  continues 
behind  diesel  power.    George  Krambles  Collection. 


The  24-mile  Pittsburg  County  Railway  began  op- 
eration between  McAlester  and  Hartshorne,  Okla., 
in  190  3.    Although  frequent  passenger  service  con- 
tinued almost  to  the  time  of  abandonment  in  1947, 
carload  coal  traffic  from  the  mines  of  eastern  Okla- 
homa brought  in  most  of  the  company's  revenue. 
Box  motor  *>2  snitched  a  strip  mine  near  Alderson 
in  1946.    Preston  George. 


The  Pittsburg  County,  in  operation  for  four  years 
when  Oklahoma  became  a  state,  originally  was 
called  the  Indian  Territory  Traction  Company.    In 
1946  car   55  zipped  along  the  highway  between 
Bache  and  Dow.    After  1924,  three  of  these  Cin- 
cinnati  cars   operated   all  passenger   schedules. 
Preston  George. 


-     ^ 


->-  - 


I  llJSii3'r 


The  Sand  Springs  Line  began  the  replacement  of  its  original  heavy  wooden  equip- 
ment with  secondhand  lightweight  cars  during  the  '30's.    Here,  at  Lake  Station 
in  1946,  are  former  Oklahoma  Union  Railway  lightweight  No.  69,  en  route  from 
Tulsa  to  Sand  Springs,  and  Tulsa-bound  No.  62,  one  of  the  five  lightweights  ac- 
quired from  the  Cincinnati,  Lawrenceburg  &  Aurora  in  1934.   Built  by  the  Cin- 
cinnati Car  Company  in  1918,  the  CL&A  cars  were  among  the  first  lightweight 
cars  built.    Gordon  Lloyd. 

Former  Union  Electric  Railway  No.  75  arrived  at  Tulsa  in.  1954  on  double  track  which 
paralleled  the  Frisco's  Tulsa-Oklahoma  City  main  line.    William  D.  Middleton. 


236 


To  augment  the  motive  power  available  for  its  growing  freight  traffic,  the  Sand  Springs  purchased 
two  11-ton  locomotives  from  the  Niagara  Junction  Railway  of  New  York  in  1946.    One  of  the  radio- 
equipped  steeple-cabs,  No.  1006,  pulled  a  cut  of  tankers  from  the  Sinclair  plant  at  Sand  Springs  in  1934. 

WlILIAM    D.   MlDDLETON. 


Charity's  Interurban 

In  1908  Oklahoma  oilman,  industrialist,  and  phi- 
lanthropist Charles  Page  began  construction  of  his 
Sand  Springs  Home  for  orphans  and  widows  on  160 
acres  of  onetime  camping  ground  in  the  former 
Osage  Indian  Nation  a  few  miles  west  of  Tulsa.  Dis- 
pleased with  the  undependable  flagstop  transporta- 
tion service  afforded  by  a  nearby  Katy  branch  line. 
Page  decided  to  build  his  own  railroad  to  the  Home. 
Completed  in   1911,  the  Sand  Springs  Railway  was 


initially  operated  with  McKeen  gasoline  cars,  but 
was  soon  electrified.  To  assure  a  permanent  income 
for  the  Home,  Page  established  the  City  of  Sand 
Springs  as  a  model  industrial  center  and  liberally 
endowed  the  Home  with  tracts  of  industrial  land  and 
a  multitude  of  business  enterprises,  chief  among 
them  the  Sand  Springs  Railway  itself.  A  highly 
successful  electric  railway,  the  Sand  Springs  Line 
continued  passenger  operation  until  1955,  when 
lack  of  profits,  not  a  shortage  of  passengers,  brought 
its  abandonment.  Diesel  freight  operation  continues. 


The  Oklahoma  Railway's  steel  combine  Lindbergh  was  built  for  the  company  m  1917  by  the  St.  Louts 
Car  Company.  Scrollwork  painting  and  the  glass  in  the  lower  panels  of  the  baggage  door  augmented 
the  "de  luxe"  appearance  lent  by  white  tires.   O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


1 


Oklahoma's  largest  traction  system  was  that  of  the 
Oklahoma  Railway,  which  operated  interurban 
routes  from  Oklahoma  City  to  Guthrie,  El  Reno, 
and  Norman,  as  well  as  street  railway  lines  within 
the  capital  city.  The  company's  interurban  routes 
survived  through  World  War  II,  when  they  were 
subjected  to  a  tremendous  traffic  growth  resulting 


from  defense  plant  activity  and  installation  of  a 
huge  Naval  Training  Station  at  Norman.  The  com- 
pany, which  had  purchased  a  considerable  number 
of  relatively  modern  interurbans  on  the  secondhand 
market  during  the  '30's,  sought  still  more,  and  old 
passenger  cars  which  had  been  converted  for  freight 
service  were   re-equipped   for  passenger  operation. 


Arriving  at  Oklahoma  City  from  Guthrie  in  1946  was  a  former  Rock  ford  (III.)  Public  Service  Com- 
pany interurban  obtained  in  1917.    Preston  GEORGE. 


One  of  the  different  car  types  acquired  by  the  Oklahoma  Railway  from  aban- 
doned Midwestern  properties  during  the  '30's  lias  this  former  Fort  Wayne-Lima 
Railroad  lightweight  shown  at  the  Norman  depot  in  19 IX.    Preston  George. 


239 


The  original  composite  wood  and  steel  equipment  of  the  two  predecessor  companies  operated 
virtually  all  Texas  Electric  passenger  schedules  throughout  the  system's  existence.    Much  rebuilt 
through  the  years,  the  cars  were  maintained  to  high  standards  even  in  the  company's  last  years.    Hand- 
somely groomed  No.  368  was  photographed  at  Vickery  on  a  northbound  trip  in  the  summer  of  1947, 
little  more  than  a  year  before  Texas  Electric  abandoned  its  entire  system.    A  head-on  collision  be- 
tween two  passenger  cars  in   1948  hastened  the  company's  liquidation.    George  A.  Roush. 

Texas  Electric  was  the  last  interurban,  save  Pacific  Electric,  to  operate  Railway  Post  Of- 
fice equipment.    In  1941  the  company's  RPO  car  No.  362,  southbound  from  Denison  to 
Dallas,  was  just  north  of  Vickery,  where  the  interurban  line  made  an  abrupt  change  of 
direction  to  pass  under  the  T&NO  Railroad.  George  A.  Roush. 


240 


-# 


Arch  Windows  Across 
the  bluebonnet  state 

Texas  interurban  development  was  largely  cen- 
tered about  the  populous  Dallas-Fort  Worth  area, 
and  a  large  portion  of  the  state's  electric  mileage  was 
under  the  control  of  the  Stone  &  Webster  Manage- 
ment Association  of  Boston.  Street  railways  in  both 
Dallas  and  Fort  Worth  were  Stone  &  Webster-man- 
aged, along  with  the  high-class  Northern  Texas 
Traction  Company,  which  connected  the  two  cities 
with  a  35-mile  line,  and  the  Tarrant  County  Traction 
Company,  which  operated  30  miles  south  from  Fort 
Worth  to  Cleburne.  The  Texas  Traction  Company, 
operating    north    from    Dallas    to    Sherman,    and 


the  Southern  Traction  Company,  operating  south- 
ward to  Corsicana  and  Waco,  on  the  other  hand, 
were  locally  owned  and  managed,  and  South- 
ern Traction  was  sometimes  known  as  the  "Home 
Interurban"  for  its  predominance  of  local  stock 
ownership.  The  two  affiliated  companies,  both  pro- 
moted by  J.  F.  Strickland  of  Dallas,  were  merged  in 
1917  to  form  the  250-mile  Texas  Electric  Railway, 
the  longest  interurban  in  the  entire  south.  Despite 
its  failure  to  develop  more  than  a  modest  freight 
traffic,  Texas  Electric  was  a  remarkably  successful 
interurban,  and  its  Denison  and  Waco  lines  con- 
tinued through  World  War  II,  when  passenger  rev- 
enues reached  a  peak  of  nearly  2  million  dollars  ; 
year,  and  the  company  even  paid  a  few  dividends. 


241 


3t  =M  3? 


c» 


W   w  »*<• 


~./  -  k 


These  interurban  terminal  facilities  in 
Dallas  were  provided  by  the  local  city 
system.   At  the  terminal  in  1948  were  red 
and  cream  TE  RPO  car  No.  350  and  coach 
No.  326,  one  of  the  jew  all-steel  cars  op- 
erated by  the  company.  George  A.  Roush. 


Shortly   before  abandonment  in 
194H  of  the  largest  interurban  of 
the  entire  South  Central  region,  this 
Texas  Electric  interurban  traveled 
to  Waco  on  a  special  run  with  a 
party   of  railroad  enthusiasts. 
W.  P.  Donalson  Jr. 


After  Northern  Texas  Traction  was 
abandoned  in   1934,   Texas  Electric 
acquired  a  few  of  NTT's  distinguished 
arch-roofed   wooden   cars.     Two   of 
them    met   at   George   siding   be- 
tween Dallas  and  Denison  in  1940. 
C.  D.  Savage. 


242 


America's  Fastest  Interurban 

Throughout  the  age  of  electric  traction  there 
were  few  interurbans  that  equaled  the  magnificent 
Galveston-Houston  Electric  Railway,  which  was 
completed  between  the  two  cities  in  1911  by  the 
Stone  &  Webster  Engineering  Company.  Built  with 
what  the  railway's  house  organ  termed  "utter  disre- 
gard for  expense,"  the  line  observed  excep- 
tionally high  standards  of  engineering  and  construc- 
tion. For  34  of  its  50  route  miles  the  railway's  track 
was  laid  on  a  perfect  tangent,  and  altogether  there 
were  only  six  curves  on  the  entire  interurban  sec- 
tion, none  of  them  exceeding  21 .  ?  degrees.  The  maxi- 
mum grade  on  the  entire  line  was  only  0.5  per  cent, 
with  the  single  exception  of  the  approaches  to  a 
crossing  over  the  Santa  Fe.  Private  right  of  way  was 
a  full  100  feet  wide.  Eighty-pound  rail,  founded  in 
shell  ballast,  was  employed  throughout  the  length  of 
the  line.  Catenary  construction  was  employed  for  the 
overhead  system,  and  power  was  generated  in  the 
company's  own  modern  steam  turbine  plant.  Galves- 
ton-Houston traffic  proved  highly  profitable  from  the 
start.  During  the  '20's  some  of  the  company's  splen- 
did standard  interurbans  were  provided  with  parlor 
sections,  and  accelerated  schedules  were  installed. 
Beginning  in  1924  the  parlor  car  limiteds  Galves- 
ton Flyer  and  Houston  Rocket  were  scheduled  twice 
daily  between  the  two  cities  on  75-minute  timings, 
requiring  an  average  speed  of  over  40  miles  per  hour 
between  downtown  terminals.  It  was  the  fastest  elec- 
tric railway  service  in  America,  and  for  two  consecu- 
tive years  the  Galveston-Houston  line  was  awarded 
the  Electric  Traction  interurban  speed  trophy.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  months  Houston  pleasure  seekers 
rode  down  to  the  Gulf  on  equally  rapid  schedules 
aboard  the  weekday  Pleasure  Limited  and  the  Sun- 


day-only 55  Limiteds,  which  operated  directly  to  the 
beach  in  Galveston.  Late  in  the  evening  the  north- 
bound Moonbeam  was  scheduled  for  the  return 
home.  Special  excursion  fares  were  offered,  among 
them  such  combination  tickets  as  the  Pleasure  Lim- 
ited round  trip  which  included  admission  to  a  bath- 
house and  the  Tokio  dance  hall,  and  a  tourist  outing 
which  included  a  sight-seeing  tour  of  either  Houston 
or  Galveston.  For  the  convenience  of  dance  hall 
patrons,  the  last  train  north  in  the  evening,  the 
Nigbthawk  local,  was  routed  by  the  Tokio  at 
12:05  a.m.    1 


This  gay  drawing  appeared  in  local  news- 
papers at  the  time  of  the  Galveston-Hous- 
ton's opening  in  1911.    Herb  Woods 
Collection. 


A   concrete  causeway,  over  2  miles  in  length, 
afforded  the  interurban,  five  railroads,  and  a  high- 
way access  to  Galveston  Island.    The  electric  line 
contributed  a  quarter  of  the  2-million-dollar  con- 
struction cost.    During  the  great  hurricane  of  1915 
portions  of  both  approaches  to  the  causeway  were 
wrecked,  stranding  a  passenger  train  and  a  work 
train  as  winds  approaching  100  miles  per  hour 


swept  sheets  of  water  across  the  structure.   The  pas- 
senger-train conductor  and  a  number  of  passengers 
who  took  refuge  in  the  nearby  Causeivay  Inn  lost 
their  lives  when  the  building  was  swept  away  at 
the  height  of  the  storm.   Two  passenger  cars  and  an 
electric  locomotive  ivere  eventually  recovered  from 
the  bay,  but  a  tower  car  was  swept  away  and  never 
found.    Herb  Woods  Collection. 


' 


V  V 

II  Ml 

\mm 

. 

™uite 

HI 

mwm  > 

1 

-r^Tir; 

■■,"  -*T'?ltLj« 

Tu'O  jour-car  special  trains  loaded  a  crowd  of  Galveston-bound  pleasure  seekers  on  Texas  Avenue  in 
Houston  about  1927.   The  two  wooden  trailer  cars  in  the  foreground  had  come  to  the  rail  u  ay  second- 
hand from  Pennsylvania's  Laurel  Line.    Herb  Woods  Collection. 


245 


To  Far  and  Lonely  Places 

The  Mountain  States 


246 


Against  a  stern  Wasatch  Range  backdrop,  a  sleek  Bamberger  Railroad 
Bullet  raced  southward  to  Salt  Lake  City  in  1950  across  the  vast  and  open 
spaces  that  characterized  the  Utah  interurban.  William  D.  Middleton. 


/■' 


^^■%f^^Wm 


247 


To  Far  and  Lonely  Places 


The  Mountain  States 


VvEST  of  the  Great  Plains,  in  the  forbidding 
reaches  of  the  Rockies  and  lesser  ranges,  the  electric 
cars  became  only  an  infrequent  sight.  The  trans- 
portation needs  of  the  thinly  populated  Mountain 
states  were  already  amply  accommodated  by  the 
great  transcontinental,  and  the  gold  and  silver  dig- 
gings of  the  Colorado  Rockies  had  been  thoroughly 
covered  by  the  narrow  gauge  frenzy  of  a  few  decades 
earlier.  Only  in  the  fertile  lowlands  of  Mormon 
Utah,  where  a  chain  of  interurbans  extended  nearly 
200  miles  southward  from  the  Idaho  border  through 
the  Great  Salt  Lake  basin,  did  traction  develop- 
ment approach  that  of  the  Midwestern  states. 


The  operations  of  the  omnipresent 
Anaconda  Copper  Mining  Com- 
pany of  Anaconda,  Mont.,  extended 
even  to  a  Street  Railway  Depart- 
ment, whose  interurban  trains  ran 
to  the  company's  nearby  smelter 
and  the   town   of   Opportunity. 
Almost  in  the  shadow  of  the  great 
smelter  stack,  a  St.   Louis  motor 
car  struggled  into  Anaconda  with 
four  trailers  of  homeward-bound 
workers  in  19W.  John  Stern. 


Aside  from  portions  of  major  lines  of  Utah  and  Washington  which 
extended  into  the  state,  Idaho's  few  miles  of  electric  railway  were 
concentrated   in   the   Boise  region.     Largest   of  several  Idaho   in- 
terurbans was  the  Boise  Valley  Traction  Company  that  operated 
westward  from  Boise  to  Caldwell  over  two  alternate  routes.    The 
company's  combine  No.  7,  shown  at  the  Ballantine  way  station  in 
1919,  was  built  by  American  Car  Company  in  1911.   Smokers  were 
expected  to  ride  in  the  baggage  compartment,  which  was  fitted 
with  folding  wooden  seats.   Allan  H.  Berner  Collection. 


248 


-1 


250 


The  Denver  &  Interurban  Railroad  was  a  notable 
early  experiment  in  high-voltage,  single-phase  elec- 
trification of  Colorado  &  Southern  steam  tracks  be- 
tween Denver  and  Boulder,  employing  the  Westing- 
house  11,000-volt  A.C.  system.  At  one  time  Colo- 
rado &  Southern  plans  contemplated  a  mainline  elec- 
trification and  hourly  interurban  service  all  the  way 
to  Fort  Collins,  but  the  Burlington,  which  controlled 
C&S  after  1908,  didn't  take  to  the  idea  and  the 
catenary  never  extended  beyond  Boulder.  The  eight 
generously  proportioned  motor  cars  which  were 
constructed  for  the  service  by  the  St.  Louis  Car 
Company   employed    extra-heavy   steel    frames   and 


wooden  bodies  because  of  operation  over  the  same 
tracks  with  steam  trains,  and  weighed  better  than 
62  tons.  The  extra  weight  of  bulky  A.C.  controls  in 
addition  to  duplicate  D.C.  controls  for  operation 
over  Denver  and  Boulder  streetcar  tracks  and  such 
lavish  features  as  steel  plate  floors  contributed  to  the 
great  weight  of  the  cars.  The  exuberance  of  the  Old 
West  had  not  entirely  disappeared  before  the  brief 
span  of  D&I  operation,  and  on  one  occasion  an  in- 
terurban passing  through  Louisville  during  a  bitter 
miners'  strike  was  liberally  ventilated  by  gunfire. 
The  passengers  took  to  the  floor  while  the  electric 
car  hastened  out  of  range. 


In  Pullman  green  trimmed  with  gold,  car  A1-J57  paused  at  D&I  Junction 

with  an  inspection  party  of  company  officials  in  1908,  the  year  of  D&l's  opening. 

Motorman  Fred  Spencer  lounged  nonchalantly  in  the  doorway.    Andrew  W. 

Whiteford,  from  Jack  Thode. 


A  small  boy  gazed  rapturously  at  the  big  interur- 
ban as  a  Denver  &  Interurban  train  made  a  station 
stop  under  the  A.C.  catenary.   William  D.  Mid- 
dleton  Collection. 


251 


Between  Denver  and  D&I  Junction,  a  distance  of  some  16  miles,  Colorado  & 
Southern  deemed  it  advisable  to  construct  a  new  and  separate  line  for  its  electric 
subsidiary,  but  the  remainder  of  the  distance  to  Boulder  was  operated  over  either 
of  two  C&S  steam  lines  which  had  been  electrified  for  the  interurban  service. 
This  activity  at  Louisville  about  1910  indicates  the  close  integration  of  D&I 


252 


schedules  with  those  of  the  parent  C&S.    The  two  interurban  cars,  en  route  to 
and  from  Denver,  are  meeting  the  C&S's  Lafayette  Stub  local,  powered  by 
4-4-0  No.  303.  The  dual-gauge  track  was  employed  for  mixed-gauge  freights  trans- 
porting ore  concentrates  from  the  Denver,  Boulder  &  Western  interchange  at 
Boulder  to  the  smelter  in  Denver.    Boulder  Historical  Society. 


253 


An  interurban  with  an  ambitious  past  was  the 
Denver  &  Intermountain,  which  extended  west  from 
Denver  to  Leyden  and  Golden.  Originally  built  by 
David  Moffat  as  the  narrow-gauge  Denver  &  North- 
western, the  line  was  once  possessed  of  plans  to 
cross  the  Continental  Divide  to  Grand  Lake,  a  pop- 
ular resort  near  what  is  now  the  Rocky  Mountain 
National  Park.    Instead,  Moffat  built  his  Denver  & 


Salt  Lake  line  through  Corona  Pass  and  Denver  & 
Northwestern  became  an  interurban  affiliate  of 
the  Denver  Tramways.  Later  on,  a  second,  more 
direct  route  to  Golden  was  provided  when  the 
Tramways  took  over  and  electrified  a  standard-gauge 
steam  line.  Between  Arvada  and  the  Leyden  Mine 
the  company  operated  a  rare  stretch  of  dual-gauge 
electric  track. 


This  D&IM   narrow-gauge  interurban,  a  con- 
verted city  car,  was  running  at  a  respectable  JO 
miles  per  hour  near  Arvada,  Colo.,  in  l')4H  on 
dual-gauge  track  of  the  old  Denver  &  Northwest- 
ern, which  was  parallel  to  the  rails  of  D&RG\\"s 
Mofjat-built  transcontinental.    A  onetime  funeral 


car  which  transported  mourners  while  the  cof- 
fin rode  in  a  four-wheel  trailer  behind,  car  .03 
retained  its  black  leather  upholstery  to  the  end. 
For  reasons  now  obscure,  Denver  &  Intermoun- 
tain applied  decimal  numbers  to  its  narrow- 
gauge  interurbans.    Ross  B.  Grenard  Jr. 


Lava-capped  North  Table  Mountain  provided  a  scenic  background  as  a  standard-gauge  D&IM  interurban 
rolled  eastward  out  of  Golden,  Colo.,  in  ll)4l),  a  year  before  abandonment.    John   Stern. 


255 


Trailing  a  former  Colorado  &  Southern  com- 
bine which  served  as  a  caboose,  a  pair  of  D&IM 
narrow-gauge  steeple-cab   locomotives   ran 
ALU.  near  Leyden  in  1950.   The  unusual  en- 
gines were  leased  from  Denver  Tramways. 
Freight  equipment  was  painted  a  simple  black, 
but  passenger  cars  were  the  same  golden  yel- 
low as  DT  streetcars.  Ross  B.  Grenard  Jr. 


Arriving  from   Colorado  Springs,  a  deck- 
roofed  Colorado  Springs  &  Interurban   car 
headed  through  the  streets  of  Manitou 
Springs,  past  the  terminal  where  passengers 
transferred  to  the  cog  railroad  that  scaled 
nearby  Pikes  Peak.    Rambling  resort  hotels, 
such  as  the  one  seen  in  the  background,  ac- 
commodated passengers  who  came  to  partake 
of  the  health-giving  benefits  of  the  mineral 
springs.    From  Railroad  Magazine. 


256 


/*' 


The  Highest  Interurban 

The  gold  mining  camps  of  the  mountainous  Crip- 
ple Creek  district,  the  scene  of  Colorado's  last  great 
mining  boom,  were  linked  by  the  rails  of  an  early 
U.  S.  interurban,  the  Cripple  Creek  District  Rail- 
way, that  began  service  between  Cripple  Creek  and 
nearby  Victor  early  in  1898.  This  original  "High 
Line"  between  the  two  points  traversed  an  extreme- 
ly mountainous  area,  affording  what  was  perhaps 
the  most  spectacular  interurban  ride  available  in 
North  America.  The  electric  cars  negotiated  severe 
grades,  which  reached  a  maximum  of  7.5  per  cent  up 
Poverty  Gulch,  and  climbed  to  an  elevation  of  near- 


ly 2  miles  above  sea  level  at  Midway,  making  the 
line  easily  the  highest  electric  railway  in  all  of 
North  America.  A  year  after  its  opening  the  electric 
line  was  purchased  by  the  new  Colorado  Springs  & 
Cripple  Creek  District  Railway  and  the  latter  con- 
structed a  second,  shorter  "Low  Line"  between  Crip- 
ple Creek  and  Victor  in  1901.  During  the  Cripple 
Creek  boom  times  the  interurban  transported  such 
later  distinguished  personages  as  Bernard  Baruch, 
Jack  Dempsey,  Tom  Mix,  and  "Texas"  Guinan;  and 
the  famous  vaudeville  team  of  Gallagher  and  Shean 
first  tried  out  their  routines  for  passengers  on  the 
mountain  interurban,  on  which  they  worked  as 
motorman  and  conductor. 


About  1900,  Cripple  Creek  District  Railway's  car  No.  1,  the  Evelyn,  a  Barney  & 
Smith  motor  car,  stopped  at  Midway  en  route  from  Cripple  Creek  to  Victor. 
Barely  visible  to  the  south  are  the  peaks  of  the  Sangre  de  Crista  range. 
Eddie  Wiwatowski  Collection. 


The  interurban's  route  and  the  irregular  topography  of  the  Cripple  Creek  District  are  shown  in  some- 
what exaggerated  fashion  in  this  early  promoter's  view.   Trains  Collection. 


Controlled  by  the  Carlton  interests,  the  Grand 
River  Valley  Railroad,  tvhich  extended  16  miles 
from   Grand  Junction,   Colo.,  to   Fruita,  was 
once  scheduled  to  become  a  part  of  the  Colo- 
rado Midland's  projected  western  extension  to 
Salt  Lake  City.    Instead,  following  World  War  1, 


the  Midland  earned  the  unfortunate  distinction 
of  being  the  largest  single  abandonment  in 
railroad  history,  and  the  "fruit  Belt  Route"  con- 
tinued to  the  end  of  its  existence  in  relative 
obscurity.    Combine  No.   5 J   is  seen  in  Grand 
Junction.    Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


Northernmost  of  the  chain  of  Utah  interurbans 
was  the  Ogden,  Logan  &  Idaho  Railway,  later  known 
as  the  Utah  Idaho  Central,  which  meandered  north 
from  Ogden  across  the  Collinston  Divide  to  the 
Cache  Valley  and  southern  Idaho.  Originally  the 
wealthy  David  Eccles  interests,  which  built  the  line, 
contemplated  an  electric  trunk  line  that  would 
eventually  extend  all  the  way  to  Yellowstone 
Park,  but  traffic  was  scarce  in  the  lonely  UIC  coun- 
try and  prosperity  eluded  the  interurban.    In  1910  a 


UIC  predecessor,  the  Ogden  Rapid  Transit  Com- 
pany, successfully  waged  a  miniature  "canyon  war" 
with  Simon  Bamberger's  Salt  Lake  &  Ogden  in- 
terurban, when  both  raced  to  be  the  first  to  build 
a  line  up  the  scenic  Ogden  Canyon.  While  Bam- 
berger crews  were  busy  surveying  and  grading  a 
new  line  to  the  mouth  of  the  canyon,  east  of  Ogden, 
ORT  managed  to  get  there  first  by  extending  an 
Ogden  local  line,  and  Bamberger  was  forced  to 
abandon  his  virtually  completed  roadbed. 


Winters  were  severe  on  the  Utah  interurbans,  and  scenes  such  as  this  were  com- 
mon.  Home-built  wooden  freight  locomotive  No.  6  battled  heavy  drifts  on 
the  Ogden  Rapid-  Transit  line  near  Nerva  before  1912.  Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


260 


Speeding  downgrade  after  topping  the  Collinston 
Divide  at  Summit,  northbound  VIC  train  No.  1 
beaded  through  desolate  countryside  to  Preston. 
Ida.,  in  1947.    By  this  time  the  company's 
passenger  operation  had  declined  to  a  single 


daily  round  trip,  and  abandonment  was  only  a 
month  away.    The  "rising  sun"  front-end  treat- 
ment was  typical  of  the  flamboyant  color  schemes 
adopted  by  Utah  interurbans  during  their  later 
years.   Fred  Fellow. 


261 


With  the  great  Mormon  Temple  prominent  in  the 
background,  a  three-car  Bamberger  train  headed 
north  out  of  Salt  Lake  City  for  Ogden  in  1950. 
John  Stern. 


Garbed  in  brilliant  orange  and  cream 
colors,  a  Bamberger  interurban  approached 
North  Salt  Lake  station  in  the  wake  of  a 
February   snowstorm   in    1951.     Originally 
constructed  as  an  open  trailer  car  in  1916 
by  the  Jewett  Car  Company,  car  355  was 
rebuilt  numerous  times  b\  company  shops 
in  later  years.   After  being  gutted  in  a  half- 
million-dollar  Ogden  carbouse  fire  in  1918, 
No.  355  and  five  identical  cars  were  rebuilt 
in  company  shops  as  enclosed  motor  cars. 
Their  last  rebuilding   came  in    1946  in 
preparation  for  a  new  high-speed  "Flyer" 
service;   interiors   were  completely   refur- 
bished and  new  gearing  was  installed  which 
permitted  top  speeds  of  73  miles  per  hour. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


Dissatisfied  with  the  indifferent  service  offered 
between  Salt  Lake  City  and  Ogden  by  the  Union 
Pacific  and  the  Denver  &  Rio  Grande,  and  con- 
vinced that  a  local  railroad  devoted  to  local  interests 
was  required,  Simon  Bamberger,  later  a  Utah  gov- 
ernor, organized  the  Salt  Lake  &  Ogden  Railway, 
which  completed  construction  of  a  line  between  the 
two  cities  in  1908.  Originally  steam  powered,  the 
SL&O  was  converted  to  electric  power  in  1910,  and 
still  later  adopted  the  Bamberger  family  name  as  its 
corporate  title.  Connecting  Utah's  two  principal 
cities,  and  traversing  the  rich  Mormon  lowlands 
between  the  Wasatch  Range  and  Great  Salt  Lake,  the 
Bamberger  line  developed  a  rich  traffic  and  survived 
well  beyond  the  midcentury. 


26: 


Just  north  of  Farmington,  Utah, 
Salt  Lake  &  Ogden   construc- 
tion crews  drained  a  swamp, 
created   an   artificial    lake,    and 
built    the    elaborate    Lagoon 
amusement  park  that  soon  be- 
came a  major  source  of  the  com- 
pany's passenger  traffic.    Jam- 
packed   with  passengers  in  a 
holiday  mood,  a  five-car  Fourth 
of  July  special  rumbled  through 
Farmington  on  the  way  from 
Salt  Lake   City   to   the  park. 
Fred  Fellow. 


In    company    with    their    steam    railroad    con- 
temporaries, interurban  proprietors  considered  the 
monumental  passenger  terminal,  befitting  the  im- 
portance and  substantial  character  of  their  lines,  a 
necessary  adjunct  to  the  passenger  business.   Among 
the  most  imposing  of  such  structures  was  the  great 
terminal  erected  in  192}  on  Salt  Lake  City's  Temple 
Square  by  Utah  interurban  tycoons  Simon  Bam- 
berger atid  W .  C.  Orem  for  the  joint  use  of  their 
Bamberger  Railroad  and  Salt  Lake  &  Utah 
electric  cars.    Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


Marble  and  tile  finishes  were  lavishly  employed 
in  the  public  rooms  of  the  Salt  Lake  terminal, 
which  cost  $300,000.   Space  was  provided  for  a 
restaurant,  stores,  and  other  facilities  befitting  an 
important  passenger  terminal,  as  well  as  office 
spaces  for  both  companies.    A  Salt  Lake  &  Utah 
train  unloaded  at  the  platforms  in  the  rear  of  the 
terminal.    Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


South  from  Salt  Lake  City  into  the  Utah  Valley, 
during  the  final  years  of  the  great  electric  railway 
boom,  Boston  mining  and  railroad  tycoon  Walter  C. 
Orem  pushed  the  rails  of  his  high  grade  Salt  Lake  & 
Utah  Railroad.  Among  the  contractors  who  built 
the  "Orem  Road"  was  Mrs.  W.  M.  Smith,  a  rather 
remarkable  lady  who  was  claimed  to  be  the  only 
woman  railroad  contractor  in  the  world.  Reputed  to 
be  worth  a  half  million  dollars,  Mrs.  Smith  had 
built  branches  for  Union  Pacific  and  Southern  Pa- 
cific and  a  portion  of  the  Western  Pacific  main  line 
before  taking  the  Salt  Lake  &  Utah  job.  Working 
with  Mrs.  Smith  on  the  interurban  was  her  daughter 
Irene,  who  was  learning  the  business.  Said  Mrs. 
Smith,  who  bossed  her  own  track  gangs,  "There  is 
good  money  in  the  contracting  business  and  I  don't 
see  why  a  woman  shouldn't  succeed  in  it  as  well  as 
a  man.  Certainly  I  can  look  along  a  rail  and  see 
if  it  is  laid  straight.  If  it  isn't  I  make  the  men  take 
it  up  and  fix  it." 


In  common  with  most  western  interur- 
bans.  Salt  Lake  &  Utah  operated  an  ex- 
tensive freight   business,   interchanging 
traffic  with  its  interurban  and  steam  rail- 
road connections  alike.    Steeple-cab  loco- 
motive No.  52,  shown  with  a  tonnage  train 
of  coal  from  the  line's  Utah  Railway  con- 
nection at  Provo,  was  a  1922  product  of 
the  company  shops  at  Payson.    Rebuilt 
from  the  remains  of  an  earlier  locomotive 
demolished  in  a  head-on  collision  with  a 
steam  locomotive,  No.  52  met  a  similar 
fate  20  years  later  when  it  was  completely 
wrecked  in  another  "cornfield  meet,"  an 
event  that  occurred  altogether  too  fre- 
quently in  SL&U  history.   Fred  Fellow 
Collection. 


I 


■rami 

j.^HF 


I 


yliL 


Only  two  years  after  completion  of  the  Ore/n  Road,  these  SL&U  trains  met  on  multiple  track  not  far 
from  Salt  Lake  City.   Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


265 


At  Granger,  south  of  Salt  Lake,  the  SL&U  Magna  branch  headed  west  from  the 
main  line.  Car  No.  610  was  bound  down  the  branch  while  train  No.  5,  headed 
by  combine  No.  603,  accommodated  "Red  Arrow  Fast  Freight"  and  passengers 
for  Payson.    FRED  FELLOW  COLLECTION. 


Freshly  outshopped,  a  pair  of  the  handsome  Niles-built  steel  interurbans  that  operated  Salt  Lake  & 
Utah  passenger  service  throughout  U  years  of  electric  operation  were  lined  up  in  a  Salt  Lake  City  street 
for  a  1935  publicity  photograph.   Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


266 


To  provide  suitable  class  on  its  crack  Utah  County 
Limited  and  Zion  Limited,  Salt  Lake  &  Utah  ac- 
quired a  pair  of  roomy  observation  cars  from  the 
Niles  Car  Company  in  1916.    Local  farmers  liked  to 
enrich  the  family  homestead  by  tossing  the  chairs 
off  the  observation  platform  as  the  electric  cars  sped 


by  their  farms.    To  solve  what  was  probably  a 
unique   problem  among  interurban   lines,  SL&U 
was  finally  forced  to  remove  all  of  the  seats  from 
the  platforms.    This  gay  group  rode  south  from 
Salt  Lake  City  on  the  Utah  County  Limited  in  1916. 
Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


Ready  for  the  return  trip  to  Salt  Lake  City,  a  Saltair  train  made  up  of  two  McGuire-Cummings  com- 


Except  for  the  proceeds  of  a  modest  freight  traf- 
fic, the  Salt  Lake,  Garfield  &  Western  derived  vir- 
tually all  of  its  revenues  from  the  transportation  of 
great  throngs  of  pleasure  seekers  to  the  company- 


owned  Saltair  resort  on  Great  Salt  Lake.  In  addi- 
tion to  effortless  bathing  in  Great  Salt  Lake,  such 
assorted  attractions  were  offered  as  a  roller  coaster 
and  one  of  the  world's  largest  dancing  pavilions. 


268 


bines  and  a  brace  of  company-built  open  trailers  loaded  at  Saltair  pavilion  in  1950.  Fred  H.  Matthews  Jr. 


Heading  due  west  from  Salt  Lake  City  over  a  straight 
and  level  line  laid  on  the  bed  of  prehistoric  Lake 
Bonneville,  the  Saltair  line  opened  for  business  in 
1893  as  a  steam  railroad  with  the  grandiose  title  of 


the  Salt  Lake  &  Los  Angeles  Railway.    Aside  fro! 
building  a  short-lived  branch  to  Garfield,  the  rail 
never  did  manage  to  do  anything  about  its  c 
for  rails  to  the  west.    1 


269 


In  the  Far  West 

The  Pacific  States 


270 


Luxurious  Oregon  Electric  rolling  stock  such  as  that  shown  in  this  verdant  Willamette  Val- 
ley scene,  combined  with  lower  fares  and  superior  schedules,  diverted  large  numbers  of 
passengers  from  rival  Southern  Pacific's  steam  trains.  For  only  35  cents  extra  passengers 
could  ride  in  the  opulent  parlor-bufjet-observation  car  Sacajawea,  or  the  identical  Cham- 
poeg,  delivered  in  1910  by  the  Niles  Car  works.  Light  lunches  and  spirituous  refresh- 
ments were  dispensed  from  the  car's  miniature  buffet.  University  of  Oregon  Library. 


lib* 

271 


In  the  Far  West 


The  Pacific  States 


In  the  states  of  the  Pacific  Coast  grew  some  of  the 
finest  traction  properties  of  the  interurban  era. 
Except  in  the  matter  of  their  motive  power,  the  trac- 
tion systems  of  the  Far  West  frequently  resembled 
steam  railroads  more  than  they  did  their  electric 
contemporaries  of  the  Midwest  and  East.  Construc- 
tion standards  were  usually  high,  steam  railroad  op- 
erating rules  were  frequently  observed,  and  many 
of  the  Western  electrics  engaged  in  heavy  freight 
business  from  their  very  beginning,  often  function- 
ing essentially  as  short  line  feeders  to  the  steam 
systems.  Such  attributes  served  them  well,  for  long 
after  the  decline  of  interurban  passenger  business 
and  electric  traction  many  of  the  Far  West  interur- 
bans  continued  to  perform  a  useful  service  as  freight- 
only  carriers. 

19  Orders  and  Motor neers 

A  dominant  force  in  electric  interurban  develop- 
ment in  the  Puget  Sound  region  was  Boston's  Stone 
&  Webster  Engineering  Company.  The  earliest  of 
the  Stone  &  Webster  interurbans  was  the  splendidly 
engineered  third-rail  Puget  Sound  Electric  Railway 
opened  in  1902  between  Seattle  and  Tacoma.  By 
1907,  when  Stone  &  Webster's  Seattle-Everett  Trac- 
tion Company  was  reaching  northward  from  Seattle 
and  construction  forces  were  ready  to  move  south 


from  Bellingham,  company  executive  C.  D.  Wyman 
was  able  to  speak  confidently  of  plans  for  a  Stone 
&  Webster  traction  empire  that  would  soon  stretch 
from  the  International  Boundary  south  to  Olympia 
and  Chehalis,  and  perhaps  eventually  to  the  Grays 
Harbor  country  and  Portland.  By  1913  Stone  & 
Webster's  Pacific  Northwest  Traction  Company  was 
operating  two  separate  divisions,  between  Seattle 
and  Everett  and  between  Mount  Vernon  and  Bell- 
ingham, with  construction  of  the  30-mile  missing 
link  scheduled  for  the  "near  future."  To  the  north 
the  British  Columbia  Electric  Railway  was  ready 
with  plans  for  a  new  line  into  Bellingham  that 
would  have  completed  an  unbroken  interurban 
route  between  Seattle  and  Vancouver.  Temporarily 
postponed  during  World  War  I,  neither  project 
ever  materialized,  and  interurban  construction  south 
of  Tacoma  never  amounted  to  more  than  a  few 
short  branches  to  nearby  towns. 

With  trolley  rope  bowed  in  the 

breeze,  a  Puget  Sound  Electric 

Railway  Seattle-Tacoma  local  raced 

along  near  Fife  on  a  stretch  of  track 

where  the  transition  from  overhead 

to  third-rail  power  collection  was 

made.  General  Railway  Signal 

Company. 


272 


273 


274 


Led  by  a  combine  laden  with  an  impressive 
variety  of  front-end  accessories,  a  three-car  Puget 
Sound  Electric  Seattle  Limited  paused  near  Kent 
in   1915.     Operating   in   strict  accordance 
with  steam  railroad  rules,  PSE  crews  picked  up 
"19"  orders  and  clearances  on  the  fly  with  tradi- 
tional order  hoops,  and  the  motorman  went  by 


the  hybrid  title  of  "motorneer."    A  never  fully 
explained  PSE  phenomenon  was  the  tendency  of 
its  third  rail  to  travel  —  one  stretch  of  third  rail 
moved  over  60  feet  in  the  space  of  only  a  few 
years  —  and  PSE  maintenance  crews  were  for- 
ever removing  or  adding  pieces  of  third  rail. 
H.  A.  Hill  Collection. 


Street  traffic  magically   melted  in  the  path  of  PSE's  formidable  interurbans.    This  Tacoma  Limited  was  all 
set  to  rumble  off  from  Seattle  in  1924.  Washington  State  Historical  Society,  from  Robert  S.  Wilson. 


Virtual  twins  of  the  handsome  cars  that  plied 
Stone  &  Webster's  Texas  interurban  properties, 
a  half  dozen  wooden  Niles  interurbans  were 
standard  equipment  for  Pacific  Northwest  Trac- 
tion's Seattle-Everett  Southern  Division  from 


1910  until  abandonment  nearly  30  years  later. 
No.  54  was  fresh  from  the  Ohio  builder's  plant 
when  this  view  was  recorded.    Washington 
State  Historical  Society,  from  Robert  S. 
Wilson. 


Trolley  Varnish  in  the  Inland  Empire 


Grown  shabby  in  their  last  years 
in  the  clamp  coastal  air,  these  two 
North  Coast  Lines  interurbans 
met  at  Ronald  siding  on  the 
Seattle-Everett  line  shortly  be- 
fore abandonment  in  1939. 
Stuart  B.  Hertz. 


Operating  eastward  to  Coeur  d'Alene,  Ida.,  and  south  to   Colfax, 
Wash.,  and  Moscow,  Ida.,  the  interurbans  of  the  Inland  Empire  System 
traversed  the  rich  agricultural  and  forest  lands  of  the  Columbia 
Plateau.  In  the  early  years  the  electric  cars  did  a  brisk  picnic  business 
out  of  Spokane  to  nearby  lakes  in  Washington  and  Idaho,  and  dur- 
ing the  summers  a  special  "Campers'  Limited  Train"  operated  be- 
tween Spokane  and  Hayden  Lake.    This  holiday  crowd  jammed  a 
Coeur  d'Alene  train  at  the  big  Spokane  terminal  not  too  many  years 
after  the  line's  1903  opening.    LeRoy  O.  King  Jr.  Collection. 


276 


Inland  Empire  luxury  travel  was  provided  by 
two  Brill  parlor-observation  cars.   The  Shoshone, 
shown  here,  operated  over  the  Coeur  d'Alene  line, 
ivhile  the  Kootenai  handled  extra-fare  trade  on 
the  Moscow  line.    The  company's  crack  Shoshone 


Flyer  covered  the  32  miles  to  Coeur  d'Alene  in  an 
even  hour,  making  connections  with  the  Coeur 
d'Alene  Lake  steamers  of  the  Red  Collar  Steam- 
boat Company  for  widespread  western  Idaho 
points.    LeRoy  O.  King  Jr.  Collection. 


Brill-built  combine  8  and  trailers  61  and  62  rested  at  Coeur  d'Alene  in  1908.   The  trailers  had  observa- 
tion platforms,  and  trolleys  for  standby  lighting.    LeRov  O.  King  Jr.  Collection. 


Four  cars  of  excursionists  prepared  to  venture  down 
the  Liberty  Lake  branch,  while  a  Coeur  d'Alene 
local  paused  on  freshly  ballasted  mainline  double 
track  at  Liberty  Lake  junction.   After  an  involved 
series  of  changes  in  organization  and  corporate  title, 


the  Inland  Empire  System  became  a  Great  Northern 
subsidiary  in  1 927,  and  was  eventually  merged  with 
the  steam  road.   GN  freights  still  traverse  the  one- 
time interurban  main  lines,  but  the  electric  cars 
are  long  gone.   LeRoy  O.  King  Jr.  Collection. 


In  true  Western  railroad  fashion,  white  flags  and 
an  "X-6"  train  indicator  designated  an  extra  train 
of  Brill  cars  bound  out  of  Spokane  on  Washington 
Water  Power  Company's  I1 -mile  line  to  Medical 
Lake.  Short  lived  (1906-1921)  because  of  poor 
patronage,  this  route  and  a  branch  to  Cheney  were 
nevertheless  distinguished  for  their  open-platform 


observation  cars  and  an  interesting  automatic  block 
system  with  train  stop.    Mechanically  linked  to 
upper  quadrant  semaphores,  an  arm  extending 
from  the  mast  in  the  stop  position  would  break 
a  glass  tube  on  the  car  roof,  exhausting  the 
brake  line  and  applying  the  brakes.    O.  F.  Lee 
Collection. 


A  lonely  survivor  of  Washington's  interurban  era 
is  the   Yakima  Valley  Transportation   Company, 
which  still  does  a  modest  freight  business.    Steeple- 
cab  locomotive  No.  298  headed  for  the  Union  Pa- 
cific interchange  in  1958  with  a  single  reefer  from 


a  packing  shed  near  Yakima.   In  passenger-carrying 
days  the  company's  two  short  lines  out  of  Yakima 
were  serviced  by  two  wooden  Niles  interurbans 
that,  although  compact  in  their  dimensions,  were 
constructed  to  the  classic  pattern.    Fred  MATTHEWS. 


279 


On  rails  which  once  led  all  the  way  to  Estacada,  a  Portland  Traction  utilitarian- 
pattern  wooden  interurban,  constructed  by  the  company  shops  in  1910,  rolled 
through  a  forested   countryside   near   Gresham   about    1952.     At   Haij. 

In  its  declining  years  Portland  Traction  operated  a  collection  of  secondhand  rolling  stock  of  wide- 
spread origins.  Lightweight  car  4007,  shown  on  the  Bellrose  line  in  1952,  had  previously  operated 
on  New  York's  Albany  Southern  and  Fonda,  Johnstown  &  Gloversville  lines.  William  C.  Downey  Jr. 


»1V* 


280 


To  Forest  and  River 

Generally  regarded  as  the  first  true  interurban 
line,  the  Portland  Traction  Company's  Oregon  City 
line  very  nearly  survived  long  enough  to  become 
the  last  as  well.  In  their  earlier  years  the  Portland 
electric  cars  did  a  lively  excursion  business.  Picnick- 
ers rode  the  cars  to  Canemah  Park  above  the  falls 
of  the  Willamette,  south  of  Oregon  City,  and  the 
unhurried   among   them   took   advantage  of   round 


trip  tickets  offered  jointly  by  the  interurban  and  the 
steamship  company  that  provided  a  rival  service 
on  the  Willamette  River.  Long  trains  of  open 
trailers  pulled  by  electric  locomotives  operated  be- 
tween Portland  and  the  big  Oaks  amusement  park, 
and  those  who  wanted  to  really  get  away  from  the 
uproar  of  the  city  rode  all  the  way  to  Estacada,  far 
up  the  Clackamas  River  on  the  interurban's  Spring- 
water  Division,  where  the  company  provided  a  park 
and  a  hotel  in  a  tranquil  setting. 


Portland  Traction  No.  4001 — photographed  in    1957  on  the  Clackamas  River  bridge  not  jar  from 

the  onetime  grounds  of  the  Gladstone   Chautauqua,  a  source  of  considerable  traffic  for  the  electric 

cars  in  earlier  years  - —  originally  plied  Indiana  Railroad  rails.    Edward  S.  Miller. 


Freight  for  the  Bellrose  line  thundered  through  Golf  Junction  in  1949  be- 
hind a  brace  of  Portland  Traction  steeple-cab  motors,  one  a  1907  GE  prod- 
uct, the  other  a  near  duplicate  built  in  company  shops.    John  Stern. 

Last  cars  to  arrive  on  FT  were  eight  former  Pacific  Electric  "Hollywood" 
cars,  one  of  which  is  seen  passing  through  the  company's  East  Portland 
freight  yard  in  1935.  By  this  time  diesel  power  was  sharing  freight  duties 
with  the  line's  aging  steeple-cabs.    William  D.  Middleton. 


*■■££ 


,uv:r 


283 


The  high  construction  standards  of  the  Hill-controlled  Oregon  Electric  are  evident 
in  this  photograph  taken  shortly  after  1910.   Heavy  rail  and  crushed  rock  ballast 
were  employed  for  trackwork,  and  catenary  construction  was  used  for  the  over- 
head trolley  wire.    On  the  busiest  stretch  of  OE  rail,  between  Portland  and 
Garden  Home,  where  passenger  train  movements  alone  reached  a  peak  of  36  daily, 
continuous  block  signals  were  installed.  General  Railway  Signal  Company. 


284 


Just   in   from   Portland,    123    miles   north,   an 
Oregon  Electric  train  unloaded  in   1913  at  the 
Eugene  depot,  where  a  hotel  omnibus  waited  for 
prospective  guests.    For  a  brief  period,  from  1913 
to  191X,  OE  offered  a  leisurely  sleeping  car  serv- 
ice between  the  two  cities.   The  owl  trains  made 
the  run  in  5  to  6  hours,  but  passengers  remained 
in  their  berths  until  #  a.m.  Special  "hop  pickers 
trains"  were  another  feature  of  Oregon  Electric 
passenger  traffic  in  earlier  years,  during  the  an- 
nual exodus  from  the  city  to  the  hop  and  berry 
fields  of  the  Willamette  Valley. 


Jim  Hill's  Wedge  .  .  . 

During  the  first  decade  of  the  20th  century,  the 
forces  of  steam  railroad  titans  Jim  Hill  and  Edward 
H.  Harriman  squared  off  for  the  last  of  the  great  rail- 
road wars,  a  fight  for  supremacy  in  the  Northwest. 
The  first  round  went  to  Hill,  who  in  just  three  years 
built  his  Spokane,  Portland  &  Seattle  Railway  down 
the  north  bank  of  the  Columbia  to  rival  Harriman's 
Oregon  Railroad  &  Navigation  Company  (Union 
Pacific)  on  the  opposite  bank.  The  battle  turned 
then  to  the  rugged  Deschutes  River  canyon,  where 
Hill  launched  a  successful  drive  to  strike  south 
through  central  Oregon  with  his  Oregon  Trunk 
Railway  into  the  hitherto  exclusive  Northern  Cali- 
fornia preserves  of  Harriman's  Southern  Pacific. 
While  Hill  and  Harriman  forces  engaged  in  fre- 
quent fisticuffs  in  the  battle  for  control  of  the 
Deschutes  canyon,  Hill  moved  into  still  other  Har- 
riman territory  with  the  purchase  in  1910  of  the 
Oregon  Electric  Railway,  whose  interurban  line  ex- 


tended south  from  Portland  through  the  rich,  SP- 
dominated  Willamette  Valley  to  Salem,  and  whose 
plans  contemplated  an  eventual  extension  to  Rose- 
burg  and  perhaps  even  across  the  Siskiyous  to  a 
juncture  with  the  Sacramento  Northern  to  create 
an  all-electric  transcoastal  route.  Under  Hill  con- 
trol, Oregon  Electric  construction  standards  were 
upgraded  to  create  a  first-class  railroad  capable  of 
across-the-board  competition  with  Southern  Pacific, 
and  within  two  years  OE  trains  were  running  all 
the  way  to  Eugene.  Harriman  countered  the  threat 
of  Hill's  electric  competition  in  1912  with  plans 
for  an  expansive  system  of  SP  branch  and  subsidiary 
line  electrification  in  the  Willamette  Valley  that 
would  ultimately  embrace  330  route  miles  of  track. 
By  1914  the  splendid  new  "Red  Electrics"  were  op- 
erating from  Portland  to  Whiteson  over  two  al- 
ternate routes,  and  within  five  years .  interurban 
service  was  being  operated  as  far  south  as  Corvallis, 
which  turned  out  to  be  as  far  as  SP's  electrification 
ever  got. 


. . .  And  Harriman's  Answer 

The  superbly  constructed  permanent  way  of 
Southern  Pacific's  Oregon  interurban  system 
out  of  Portland  was  equaled  by  the  high  quality 
of  the  rolling  stock  provided  for  the  service. 
Weighing  as  much  as  52  tons  each,  the  porthole- 


windowed  cars  delivered  by  Pullman  in  1914 
were  among  the  earliest  all-steel  interurbans. 
After  the  untimely  abandonment  of  "Red  Elec- 
tric" passenger  service  late  in  the  '20's,  most  of 
the  cars  moved  south  to  join  the  roster  of  the 
SP's  Pacific  Electric.  University  of  Oregon 
Library. 


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:?TTibJ*te3**a-£*>.. 


Over  the  Hills  to  Sacramento 

Of  revered  memory  among  Western  electric  trac- 
tion enthusiasts  is  the  great  Sacramento  Northern 
Railway.  SN's  Meteor  and  Comet  limiteds  pene- 
trated nearly  200  miles  northward  from  San  Francis- 
co Bay  to  Sacramento  and  Chico  on  North  America's 
longest  interurban  journey.  Trains  frequently  ran 
to  as  many  as  six  cars  in  length  and  offered  such 
amenities  of  long  distance  travel  as  dining  and  par- 
lor car  service,  and  open  observation  platforms 
from  which  to  view  the  sometimes  spectacular 
scenery. 


Among  the  many  who  recorded  Sacramento  North- 
ern on  film  in  the  last  years  of  its  passenger  opera- 
tion, none  produced  more  inspired  camera  work 
than  the  late  Art  Alter,  who  composed  this  memora- 
ble photograph.  Sweeping  around  the  Valle  Vista 
curve,  a  big  Wason  combine  led  a  five-car  Concord- 
San  Francisco  local  westward  to  Redwood  Canyon 
and  the  tunnel  through  the  hills  above  Oakland. 
Train  No.  27's  consist  represented  the  handiwork  of 
no  less  than  four  carbuilders  from  such  widely  scat- 
tered locales  as  Springfield,  Mass.,  and  San  Francisco. 
Arthur  R.  Alter. 


arc. 


'-PFV 


'\-:/**~'"V  j.u*"--^ 


>*» 


During  the  first  years  of  Oakland-Sacramento  in- 
terurban  operation  this  Oakland,  Antioch  & 
Eastern  limited  crossed  Lake  Temescal  in  the 
Berkeley  hills.    To  obviate  turning  at  each  end  of 
the  line  the  richly  appointed  parlor-observation  cat- 


platform  at  both  ends.    In  1929  OA&E,  by  then 
known  as  the  San  Francisco-Sacramento  Railroad, 
was  merged  under  Western  Pacific  ownership  with 
the  Sacramento   Northern  Railway,  the  former 
Northern  Electric  Railway.  Golden  State  Trans- 


Moraga  was  equipped  with  a  complete  observation  portation  Historical  Society. 


Above  Oakland,  Sacramento  Northern  trains  made  a  laborious  ascent  up  Shepherd  Canyon  to  pierce 
the  hills  via  3458-foot  Redwood  Peak  Tunnel,  then  rolled  downward  through  the  scenery  of  Red- 
wood Canyon.   The  walls  of  Shepherd  Canyon  echoed  to  the  whine  of  a  dozen  traction  motors  as  a  six- 
car  Sunday-morning  version  of  the  Comet  scaled  the  3  per  cent  grade.    Arthur  R.  Alter. 


£**** 


-Jii 


Bursting  forth  from  the  east  portal  of  SN's  tunnel,  a  Comet  beaded  by  Holman- 
built  combine  1006  gathered  speed  for  the  downhill  ride  to  tidewater.   ARTHUR  R. 
Alter. 


Long  after  first-class  schedules  disappeared  from  the  Sacramento  Northern  time- 
card,  freight  tonnage  continued  to  roll  through  the  canyons.   In  1951  this  eight- 
car  freight  crept  up  the  hill  from  Oakland,  propelled  by  a  big  Baldwin-West- 
inghouse  steeple-cab,  with  an  identical  machine  shoving  mightily  behind  the 
caboose.   Even  though  they  represented  Sacramento  Northern's  heaviest  electric 
motive  power,  these  68-ton  locomotives  were  rated  at  only  400  tons  on  the 
formidable  track  through  the  canyon.    William   D.   Middleton. 


289 


To  Sea  by  Interurban 

The  waters  of  Suisun  Bay  presented  a  natural  ob- 
stacle in  the  path  of  Oakland,  Antioch  &  Eastern's 
"short  line"  to  Sacramento.  To  cross  it  company 
engineers  planned  a  10,000-foot  bridge,  70  feet  above 
high  water  at  the  navigable  part  of  the  stream,  esti- 
mated to  cost  1.5  million  dollars.  Preliminary  work 
was  actually  under  way  when  the  project  was  post- 
poned due  to  unsettled  business  conditions  result- 
ing from  the  outbreak  of  World  War  I,  and  the  car 


ferry  that  was  to  have  been  only  a  temporary  ex- 
pedient became  a  permanent  feature  of  the  line. 
The  delay  occasioned  by  ferrying  trains  across  the 
Bay  was  not  serious  during  the  early  days  of  OA&E 
passenger  operation,  for  the  company's  chief  com- 
petitor for  San  Francisco-Sacramento  traffic — South- 
ern Pacific  —  likewise  was  forced  to  ferry  its  trains 
across  the  Bay.  But  in  1930  Southern  Pacific  com- 
pleted its  great  Martinez-Benicia  bridge,  and  Sacra- 
mento Northern  was  thereafter  placed  at  a  severe 
disadvantage. 


In  1951  one  of  SN's  black  and  orange  striped  motors  eased  out  toward  the  apron 
at  Mallard,  pushing  a  cut  of  cars  onto  the  ferry  Ramon.  William  D.  Middleton. 


From  1VI4,  a  year  after  the  Suisun  Bay  car  ferry  crossing  was  opened,  until  its 
abandonment  in  l'J'>4,  SN  trains  were  shuttled  across  the  half  mile  of  open  water 
and  tricky  currents  by  the  ferry  Ramon,  a  steel-hulled  vessel  powered  by  a  re- 
markable  50-ton,  (yOO-borsepower  distillate-fueled  engine  which  represented 
the  largest  electric-ignition,   internal-combustion   engine   ever   constructed. 
Arthur  R.  Alter. 


With  the  train  safely  stowed,  the  Ramon  headed  across  the  Sacramento  River. 

In  the  days  of  passenger  service,  coffee  and  doughnuts  were  served  during 

the  voyage  in  a  small  lunchroom  on  the  vessel.   William  D.  Middleton. 


290 


The  flatland  running  that  carried  Sacramento  Northern  trains  from  the  Suisun  Bay  ferry  to  Sacra- 
mento was  broken  by  the  2-mile  Lisbon  trestle  which  crossed  the  Yolo  Basin.    Such  was  the  quality 


292 


' 


of  this   1500-volt,   catenary-equipped  speedway  that  the  Comet  was  able  to  cover  47  miles  from  the 
ferry  to  Sacramento  Union  Station  at  an  average  speed  of  50  miles  per  hour.   Fred  Fellow. 


293 


One  leg  of  the  SN  turning  wye  in  Woodland  was  under  the  station  arches.    Train  J7  was  beading  for 
a  connection  with  the  westbound  Comet.  B.  H.  Ward. 


294 


^ 


Sacramento  Northern  passengers  to  Woodland  enjoyed  the  facilities  of  a  mission-style  structure  that 
was  without  question  one  of  the  handsomest  of  all  interurban  stations.   The  18-mile  Sacramento-W  ood- 
land  branch  was  as  far  as  predecessor  Northern  Electric  ever  got  with  plans  for  its  own  route  to  San 
Francisco,  conceived  at  a  titne  when  Oakland,  Antioch  &  Eastern,  later  to  become  part  of  the  same  Sac- 
ramento Northern,  was  a  fierce  rival.   Western  Pacific  Railroad. 


This   solid-tired,    chain-driven    "auto   bus"   trans- 
ported passengers  between  the  third-rail  Northern 
Electric' s  East  Grid  ley  station  and  nearby  Grid  ley. 
At  the  time  of  its  completion  in  1913  NE  had  the 
longest  third-rail  interurban  line  in  the  United 
States.    The  earliest  portions  of  the  line  were  con- 
structed with  overhead  trolley  wire,  but  so  success- 
ful was  the  later  adoption  of  the  third-rail  system 
that  the  trolley  wire  was  replaced,  resulting,  in  one 
case,  in  the  resignation  en  masse  of  the  section  gang 
along  the  affected  stretch  of  track.    Western 
Pacific  Railroad. 


Early  in  1939  Sacramento  Northern  trains,  which 
had  previously  terminated  on  the  Key  Route 
ferry  pier  out  in  the  Bay,  began  operating  across 
the  new  Bay  Bridge  into  East  Bay  Terminal  in 
downtown  San  Francisco.   The  expected  traf- 
fic boom  failed  to  materialize  and  within  two 
and  a  half  years  SN  ended  its  interurban  pas- 
senger business.    Few  were  on  hand  in  August 
1940   when  train  No.   10  departed  from  East 
Bay  Terminal  on  the  last  through  trip  to  Sacra- 
mento. Arthur  R.  Alter,  Al  Haij  Collection. 


*00m 


Between  runs  at  the  Northbrae  terminal  of  the  "F"  line,  this  Key  unit  waited  on 
track  which  was  until  1941  a  part  of  Southern  Pacific's  rival  East  Bay  electri- 
fication.   After  SP  abandoned  its  operation.  Key  System  trains  began  service 
over  several  stretches  of  former  SP  track.    Donald  Sims. 


During  earlier  years  the  Key  Route  offered  high- 
class  electric  traction  service  to  San  Francisco's  East 
Bay  cities  with  commodious  wooden  cars  of  typical 
interurban  pattern,  one  of  which  won  a  first  prize 
at  the  1904  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition,  and 
thereafter  displayed  a  bronze  plaque  to  that  effect. 
Chefs  on  the  big  orange  Key  ferries  that  plied  be- 
tween the  company's  Oakland  Pier  terminal  and 
San  Francisco  served  up  such  specialties  as  "Key 
Route  Corned  Beef  Hash."  and  stringed  orchestras 
provided  Sunday  entertainment.    Altogether  it  was 


a  most  satisfactory  method  of  commutation.    In 

preparation  for  through  service  to  San  Francisco 

over  the  new  Bay  Bridge  which  replaced  the  ferries 

in  19V),  the  Key  System  designed  an  unusual  type 

of  articulated  unit.    In  this  1951  photograph  an 

inbound  Bethlehem-built  unit  from  the  Berkeley 

"F"  line  headed  for  the  Bay  Bridge,  dipping  under 

the  Southern  Pacific  main  line  and  a  highway 

approach  to  the  bridge  in  a  three-level  montage 

of  electric,  steam,  and  internal  combustion  transport. 

William  D.  Middleton. 


2% 


A  Key  System  predecessor,  California  Railway,  bought  masterfully  painted  car  11  from  Carter  Brothers 
of  Newark,  Calif.,  in  1896.   Its  proportions  and  massive  clerestory  indicate  a  greater  familiarity  with 
steam  car  construction  than  with  electric  car  building  on  the  part  of  the  local  builder.   Industrial 
Photo  Service. 


297 


In  1939  NWP'i  car  from  Manor  waited  at  San 
Anselmo  station  for  the  connecting  train  from 
San  Rafael.    The  owl-faced  cars  ran  south  to 


the  ferry  terminal  at  Sausalito  on  this  former 
narrow-gauge  trackage.  Arthur  R.  Alter, 
Al  Haij  Collection. 


North  from  the  Golden  Gate 

From  1903  until  1941,  commuters  from  the  Marin 
peninsula  north  of  San  Francisco  rode  down  to  the 
ferries  at  Sausalito  on  the  first  third-rail  electric 
line  in  California.  Originally  narrow  gauge  and  op- 
erated with  steam  motive  power,  the  North  Pacific 
Railroad  was  renamed  North  Shore  Railroad  when 
it  was  electrified  in  1903.  The  Northwestern  Pacific 
Railroad  took  over  operations  in  1907.  Some  of  the 
first  cars  built  for  the  railroad  in  1902  —  open  plat- 
form wooden  coaches  —  were  outfitted  with  elec- 
trical equipment  and  operated  right  to  the  end  of 


service  as  rush  hour  extras.  Soon  after  Southern  Pa- 
cific took  control  of  the  NWP  in  1929,  19  steel  and 
aluminum  interurbans  were  put  into  service.  Al- 
most identical  in  dimensions  and  appearance  to  cars 
built  before  World  War  I  for  SP's  East  Bay  electri- 
fication, the  55-ton  cars  incorporated  many  other 
improvements  in  addition  to  the  use  of  aluminum 
in  the  bodies.  Completion  of  the  Golden  Gate 
Bridge  and  through  bus  service  to  San  Francisco 
doomed  interurban  service,  but  the  big  orange  cars 
went  south  to  the  Pacific  Electric  where  many  of 
them  operated  in  Long  Beach  service  until  early 
1961.    1 


298 


Northbound  at  Alto,  five  big  orange  cars  of  the  NWP's  extra  "school  train"  car- 
ried Tamalpais  High  School  students  home  to  Ross  Valley  suburban  towns.    These 
72-foot  cars,  built  in  1929  and  1930  by  St.  Louis  Car  Company,  had  no  doors  on 
their  semi-enclosed  platforms.   Sliding  screen  gates  closed  the  double-width 
vestibule  steps.  Stephen  D.  Maguire. 


y  .  i 


The  longevity  of  the  electric  car  was  ably  demonstrated  by  the  vehicles  which 
inaugurated  service  on  the  United  Railroads  of  San  Francisco's  San  Mateo 
interurban  line  in  1904  and  were  still  around  for  last-day  festivities  in  1949.    One 
of  them  raced  southward  down  the  peninsula  at  Lomita  Park  in  1947 ,  by  which 
time  the  line  had  long  since  become  part  of  the  San  Francisco  Municipal  Railways. 
Arthur  R.  Alter,  Al  Haij  Collection. 


These  steel  passenger  cars  of  the  San  Francisco  & 
Napa  Valley  Railroad  borrowed  gas-electric  body 
styling,  and  were  noteworthy  as  the  last  interur- 
bans  constructed  (in  1953)  before  depression  and  the 
decline  of  the  electric  railways  almost  entirely 
wiped  out  the  carbuilding  industry.    A  serious 


equipment  shortage  resulting  from  a  carbarn  fire, 
rather  than  any  sudden  increase  in  traffic,  neces- 
sitated the  purchase  of  these  cars.    Only  five 
years  later  the  company's  Napa  Valley  passenger 
service  between  Calistoga  and  Vallejo  was  ended. 
George  Krambles  Collection. 


The  Central  California  Traction  Company,  which 
began  operation  between  Stockton  and  Lodi  in 
1907,  was  an  early  user  of  the  1200-volt  D.C.  power 
system  and  was  the  first  electric  line  to  employ 
1200-volt  third-rail  power  distribution.    These  two 
wooden  cars  were  part  of  a  six-car  order  constructed 
by  the  Holman  Car  Company  of  San  Francisco  in 


1910  to  operate  passenger  schedules  over  the  com- 
pany's newly  completed  extension  to  Sacramento. 
Ready  to  roll  northward  on  the  53-mile  trip  to  the 
stale  capital,  they  were  near  the  docks  in  Stockton, 
where  a  connection  was  made  with  overnight  San 
Joaquin  River  steamers  from  San  Francisco. 
George  Krambles  Collection. 


301 


302 


Red  Cars  in  the  Southland 

■  i 

Pacific  Electric  Railway 


Six  cars  of  pleasure-bent  Southern  Californians 
raced  southward  over  the  four-track  main 
line  of  Pacific  Electric' s  Southern  District, 
bound  for  the  docks  at  Wilmington  and 
the  connecting  steamer  to  Avalon  in  the 
carefree  days  before  World  War  II.  The 
1200-class  steel  interurbans  were  PE's  fastest 
and  finest  cars.    Donald  Duke  Collection^ 


303 


Red  Cars  in  the  Southland 


Pacific  Electric  Railway 


CjREAT  RED  TRAINS  of  heavy  steel  interurbans, 
their  air  whistles  shrieking  hoarsely  for  road  cross- 
ings, hurtled  at  mile-a-minute  speeds  down  the  inner 
rails  of  the  Pacific  Electric's  four-track  steel  boule- 
vards, overtaking  mundane  locals  that  skipped  from 
stop  to  stop  on  the  outer  tracks.  Multiple-unit  trains 
of  suburban  electric  cars  worried  their  way  through 
the  congested  boulevards  of  Hollywood  and  then, 
like  big  red  snakes,  darted  into  the  subway  that  sped 
their  way  to  downtown  Los  Angeles.  Polished  par- 
lor-observation cars  with  guide-lecturers  transported 
breathless  tourists  over  the  length  and  breadth  of  a 
trolley  empire  of  over  a  thousand  miles  that  ranged 
from  the  snow-capped  peaks  of  the  San  Gabriel 
Mountains  to  citrus  groves,  vineyards,  and  endless 
Pacific  beaches.  Sumptuously  furnished  private  cars 
glided  along  the  rails  bearing  high  officials  on  their 
errands  of  importance.  In  a  time  before  Southern 
California  became  the  world's  most  automobile- 
oriented  society  almost  everyone  rode  Pacific  Elec- 
tric's "big  red  cars"  to  the  beaches,  mountains,  race 
tracks,  and  other  pleasure  spots  of  the  Southland, 
as  well  as  to  and  from  their  daily  work. 

Pacific  Electric  freight  trains  rumbled  in  every 
direction  across  the  red  car  network  behind  electric, 
steam,  and  later,  diesel  motive  power,  and  a  compre- 
hensive box  motor  service  delivered  package  freight, 
express,  and  mail  to  every  extremity  of  the  system. 
Full-fledged  Railway  Post  Office  cars  raced  imperi- 
ously along  the  more  important  routes. 

"The  World's  Greatest  Interurban  Railway"  was 
what  they  labeled  this  Los  Angeles-centered  traction 
colossus  assembled  under  Southern  Pacific  control  in 
the  Great  Merger  of  1911.  And  even  in  a  region 
prone  to  generous  superlatives  and  overstatement, 
the  title  was  one  that  could  hardly  be  disputed,  for 
the  Pacific  Electric  Railway  simply  encompassed 
more  miles  of  track,  operated  more  cars,  and  hauled 
more  passengers  and  freight  than  any  other  inter- 
urban.  It  has  been  estimated  that  nearly  10  per  cent 


of  the  U.  S.  interurban  investment  was  represented 
by  this  one  system. 

In  the  geographic  extent  of  its  interurban  services 
Los  Angeles  was  eclipsed  by  Indianapolis,  but  in 
sheer  numbers  of  passengers  PE  easily  made  Los 
Angeles  America's  leading  interurban  center.  In 
1914,  for  example,  a  total  of  1626  trains,  made  up 
of  3262  cars,  entered  or  left  Los  Angeles  daily  over 
PE's  three  operating  districts. 

Pacific  Electric  was  largely  the  creation  of  Henry 
E.  Huntington,  wealthy  heir  and  nephew  of  Collis  P. 
Huntington,  one  of  the  Southern  Pacific's  "Big 
Four."  Arriving  on  the  Southern  California  scene 
in  1898  with  a  broad  background  of  experience 
on  Southern  Pacific  and  other  family  railroad  prop- 
erties, Huntington  purchased  a  pioneer  Los  An- 
geles-Pasadena interurban  and  within  10  years  par- 
layed it  into  a  traction  giant  that  reached  out  from 
Los  Angeles  to  San  Pedro,  Long  Beach,  Newport 
Beach,  Santa  Ana,  Glendora,  and  Glendale. 

Huntington's  electric  railway  activities  were  close- 
ly allied  with  his  extensive  real  estate  interests,  and 
the  advance  of  the  red  cars  into  new  territory  was 
carefully  co-ordinated  with  the  operations  of  his 
Pacific  Electric  Land  Company.  Southern  California 
was  then  enjoying  a  period  of  unparalleled  growth 
and  prosperity,  and  Huntington  profited  handsome- 
ly from  his  dual  interests. 

Retiring  from  active  management  of  his  electric 
railway  interests  in  1910,  Huntington  sold  out  to 
Southern  Pacific  which  a  year  later  merged  PE  with 
other  Southern  California  traction  properties  into 
the  greatest  electric  railway  system  in  history.  New 
construction  continued  until  1914  when  the  last 
major  Pacific  Electric  line,  a  high-speed  route  to 
San  Bernardino,  was  opened. 

Had  the  favorable  climate  for  interurban  develop- 
ment lasted  a  few  years  longer  than  it  did,  Pacific 
Electric  might  have  grown  to  even  greater  dimen- 
sions.   As  early  as  1906  the  "Huntington  syndicate" 


304 


The  first  interurban  route  of  what  was  to  become  the  world's  greatest 

traction  system  was  created  when  Gen.  Moses  H.  Sherman  and  Eli  P. 

Clark  connected  two  local  lines  with  this  bridge  across  the  Arroyo  Seco 

and  inaugurated  electric  car  service  between  Los  Angeles  and  Pasadena 

in  1S95.  This  is  the  first  car.  Historical  Collections,  Security  First 

National  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 


After  retirement  from  business  affairs  Henry  E.  Hunting- 
ton, who  made  a  fortune  from  his  Southern  California 
real  estate  and  electric  railway  activities,  devoted  his 
last  years  and  his  fortune  to  the  distinguished  library 
and  art  gallery  at  San  Marino  which  bears  his  name. 
Henry  E.  Huntington  Library  and  Art  Gallery. 


305 


Both  the  Sixth  and  Main  Street  terminal  building 
and  the  San  Pedro  interurban  line  were  new  when 
this  photograph  was  taken  about  1906.    No.  279, 
scraping  the  pavement  as  it  heeled  into  the  ter- 
minal, was  one  of  130  semi-open  cars  delivered  by 
the  St.  Louis  Car  Company  between  1902  and  1906. 
The  sidewalk  semaphores  and  track  switches  were 
operated  from  the  raised  bay-window  office  to 
expedite  heavy  two-way  movements  in  this  then 
stub  terminal,  and  to  protect  narrow-gauge  city 
cars  which  also  used  Main  Street's  three-rail 
trackage.    Al  Haij  Collection. 


All  dressed  up  for  a  day's  outing,  a  crowd  of 
excursionists  unloaded  from  a  Pasadena  &  Pa- 
cific train  at  Santa  Monica  around  the  turn  of 
the  century.   The  P&P  was  constructed  with  such 
rapidity  by  promoters  Gen.  Moses  H.  Sherman 
and  Eli  P.  Clark  that  some  called  it  another 
"Sherman's  March  to  the  Sea."    Later  known 
as  the  Los  Angeles  Pacific,  the  company  came 
under  Southern  Pacific  control  in  1906  and  be- 
came part  of  Pacific  Electric  in  the  1911  merger. 
Historical  Collections,  Security  First 
National  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 


306 


was  believed  to  be  backing  a  group  which  proposed 
to  build  a  Los  Angeles-San  Diego  electric  line  along 
the  coast,  and  Huntington's  name  was  associated 
with  grandiose  plans  for  a  high-speed  electric  line 
through  the  San  Joaquin  Valley  which  would  extend 
all  the  way  to  San  Francisco.  Still  other  proposals 
envisioned  lines  to  Santa  Barbara  via  San  Fernando, 
and  from  Santa  Monica  to  Ventura. 


101    Miles  for   ioo  Cents 

Then  as  now,  Southern  California  was  a  favored 
vacation  spot,  and  Pacific  Electric  developed  the 
tourist  excursion  business  into  a  fine  art.  The  most 
popular  of  PE's  inexpensive  electric  tours  of  the 
Southland  was  the  "Balloon  Route  Trolley  Trip" 
originated  by  Los  Angeles  Pacific  and  continued 
by  PE  after  the   1911   merger.    Tourists  flocked 
aboard  the  "palatial  observation  cars"  of  the  Bal- 
loon Route  specials  by  the  thousands.    On  one 
record  day  18  carloads  of  excursionists  were  trans- 
ported on  the  tour,  and  in   1909  an  average  of 
10,000  monthly  rode  the  trip  during  the  tourist 
season.  First  stop  on  the  "101  miles  for  100  cents" 
tour  was  the  Hollywood  Boulevard  home  and  gallery 
of  renowned  French  floral  artist  Paul  de  Longpre, 
where  this  tour  party  posed  self-consciously  early 
in  the  century.  Historical  Collections,  Security 
First  National  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 


Midway  through  the  Balloon  Route  all-day 
outing,  the  excursion  cars  stopped  at  the 
Playa  del  Rey  Pavilion,  where  a  fish  din- 
ner was  served.    Boat  rides  on  the  lagoon 
and  skating  on  a  rink  were  also  possible 
during  the  stopover.  Freshly  rebuilt  for 
regular  service  on  the  Balloon  Route  trip, 
Los  Angeles  Pacific  cars  900  and  901  were 
photographed  at  Playa  del  Rey  with  a 
group  about  1910.   Al  Haij  Collection. 


307 


De  luxe  excursion  car  023  transported  Southland  tourists  on  the  "Old  Mission  Trolley  Trip"  to  San  Gabriel 
Mission,  Pasadena,  Bush  Gardens,  and  the  Cawston  Ostrich  Farm,  all  for  a  dollar.   Al  Haij  Collection. 


The  Greatest  Mountain  Trolley  Trip 

Among  the  greatest  of  Southern  California's  tourist 

attractions  of  the  early  20th  century  was  Pacific 

Electric' s  amazing  trolley  ride  up  the  slopes  of  the 

Sierra  Madre  to  Mount  Lowe,  named  for  Prof. 

Thaddeus  S.  C.  Lowe,  who  huilt  the  railway  in 

1893.   In  this  rare  photograph  Professor  Lowe  (with 

field  glasses)  and  two  ladies  are  studiously  ignoring 

construction  progress  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Cape  of 

Good    Hope    on   the    Alpine    Division. 

Charles  S.  Lawrence. 

308 


*&, 


Throughout  most  of  its  existence  as  a  passenger 
interurban  PE  was  subdivided  into  three  major  dis- 
tricts, each  virtually  a  complete  interurban  system 
in  itself.  Largest  of  them  was  the  Northern  District, 
operating  north  and  east  from  Los  Angeles,  which 
included  no  less  than  400  miles  of  track  and  33  sep- 
arate routes.  Main  artery  of  the  PE  north  was  a 
great  four-track  right  of  way  along  Huntington 
Drive  that  carried  trains  to  Pasadena  and  other  San 
Gabriel  Valley  points,  and  within  the  district's  jur- 
isdiction were  such  diverse  operations  as  the  Great 
Cable  Incline  and  narrow-gauge  Alpine  Division 
that  elevated  excursionists  to  the  scenic  heights  of 
Mount  Lowe,  and  the  48-mile,  1200- volt  San  Bernar- 
dino route  that  was  PE's  longest  and  fastest  line. 

At  the  top  of  the  standard- gauge  Mount  Lowe  inter- 
urban line,  the  Great  Cable  Incline  (designed  by 
Andrew  S.  Hallidie,  who  engineered  San  Francisco's 
early  cable  railways)  carried  passengers  up  to  the 
Alpine  Division's   narrow-gauge  trolleys.    At  this 
level  were  a  hotel  and  dance  pavilion;  at  the  top 
of   the   incline    stood   Echo    Mountain    House,   an 
observatory,  and  a  3-million-candlepower  search- 
light said  to  be  visible  from  150  miles  at  sea. 
Historical  Collections,  Security  First 
National  Bank,  Los  Angeles. 

Above  Echo  Mountain,  the  Alpine  Division  wound 
through  127  curves  and  crossed  18  trestles  to  reach 
Mount  Lowe  Springs,  just  1100  feet  below  the  sum- 
mit.   This  is  Circular  Bridge,  with  a  fearless  group 
posing  in  skeletal  car  9.   In  the  background  is  the 
trolley  line  down  to  the  summit  of  the  incline. 
Eldon   M.  Neff. 


The  Western  District,  made  up  largely  of  the  lines 
of  the  premerger  Los  Angeles  Pacific  Company,  op- 
erated 260  miles  of  track  and  12  lines  which  served 
a  vast  area  to  the  west  of  Los  Angeles,  and  included 
among  its  destinations  Hollywood,  Beverly  Hills, 
Glendale,  Burbank,  the  San  Fernando  Valley,  and 
the  beaches  at  Santa  Monica,  Venice,  and  Redondo. 


The  Southern  District,  with  400  miles  of  track  and 
17  lines  under  its  supervision,  reached  south  from 
Los  Angeles  to  the  busy  harbors  of  Long  Beach  and 
San  Pedro,  southeast  along  Pacific  beaches  to  the 
Newport  and  Balboa  resorts  and  through  the  orange 
groves  to  Santa  Ana,  and  southwest  to  the  El  Segun- 
do  oil  fields  and  Redondo  Beach. 


The  Alpine  Division  was  carved  out  of  solid  granite  for  its  entire  4-mile  length, 
and  its  grade  sometimes  exceeded  7  per  cent.   A  dusting  of  snow  was  not  entirely 
unusual  at  this  5000-foot  altitude,  making  a  unique  ride  even  more  spectacular 
for  Southern  California  tourists.    PE  purchased  the  line  in  1902,  and  double- 
truck  car  121  replaced  the  original  Mount  Lowe  cars  in  1906. 
Charles  S.  Lawrence. 


-V  .V-    v 


-  < - 


■ 


In  vivid  contrast  to  the  snow  scene  on  page  310  is  this  view  of  PE  interurban 
No.  1044  tarrying  along  the  beach  south  of  Long  Beach  on  the  way  to  the  sea- 
side resorts  of  Newport  and  Balboa.   Such  diverse  scenes  were  only  a  few  hours 
apart  on  the  "big  red  cars."   Donald  Duke  Collection. 


311 


An  almost  universal  feature  of  the  hundreds  of  wooden  interurban  cars  operated 
by  Pacific  Electric  was  a  generous  expanse  of  front-end  glass,  which  extended 
clear  around  the  corners  in  an  early  version  of  the  "wraparound"  windshield. 
Exceptional  among  these  spacious  wooden  chariots  were  the  cars  of  PE's  1000 
class,  which  arrived  from  the  Newark  (O.)  works  of  the  Jewett  Car  Company 
on  their  own  wheels  in  1913.  A  year  later  they  were  featured  participants  in  the 
gala  celebration  and  parade  attended  by  20.000  which  marked  the  opening  of 
PE's  celebrated  San  Bernardino  line.    William  D.  Middleton  Collection. 

Slated  with  other  PE  wooden  cars  for  scrapping  on  the  eve  of  World  War  II,  the  1000's  were  re- 
prieved to  meet  the  severe  test  of  record  PE  passenger  loads.    These  five  jam-packed  1000's  hurtled 
down  multiple  track  to  Long  Beach  in  1942.   The  Long  Beach  line,  the  last  PE  interurban  line  to  op- 
erate, was  abandoned  April  1,  1961..  H.  L.  Kelso. 


In  1929,  when  PE  converted  six  cars  purchased  from  the  SP  Oregon  lines  into 
reserved-seat  parlor  cars,  extra-fare  passengers  on  boat  trains  to  Los  Angeles  Harbor 
enjoyed  the  questionable  privilege  of  viewing  each  other's  knees,  rather  than  the 
scenery.   The  service  didn't  last  long,  thanks  to  the  depression.    Ira  L.  Swett  — 
Magna  Collection. 


313 


In  1906  Henry  Huntington  opened  a  new  PE  inter  urban  route  to  Pasadena  which 

was  designed  to  serve  his  Hotel  Huntington  —  an  elegant  resort  hostelry  atop  Oak 

Knoll  —  and  adjacent  Huntington  real  estate.   Late  one  October  afternoon  in  1950, 

only  a  day  before  the  line's  abandonment,  lone  interurban  No.  1129  lumbered  up 

the  slopes  of  Oak  Knoll  not  far  from  the  hotel.    A  year  later  the  50  cars  of  the 

1100  class  were  loaded  aboard  ship  at  New  Orleans  for  a  trip  to  new  duties  in 

Buenos  Aires.  "William  D.  Middleton. 


Race  Track  Special 


On  such  occasions  as  the  annual  Tournament  of  Roses  at  Pasadena  or  races  at 
Santa  Anita,  the  four-track  main  line  of  PE's  Northern  District  absorbed  a  truly 
phenomenal  traffic  of  rail-borne  humanity.   On  an  average  day  100,000  rode  the 
red  cars  to  see  the  ponies  run;  atid  multi-car  trains,  such  as  this  trackbound  special 
barreling  through  Sierra  Vista  in  January  of  1951,  rolled  over  the  line  in 
profitable  profusion.    WILLIAM    D.    MlDDLETON. 


fm[mnifHfiJ||mLffrrPPfri 


315 


316 


During  the  final  years  of  its  passenger  operation 
PE  acquired  from  abandoned  interurban  properties 
in  the  San  Francisco  Bay  Area  a  fleet  of  owl-faced 
electric  cars  of  prodigious  dimensions.   Over  12  feet 
in  length,  and  weighing  up  to  61  tons,  the  big  cars 
provided  seats  for  80  passengers  after  remodeling 


and  refurbishing  by  the  company's  Torrance  shops 
in  1947.   Led  by  combine  No.  498,  a  four-car  special 
train  of  former  Southern  Pacific  Oakland-Berkeley- 
Alameda  suburban  cars  rolled  northward  to  Los 
Angeles  off  the  San  Pedro  line  at  Dominguez  Junc- 
tion.  Donald  Duke. 


The  great  length  of  these  massive 
cars  is  evidenced  in  this  broadside 
view  of  No.  312  —  an  aluminum- 
bodied  car  that  once  rolled  down  to 
the  Golden  Gate  on  Marin  County 
rails  of  the  Northwestern  Pacific  — 
entering  the  Los  Angeles  elevated 
terminal.  William  D.  Middleton. 


For  services  more  suburban  than  interurban  in  char- 
acter. Pacific  Electric  had  160  cars  of  the  "Hollywood" 
type,  so  called  for  their  long  association  with  the  lines 
to  the  film  capital.    In  1950  No.  152  burst  from  the 
gloom  of  the  mile-long  subway  into  bright  Southern 
California  sunshine  on  the  long  journey  to  the  San 
Fernando  Valley.    These  low-floor,  center-door  cars, 
built  between  1922  and  1928,  were  unusually  successful. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


■■■■9SEC20 


«*~ 


Deadheading  into  Subway  Terminal  for  rush-hour  service  on  the  Glendale-Bur- 
hank  line,  a  two-car  train  of  Hollywoods  snaked  its  way  out  of  Toluca  Yard  in 
1954.   Some  of  these  cars  now  operate  in  Argentina  (see  page  367). 
William  D.  Middleton. 


318 


•Mor/ty  W^e  World  War  II  Pull- 
man-Standard delivered  30  PCC- 
type  streamliners,  modified  for  dou- 
ble-end, multiple-unit  operation,  for 
service  on  PE's  Glendale-Burbank 
route,  which  was  thereupon  restored 
to  all-rail  operation  after  a  highly 
unsatisfactory  experiment  with  joint 
bus-rail  service.    In  1950,  5026 
crossed  the  high   Fletcher  Drive 
trestle  on  the  climb   over  Elysian 
Hills  on  the  way  from  Glendale  to 
Los  Angeles.    William   D. 

MlDDLETON. 

An    outbound    Edendale-Atwater 
local  dropped  downgrade  from  the 
hills  into  the  Los  Angeles  River 
valley  at  Montesano  in  1954.    In 
1959  the   30   PCCs  joined  two 
previous  PE  car  types  on  Argen- 
tina's Ferrocarril  Nacional  Ge- 
neral Urquiza  at  Buenos  Aires. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


rl 


j1 


jt 


-,-  -^r-. 


PE  trains  to  San  Pedro  mingled  intimately  with  harbor  traffic.  Momentarily  seen 
from  the  bridge  of  a  tanker  tied  up  in  the  San  Pedro  Harbor's  West  Basin,  an 
interurban  train  from  Los  Angeles  was  about  to  cross  the  huge  SP  bascule  bridge 
that  separated  the  basin  from  the  remainder  of  the  harbor.    H.  L.  Kelso. 


320 


The  intense  activity  characteristic  of  Pacific  Elec- 
tric 's  four-track  steel  boulevard  leading  south  from 
Los  Angeles  is  evident  in  this  scene  near  Watts.  At 
left,  a  freight  train  had  just  entered  the  line  from 
Graham  Freight  Yard.  On  the  right,  a  northbound 
drag  of  oil  tankers  struggling  upgrade  was  being 
passed  by  a  fast-moving  passenger  train  inbound 
from  San  Pedro.    William  K.  Barham. 

In  downtown  Los  Angeles,  Pacific  Electric  op- 
erated two  major  passenger  terminals,  and  it  had 
both  an  elevated  and  a  subway  line.  In  1905  Henry 
E.  Huntington  opened  the  2-million-dollar  nine- 
story  terminal  building  at  Sixth  and  Main  streets 
which  was  Los  Angeles'  first  "skyscraper"  and,  at  the 
time,  its  largest  building.  Hundreds  of  daily  train 
movements  caused  intolerable  congestion  in  sur- 
rounding streets,  and  in  1916  an  elevated  approach 
was  constructed,  which  thereafter  accommodated 
a  majority  of  train  movements.  In  1925  PE  opened  a 
4-million-dollar  subway  and  terminal  that  took  at 
least  some  Western  District  trains  off  the  downtown 
streets. 


Merchandise  and  small  freight  shipments  of  every  description  were  loaded  aboard 
box  motors  at  Pacific  Electric's  Eighth  Street  Yard.   Car  1459,  in  the  foreground, 
came  from  SP's  Portland  (Ore.)  interurban  lines.    Pacific  Electric  Railway. 


i~jjpp 

-~~_ 

- 

1 

■--- 

SteJ 

JV 

j 

-*-... 

^^" 

* 

In  earlier  years,  PE-predecessor  Los  Angeles  Pa- 
cific had  formulated  plans  for  a  far  more  ambitious 
subway  than  the  mile-long  tube  finally  opened  in 
1925.  In  1906,  only  months  after  the  Southern 
Pacific's  E.  H.  Harriman  had  purchased  control  of 
LAP,  plans  were  announced  for  a  four-track  subway 
and  private-right-of-way  route  from  Vineyard  to 
downtown  Los  Angeles,  along  with  new  connecting 
cutoff  routes,  which  would  have  created  the  greatest 
rapid  transit  system  west  of  Chicago.  But  Har- 
riman's  plans  were  "temporarily  postponed"  dur- 
ing the  panic  of  1907,  and  LAP's  great  subway  was 
never  built.    1 


Mail  and  express  activity  was  concentrated  around 
PE's  Sixth  and  Main  Street  terminal  and  the  Los 
Angeles  Union  Passenger  Terminal.    It  was 
handled  by  box  motors  such  as  1415,  a  standard 
type  constructed  in  large  numbers  by  PE.    The 
extra  train  approached  Slauson  Junction  inbound 
from  the  Whittier  line  in  1950.   William  D. 
Middleton. 


The  scattered  industry  of  the  Southland  was  well  served  by  Pacific  Electric,  and  the  greatest  of  all 
interurbans  became  California's  third-ranking  freight  railroad.   Electric  freight  activity  centered  around 
compact  Butte  Street  Yard,  where  traffic  was  interchanged  with  the  major  transcontinental  systems. 
Steeple-cab  locomotive  No.  1610  worked  the  south  end  of  the  yard.   Pacific  Electric  Railway. 


;  u 


M 


Moving  behind  one  of  the  standard  Baldwin-W  estinghouse  steeple-cab  designs  that  served  PE  in 
large  numbers,  a  solid  block  of  refrigerator  cars  hurried  along  the  Santa  Monica  Air  Line  near  Palms. 
Donald  Duke. 


323 


"7" 


The  extraordinary  freight  traffic  of  World  War  11  was  responsible  for  such  dramatic  activ- 
ity as  this  combination  of  Mogul  and  steeple-cab  working  an  east  bound  extra  freight 
through  the  vineyards  near  Etiwanda  on  the  San  Bernardino  line.    Overburdened  with 


324 


:fi< 


— 


wartime  traffic  on  its  main  line  east  of  Los  Angeles,  Southern  Pacific  diverted  much  ton- 
nage to  the  line  of  its  parallel  subsidiary.    Confronted  with  a  resulting  motive  power 
shortage.  Pacific  Electric  borrowed  SP  steam  to  help  out.    F.  J.  Peterson. 


325 


Sunset  on  the  Fraser  River  .  .  .  and  this  British  Columbia 
Electric  1200-class  car  tripped  lightly  over  the  trestle  fro?n 
Lulu  Island,  bound  for  Mat  pole  and  Vancouver.  Symbolic 
of  the  Pacific  Northwest  are  a  sawmill  burner  and  fishing 
boat  masts  in  the  dusky  background.    Stan   F.  St 


V 


*T4T   M 


*i* 


1 « !*  8 


Maple  Leaf  Traction 

Canada's  Interurbans 


Maple  Leaf  Traction 


Canada's  Interurbans 


iNORTH  of  U.S.  borders  the  interurban  was  less 
frequently  seen,  and  nowhere  were  to  be  found  the 
interconnecting  electric  networks  common  to  New 
England  or  the  Midwestern  states.  Over  half  of  the 
Canadian  mileage  was  located  in  the  Province  of 
Ontario  and  virtually  all  of  this  was  concentrated  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  province  bordering  Lakes 
Erie  and  Ontario,  where  industrial  development  and 
population  were  greatest.  Elsewhere  the  vast  dis- 
tances and  sparse  population  of  the  Dominion  of- 
fered scant  inducement  to  interurban  promoters, 
and  few  lines  were  built  except  those  which  ven- 
tured out  from  the  largest  metropolitan  centers. 


The  two  great  Canadian  transcontinentals  occa- 
sionally took  an  interest  in  the  interurbans.  Cana- 
dian National  acquired  several  important  properties 
from  predecessor  companies  upon  its  formation  after 
World  War  I,  and  added  another  to  its  holdings  as 
recently  as  1951.  Canadian  Pacific's  electric  line  ac- 
tivities were  confined  to  an  important  pair  of  inter- 
connected lines  in  Ontario,  the  Hull  Electric  Railway 
in  Quebec,  and  the  Aroostook  Valley  Railway  in 
Maine.  Government  ownership  of  electric  railways, 
a  practice  which  was  virtually  unknown  in  the 
United  States,  was  much  more  frequent  in  the 
Dominion. 


On  a  quiet  Sunday  evening  in  1958  a  Quebec  Railway,  Light  &  Power 

Company  interurban  waited  at  Montmorency  Falls,  Que.,  for  a  late  evening 

local  run  into  Quebec  City.    William  D.  Middleton. 


328 


I 


!•    : 

45lS 

»        i 

l:'f9S9BBEs|r  1 

=J 

■  J 

™ 

1 


329 


Chemin  de  Fer  de  la  Bonne 
Sainte  Anne 

Aside  from  returns  on  traffic  of  a  suburban 
nature,  passenger  revenues  on  the  Quebec 
Railway,  Light  &  Power  Company's  interur- 
ban  were  derived  in  large  measure  from  the 
movement  of  summer  visitors  to  one  of  North 
America's  most  celebrated  Roman  Catholic 
shrines  at  Ste.  Anne  de  Beaupre.  Such  was  the 
identification  of  the  railway  with  the  shrine 
that  among  French-Canadians  the  former  was 
widely  known  as  the  "Chemin  de  Fer  de  la 
Bonne  Sainte  Anne."   Long  after  its  disappear- 
ance elsewhere  the  trolley  excursion  continued 
on  the  Quebec  interurban,  and  the  "Special 
Tourist  Electric  Train  Service"  remained  on 
summer  timecards  until  the  end  of  passenger 
operation.    Excursion  car  455,  whose  crew  in- 
cluded a  bilingual  guide-lecturer,  waited  for 
the  return  trip  in  a  siding  at  Ste.  Anne  during 
the  last  summer  of  passenger  operation  in  1958. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


For  peak  movements  to  the  shrine  the  railway  retained  a  fleet  of  incredibly  antique 
rolling  stock,  much  of  it  constructed  during  the  19th  century  for  QRL&P's  steam 
road  forerunner.   This  string  of  1889  Jackson  &  Sharp  coaches  rolled  down  the 
north  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Ste.  Anne  behind  a  steeple-cab  passenger  loco- 
motive on  the  occasion  of  the  annual  feast  day  of  Ste.  Anne  in   1958,  the 
tercentenary  of  the  shrine.    William   D.   MlDDLETON. 


330 


Over  100  feet  higher  than  Niagara,  Montmorency 
Falls,  not  far  from  Quebec,  constituted  a  major 
attraction  for  trolley  excursionists.    In  earlier 
years  the  interurban  operated  a  park  and  me- 
nagerie at  the  base  of  the  falls,  and  an  incline  rail- 
way carried  tourists  to  a  hotel  at  the  top  of  the 
cliff.    A  short  pause  on  the  electric  line's  bridge 
below  the  falls  was  always  scheduled  for  the  en- 
joyment of  passengers  on  "tourist  specials."  After 


completing  a  local  run  from  the  city,  this  in- 
terurban turned  on  the  wye  beside  the  falls  in 
1952.  Wooden  car  No.  401,  built  in  1902  by  Ot- 
tawa Car,  remained  in  operation  until  abandon- 
ment of  the  electrification  in  March  7959,  by 
which  time  the  car  had  long  since  assumed  the 
title  of  North  America's  oldest  interurban  car 
still  operating  in  revenue  service.  Robert  J. 
Sandusky. 


Until  Canadian  National  acquired  the  line  in  1951, 
the  25-mile  QRL&P  interurban  was  the  only  link 
between  the  transcontinental  and  its  isolated  Murray 
Bay  Subdivision.  To  power  CNR  passenger  trains 
moving  over  the  electric  line,  QRL&P  provided  a 
pair  of  big  steeple-cab  locomotives.    After  CNR 


purchased  the  line  steam  and  diesel  power  operated 
straight  through,  but  the  passenger  electrics  were 
retained  for  special  movements,  such  as  this  train 
of  Canadian  Pacific  equipment  leaving  Quebec 
in  1958  with  215  nuns  from  Montreal  on  a  pilgrim- 
age to  the  shrine.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Among  the  assets  acquired  by  Canadian  National 
from  its  predecessor  Grand  Trunk  Railway  was 
the  Montreal  &  Southern  Counties  Railway,  an  in- 
terurban  which  represented,  in  part,  electrification 
of  former  steam  lines  of  the  Grand  Trunk's  subsidiary 
Central  Vermont.    An  eventual  long-distance  elec- 
trification of  CV  lines  was  contemplated,  but  the 
trolley  wire  never  extended  beyond  Granby,  some 
41  miles  east  of  Montreal,  which  was  reached  in  1916. 
Much  of  the  company's  traffic  was  of  a  commuter 
nature  to  suburban  communities  across  the  St.  Law- 
rence from  Montreal.    In  1953  this  wooden  car 
waited  at  the  McGill  Street  terminal  in  Montreal  for 
a  run  to  suburban  Mackayville.  Philip  R.  Hastings. 


At  the  conclusion  of  its  electric  passen- 
ger operation  in  1956,  M&SC  still  used 
much  of  the  same  equipment  acquired 
to  inaugurate  service  nearly  a  half  century 
before.    This  train  of  wooden  coaches, 
approaching  Canadian  National's  Vic- 
toria Jubilee  Bridge  from  St.   Lambert 
in  1949,  was  typical.  Trailer  car  201,  at 
the  rear  of  the  train,  had  been  on  hand 
at  the  opening  of  initial  Montreal- 
St.  Lambert  service  in  1909. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


"*,»- 


Si      §£** 


■.  -    ^HH 


This  M&SC  "mixed  train,"  made  up  of  a  pair  of  l.c.l  box  cars 
and  a  like  number  of  passenger  coaches,  was  photographed  at 
St.  Lambert  in  1949.  Charles  A.  Brown. 


Following  discontinuance  of  passenger  service  to  Granby  in 
1931,  M&SC  electric  cars  terminated  their  runs  at  Marieville, 
backing  around  this  wye  to  reverse  direction. 
Robert  J.  Sandusky. 


Waving  the  motorman  back  on  dead 
slow,  an  M&SC  conductor  at  Marieville 
ponders  the  difference  in  drawbar  lev- 
els as  he  makes  up  his  train.  He's  going 
to    have    to    get    in    between    there, 
against    the    rules,    and   armstrong 
60V s  coupler  up  about  5  inches. 
Philip  R.   Hastings. 


335 


North  from  Lake  Erie 

An  important  figure  in  Ontario  traction  was  Sir 
Adam  Beck,  founder  of  the  Hydro-Electric  Power 
Commission  of  Ontario.  In  1912  he  advanced  an 
ambitious  scheme  for  a  system  of  "radial  railways" 
(as  interurbans  were  commonly  known  in  Ontario) 
which,  together  with  already  existing  lines,  would 
link  the  Toronto  area,  the  Niagara  peninsula,  and 
the  cities  north  of  Lake  Erie  with  an  integrated  net- 
work of  high  grade  electric  railways.  Sir  Adam, 
whose  power  commission  represented  the  first  major 
successful  public  power  project  in  North  America, 
envisioned  that  the  Commission  would  construct, 
equip,  and  operate  the  radials  for  the  benefit  and  at 
the  expense  of  the  municipalities  concerned,  with 
the  initial  financing  to  come  from  bond  issues  which 
would  be  guaranteed  by  the  provincial  government. 
The  Hydro  proposal  was  delayed  during  a  decade 
of  political  bickering  and  cessation  of  construction 
during  World  War  I,  perhaps  fortunately,  as  the 
ultimate  collapse  of  interurban  railways  was  to 
prove.  Eventually  government  skepticism  about  the 
ability  of  the  lines  to  become  self-supporting  and 
the  all-too-evident  growth  of  highway  travel  killed 
the  plan. 


Electrification  of  the  London  &  Port  Stanley  Rail- 
way, a  former  steam  railroad,  in  1915  afforded  a 
prototype  of  the  sort  of  electric  railways  contem- 
plated by  the  Hydro  Commission.  Originally  con- 
structed in  1856  by  London  business  interests  to  ob- 
tain lower  freight  rates  than  those  charged  by  the 
Great  Western  (now  CNR),  the  municipally  owned 
L&PS  was  rebuilt  and  electrified  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Sir  Adam  Beck  and  the  Hydro  Commission. 
A  1500- volt  D.C.  system  was  employed  and  the  new 
all-steel  cars  for  the  service  were  built  to  specifica- 
tions of  the  Commission.  Beck  himself  invited  guests 
to  the  line's  June  30,  1915,  opening  celebration, 
where  the  project  was  described  as  the  first  step  in  a 
1500- volt  D.C.  electrification  of  Ontario  municipal 
railways  which  would  ultimately  extend  through 
central  Ontario  from  Lake  Erie  to  Georgian  Bay.  So 
successful  was  the  London  &  Port  Stanley  electrifica- 
tion that  within  three  years  of  its  opening  the  paral- 
lel London  &  Lake  Erie  electric  line  had  been  forced 
into  bankruptcy  and  abandonment. 


Heading  southward  to  Lake  Erie  in  1952,  a  two- 
car  L&PS  train  sped  under  the  catenary  just  south 
of  the  Thames  River  bridge  at  London.   A  motor- 
less  control  trailer  of  wooden  construction  pre- 
ceded the  steel  motor  car.   Robert  J.  Sandusky. 


LrzJ^jjn-*  35 


J 


The  steel  Jewett  coach  that  headed  this  north- 
bound L&PS  train  at  St.  Thomas  in  1949  had  an 
all-steel  roof  of  unique  contour.    Constructed  for 
the  original  electrification  in  1915,  the  car  was  con- 
sidered a  prototype  for  electric  cars  that  radial 


railway  proponents  believed  would  soon  traverse 

much  of  central  Ontario.    To  combat  the  rigors  of 

the  Canadian  winter,  the  cars  came  equipped  with 

storm  sash,  a  not  infrequent  feature  on  Dominion 

interurbans.  William  D.  Middleton. 


336 


337 


•^^ 


- 


With   some    100   railroad   enthusiast   passengers 
aboard,  a  three-car  London  &  Port  Stanley  train 
raced  southward  across  the  substantial  Kettle  Creek 
viaduct  just  north  of  St.  Thomas  in  1 952.   The  train 


was  made  up  of  cars  acquired  in  1941  from  the  Mil- 
waukee Electric  Lines,  on  which  they  had  been  the 
de  luxe  parlor  cars  Mendota,  Waubasee,  and  Menom- 
inee. John  A.  Myers. 


338 


L&PS  trains  provided  Londoners  convenient  con- 
nections with  Michigan  Central  (NYC)  trains  at 
St.  Thomas,  where  this  train  waited  at  the  steam 


line's  depot  in  July  of  1956.    The  diesel  in  the 
foreground    headed    a    westbound    freight. 
Herbert  H.  Harwood  Jr. 


Three  of  these  GE  box-cab  locomotives  powered  L&PS  freight  trains  from  the  time  of  the  1915  elec- 
trification until  dieselization  in  1951.    This  one  switched  at  the  London  yard  in  1949.  A.  C.  Kalmbach. 


,Xil 


The  combined  trackage  of  the  Lake 
Erie  &  Northern  Railway  and  the 
Grand  River  Railway,  closely  as- 
sociated under  Canadian  Pacific 
ownership,  extended  southward 
from  the  CPR  main  line  at  Gait  to 
Port  Dover  on  Lake  Erie,  affording 
the  transcontinental  system  a  stra- 
tegic connection  to  the  cities  of 
the    Grand   River    valley.     Like 
some  of  the  other  important  On- 
tario lines,  LE&N-GRRy  operated 
at   right  angles  to   the  east-west 
trunk  lines  of  the  major  steam 
railroads.  This  is  the  bridge  which 
carried   the   electrics   over   the 
Michigan    Central   and   Toronto, 
Hamilton  &  Buffalo  lines  at  Water- 
ford.  The  car  was  northbound  on 
the  last  day  of  passenger  operation 
in   J955.  Robert  J.  Sandusky. 


StfS    ~—        — 


Southbound  to  Port  Dover,  an  LE&N  car  rolled  into 
Simcoe  over  a  well- maintained  roadbed  in  1950. 
During  the  latter  years  of  passenger  service  the  Ca- 
nadian Pacific  electrics  experimented  with  various 


front  end  color  schemes,  designed  to  improve  vis- 
ibility of  the  oncoming  cars  for  motorists.  A  yel- 
low checkerboard  effect  had  been  applied  to  this 
wine  red  coach.  William  D.  Middleton. 


340 


Though  elsewhere  on  the  system  freight  traf- 
fic predominated,  the  Grand  River  Railway's 
short  Preston-Hespeler  branch  did  a  lively  pas- 
senger business,  and  even  after  World  War  II 
some  35  daily  round  trips  were  offered.   The 
sturdy  wooden  car  arriving  at  Preston  was  a 
797  5  product  of  the  home-town  Preston  Car  & 
Coach  Company.    David  H.  Cope. 

Just  arrived  from  Brantford  behind  a  pair  of 

Bald win-W estinghouse  steeple-cabs  one  leaden 

winter  day  in  7  956,  an  LE&N  freight  pulled 

into  the  Canadian  Pacific  interchange  at  Gait, 

where  a  Mikado  freight  engine  of  the  parent 

road   waited   for   a    westbound   trip.     Electric 

freight  operation  on  the  combined  LE&N-GRRy 

continued  into  1961.  William  D.  Middleton. 


Prominent  in  Ontario  traction  development  were 
Sir  William  MacKenzie  and  Donald  Mann,  who  had 
been  contractors  in  the  construction  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific,  and  later  began  construction  of  their  rival 
Canadian  Northern  in  1896.  The  most  important 
of  the  four  interurbans  developed  by  the  MacKenzie, 
Mann  &  Company  partnership  was  the  Niagara,  St. 
Catharines  &  Toronto  Railway,  which  operated 
across  the  Niagara  peninsula  between  Lakes  Erie 
and  Ontario,  and  into  Niagara  Falls.  Ultimately, 
the  NStC&T,  along  with  other  Canadian  Northern 
electric  properties,  became  part  of  the  Canadian 
National  system. 


Before  the  decline  of  electric  railway  travel  NStC&T 
formed  a  link  in  leisurely  travel  between  Buffalo 
and  Toronto.    From  a  Niagara  Falls  (N.  Y.)  con- 
nection with  the  International  Railway's  Buffalo- 
Niagara  Falls  High  Speed  Line,  cars  of  the  Canadian 
line  operated  over  the  old  Rainbow  Bridge  and 
across  the  peninsula  to  Port  Dalhousie  East,  where 
a  shipside  connection  with  Toronto-bound  Lake 
Ontario  steamers  was  made.  Such  traffic  still  moved 
in  profitable  volume  in  the  '20's,  as  evidenced  by 
this  train  of  elegant  wooden  cars,  representing  a 
1914  Preston  Car  &  Coach  order  in  its  entirety. 
William  S.  Flatt  Collection. 


In  the  final  years  of  its  electric  operation  NStC&T 
used  a  group  of   widely  traveled  cars  on  its  re- 
maining passenger  line  between  Tborold  and  Port 
Colborne.    Built  by  the  Ottawa  Car  Company  in 
1930  for  an  ill-advised  modernization  of  the  Wind- 
sor, Essex  &  Lake  Shore  Railway  under  Hydro  Com- 
mission management,  the  original  group  of  five 
medium-weight  interurbans  spent  but  two  years  on 
the  "Sunshine  County  Route"  before  its  abandon- 


ment.   The  cars  then  moved  to  Canadian  National's 
Montreal  &  Southern  Counties,  where  they  operated 
until  7955,  when  one  went  to  a  Maine  museum  and 
the  remainder  were  transferred  to  NStC&T.  No.  620 
was  ascending  the  steep  grade  between  Merritton 
and  Thorold   early   on   a  Sunday    morning   in 
1956  en  route  from  the  carbarn  at  St.  Cath- 
arines to  begin  the  day's  operation.   William  D. 

MlDDLETON. 


At  speed  near  Port  Colborne  on  a  bleak  March  day,  620  typified  the  exciting,  exhilarating  operation 
of  a  cross-country  interurban  paralleling  a  highway.   Unfortunately,  no  passengers  were  aboard  to  enjoy 
the  sensation.   William  D.  Middleton. 


343 


Except  for  two  Ft.  William  (Ont.) 
city  cars,  Canada's  only  curved-side 

Cincinnati  lightweights,  were  op- 
erated by  the  Niagara  line  in  local 

service  on  the  St.  Catharines-Port 
Dalhousie  route.  Charles  A.  Brown. 


Motors  and  gears  groaned  as  NStC&T's  little  steeple- 
cab  locomotive  No.  19  slowed  almost  to  a  walk  and 
then  settled  into  a  steady  stride  that  finally  gained 
her  the  summit  of  the  steep  Merritton  hill  with 
seven  cars  of  freight  for  the  Welland  Subdivision 
in  1956.    William  D.  Middleton. 


344 


L         M 


345 


In  all  the  vast  reaches  of  the  Canadian  prairie  there 
was  but  one  interurban,  the  Winnipeg,  Selkirk  & 
Lake  Winnipeg  Railway,  which  radiated  from  the 
Manitoba  capital  to  Selkirk  and  Stonewall.  Against 


a  frosty  backdrop  near  Stony  Mountain,  one  of  the 
line's  big  wooden  combines  headed  south  to  Win- 
nipeg on  a  midafternoon  run  in  the  early   '30's. 
Stan  F.  Styles. 


The  winter  of  1928-1929  and  its  aftermath  proved  difficult  for  the  Winnipeg  in- 
terurban.  Motorman  Ray  Styles  and  two  sectionmen  posed  atop  a  snowbank  on 
the  Stonewall  line  after  the  railway's  rotary  plow  had  cleared  up  the  results  of 
a  February  blizzard.   Stan  F.  Styles. 


I'l'l 


In  April  of  1929,  the  winter's  snow  melted  and  produced  a  severe  spring  flood,  causing  this  two-car  train 
on  the  Stonewall  line  to  make  its  way  cautiously  through  water  that  lapped  at  the  rails.    Stan  F.  Styles. 


347 


*^\'0* 


Bound  for  a  Fraser  Valley  excursion  on  the  Chil- 
liwack line,  a  train  of  commodious  BCER  in- 
terurbans  paused  at  New  Westminster  in  1914. 
four  years  after  the  line  was  opened.   Outings  to 
the  valley  by  interurban  were  long  popular. 


As  late  as  1940  BCER  operated  special  "bicycle 
trains"  into  the  country  for  a  Vancouver  club. 
A  baggage  car  was  provided  for  the  trans- 
portation of  members'  bicycles.    Ernie  Plant 
Collection. 


Interurban  Trams  to  Chilliwack. 

Canada's  largest  interurban  system  was  that  of 
the  British  Columbia  Electric  Railway,  which  op- 
erated an  extensive  suburban  service  around  Van- 
couver, a  long  and  scenic  route  through  the  Fraser 
River  Valley  to  Chilliwack,  and  a  disconnected, 
short-lived  line  north  from  Victoria  on  Vancouver 


Island.  Vancouver  is  more  British  in  character  than 
much  of  Canada,  and  it  was  not  uncommon  to  hear 
local  people  speak  of  the  "interurban  trams."  British 
capital,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  built  BCER,  and  this  may 
have  accounted  for  the  presence  of  several  British- 
built  Dick  Kerr  electric  locomotives  among  the 
company's  roster  of  otherwise  conventional  equip- 
ment of  North  American  manufacture.    i 


348 


•    -1 

-1 

1311 

•  •      •    • 
....             1 

1 

i 

I 

3 

# 

'41 

$ 


/«  J9i2,  ///>o«  //)e  occasion  of  a  visit  to 
western  Canada  by  the  Duke  of  Con- 
naught,  interurban  car  No.   1 304  was 
repainted,  fitted  with  drapes  and  a  red 
carpet,  and  the  Connaught  crest  applied 
to  each  corner  in  preparation  for  serv- 
ice on  a  special  train  transporting  the 
Duke  over  the  Chilliwack  line.    Fol- 
lowing completion  of  the  trip  No.  1304 
was  shorn  of  its  special  furnishings  and 
operated  in  more  mundane  passenger 
service  until  the  mid-'50's.    It  is  now 
owned  by  an  Oregon  historical  group. 
Ernie  Plant  Collection. 


349 


Against  a  backdrop  of  threatening  skies,  this  Fraser  Valley  train  waited  on  the 
loop  at  Chilliwack  before  beginning  the  76-mile  return  trip  to  Vancouver. 
David  A.  Strassman. 


350 


m 


While  one  of  the  company's  PCC  streetcars  discharged  passengers  in  the  street,  a  pair  of  BCER  in- 
terurbans  waited  to  depart  from  the  Carrall  Street  depot  in  Vancouver  on  their  respective  late  evening 
journeys  to  Burnaby  Lake  and  New  Westminster.    Stan  F.  Styles. 

Highlighted  by  the  morning  sun,  three  cars  full  of  BCER  commuters  hurried  across  Gladstone  Trestle  on  a 
12-mile  run  from  New  Westminster  to  Vancouver  over  the  Central  Park  line.   Stan  F.  Styles. 


352 


Two  steam  railroads  shared  the  Fraser  River  bridge  at  New 
Westminster  with  interurbans  of  British  Columbia  Electric's 
Chilliwack  line.  In  1948  the  two-car  interurban  train  was 
about  to  follow  the  center  track  to  Chilliwack.  The  track  to 
the  right  carried  Canadian  National  transcontinental  traffic, 
while  that  to  the  left  handled  international  traffic  on  Great 
Northern's  line  to  Seattle.    Ernie  Plant. 


Behind  a  former  Oregon  Electric  steeple-cab  locomotive,  freight 

extra  961   West  waited  in  a  forested  siding  at  Bradner,  on  the 

Chilliwack  line,  to  permit  the  passage  of  a  Vancouver  passenger 

train  headed  by  baggage  motor  No.  1700.    Stan  F.  Styles. 


353 


Traction  in  the  Tropics 


>ey  Cuban  passengers  begim  their  journey 
fr>&rn  Havana  aboard  5-cent  motor  launches, 
whttb^  cross  the  harbor  between  the  old  coloni- 
al seclfbuof  Havanajfnd  the  interurban  terminal 
at  C.asahkinca.  Just  beyond  the  noisy  waterfront 


dive  that  houses  the  ticket  office,  a  three-car 
train  waited  for  the  run  to  Matanzas  in  1957. 
The  big  maroon  cars  were  little  changed  from 
the  day  they  rolled  out  of  the  J.  G.  Brill 
plant  40  years  before.  William  D.  Middleton. 


V 


Traction  in  the  Tropics 


oOUTH  of  U.  S.  borders  the  interurban  was  almost 
nonexistent.  Street  railways  were  a  common  means 
of  mass  transportation  in  the  larger  cities  of  Central 
and  South  America,  and  remain  so  today  in  many 
cases.  But  only  occasionally,  in  such  cities  as  Mexico 
City  and  Buenos  Aires,  did  electric  railways  venture 
into  the  suburban  countryside  on  lines  with  interur- 
ban characteristics. 

Both  severe  topography  and  an  almost  continual 
state  of  revolution  that  discouraged  investment  capi- 
tal during  much  of  the  interurban  era  combined  to 
deter  the  development  of  true  interurbans  in 
Mexico.  The  Mexican  Tramways  Company  in  1927 
advanced  an  interesting  proposal  to  construct  a  130- 
mile  electric  interurban  from  Mexico  City  to  Pueblo, 
and  another,  60  miles  in  length,  to  Pachuca,  but 
nothing  ever  came  of  it. 

A  notable  exception  to  the  dearth  of  interurbans 
in  Latin  America  was  Cuba's  Hershey  Cuban  Rail- 
way, which  survives  into  1961  as  the  last  example 
in  all  North  America  of  the  typical  heavy  electric 
interurban  railway.*  The  Hershey  Cuban's  princi- 
pal reason  for  existence  was  the  development  by 
the  parent  Hershey  Chocolate  Corporation  of  its 
own  Cuban  sugar  enterprise  at  the  end  of  World 
War  I.  A  vast  acreage  of  sugar  plantations  and  sev- 
eral mills,  for  conversion  of  the  cane  to  raw  brown 
sugar,  were  centered   around    the  company's   prin- 


ed  by  decree  of  the  Ca 


cipal  mill,  a  refinery,  and  power  plant  at  Central 
Hershey,  east  of  Havana.  A  network  of  rail  lines 
was  constructed  to  gather  the  cane  from  the  sur- 
rounding plantations,  and  a  main  line  was  installed 
to  transport  the  refined  sugar  down  to  Havana  har- 
bor. Developing  its  railroad  on  the  principle  that  it 
should  be  a  self-supporting  enterprise  rather  than 
just  an  accessory  to  sugar  manufacture,  Hershey  ex- 
tended the  main  line  to  Matanzas,  56  miles  east  of 
Havana,  in  order  to  establish  a  year-around  com- 
mon carrier  freight  and  passenger  business. 

Crews  of  Jamaican  laborers  completed  the  first 
section  of  line,  between  Havana  and  Central  Her- 
shey, in  1918,  and  it  was  immediately  placed  in 
operation  with  steam  power  to  haul  construction 
materials  for  the  refinery  and  power  plant.  The  en- 
tire railway,  comprising  some  100  track  miles  under 
a  1200-volt  D.C.  catenary  system,  and  several  times 
that  amount  of  steam-operated  sugar  cane  trackage, 
was  officially  opened  four  years  later. 

The  J.  G.  Brill  Company  delivered  a  fleet  of  heavy 
maroon-clad  wood  and  steel  multiple-unit  interur- 
bans. Interiors  were  plainly  finished  in  mahogany 
and  were  fitted  with  durable  rattan-upholstered 
walkover  seats.  Splendidly  maintained  by  the  rail- 
way's thoroughly  equipped  shops,  these  cars  re- 
main today  in  virtually  "as  built"  condition.  A 
group  of  lighter  single-unit  cars,  designed  for 
branch-line  service,  came  a  few  years  later  from  the 
Cincinnati  Car  Company,   i 


356 


Late  one  June  afternoon  in  1957  train  No.  33, 
westbound  from  Central  Hershey  to  Casablanca, 
backed  into  the  siding  at  Justiz  for  a  cruzando 
(meet)   with  eastbound  Matanzas  train  No.  8. 
Headed  by  a  big  wood-bodied  mail-baggage  car, 
the  three-car  train  came  swaying  through  the 


tropical  undergrowth  at  a  respectable  30  miles  per 
hour.   Train  crews  shouted  cheerful  Spanish  greet- 
ings, the  conductor  threw  the  switch  to  let  No.  33 
back  on  the  main  line,  and  the  journey  to  Casa- 
blanca was  once  more  in  progress.   William  D. 

MlDDLETON. 


357 


■*£ 


Central  Hershey  is  a  handsome  "company  town" 
with  elegant  residences  for  company  executives  and 
such  attractions  as  a  golf  course,  tropical  gardens, 
and  a  comfortable  small  hotel.   Tours  of  the  re- 
finery have  long  been  popular,  and  in  earlier  years 
the  railway  offered  a  handy  "package  tour"  from 
Havana  which  included  interurban  transportation, 
a  conducted  tour  of  the  sugar  mill,  lunch  at  the 
Hershey  Hotel,  and  an  automobile  tour  through 
the  scenic  byways  of  the  surrounding  countryside. 
Four  times  daily  the  Hershey  Cuban's  mainline 
passenger  trains  are  scheduled  to  meet  at  Central 
Hershey.    During  the  ^-minute  stop  of  a  pair  of 
Casablanca-Matanzas  trains  one  hot  June  morn- 
ing, the  quiet  station  became  the  scene  of  frantic 


activity.    The  brown-uniformed  train  crews  gath- 
ered  on   the  platform   to   exchange   small   talk, 
while  crowds  of  passengers  boarded  and  left  the 
interurbans.    The   camarero   (baggageman)   un- 
loaded a  few  pieces  of  express.   Friends  and  idlers 
chatted  through  open  windows,  and  a  boy  passed 
from  window  to  window  hawking  candies  held 
up  on  a  stick  for  the  passengers'  inspection.    Then 
the  motoristas  returned  to  their  controllers,  and 
the  conductors  signaled  departure  time  with  a 
blast  from  their  whistles.    The  big  red  cars  went 
rumbling  out  of  town,  the  crowd  thinned,  dogs 
went  back  to  sleep  in  the  shade,  and  Central  Hershey 
station  grew  quiet  again.  All  Photos,  William  D. 

MlDDLETON. 


Clattering  along  an  irregular  roadbed, 
the  ponderous  interurbans  nosed  gently 
from  side  to  side  as  they  followed  the 
rails  through  a  verdant  trough  in 
vegetation  that  frequently  stands  as 
high  as  a  man.   Windows  were  thrown 
wide  open  to  the  warmth  of  the  Cuban 
summer.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Awaiting  the  end  of  the  day  shift, 
a  Cincinnati-built  interurban  stood 
in  the  street  outside  the  main  gate 
of  the  Central  Hershey  sugar  mill 
and  refinery.    Soon  the  train  would 
be  off  with  homeward-bound  work- 
ers to  Santa  Cruz  del  Norte,  on  the 
edge  of  the  Atlantic.    The  June 
afternoon  was  hot  and  humid,  and 
an  ice  cream  salesman  was  doing 
business  in  the  shade  of  a  nearby 
tree.    William  D.  Middleton. 


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HATUEY 


Approaching  Matanzas  the  Hershey  Cuban  traverses 
some  of  central  Cuba's  finest  scenery.   Having  just 
completed  its  circuit  of  the  spectacular  Yumuri 
Valley,  an  eastbound  train  came  rolling  between 


the  rock  cliffs  of  the  gap  which  carries  the  Yumuri 
River,  a  country  road,  and  the  interurban  from  the 
valley  to  the  Bay  of  Matanzas.    William  D. 

MlDDLETON. 


361 


Inter  urban  No.  21 3  had  just  completed  its  daily  afternoon  run  from  Central 
Hershey  to  Bainoa.    While  the  crew  stepped  into  the  weathered  masonry  depot 
shared  with  the  Occidentales  de  Cuba  to  call  the  dispatcher  for  return  trip  orders, 
a  small  boy  clambered  about  the  fascinating  electric  car.  William  D.  Middleton. 


Returning  to  Central  Hershey  from  an  afternoon  trip  down  the  Bainoa  branch, 
Cincinnati  interurban  213  rejoined  the  Hershey  Cuban  main  line  at  San  Mateo 

Junction.    William  D.  Middleton. 


362 


MI'JP 


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364 


Powered  by  a  bright  silver  and  red  diesel, 
Hershey's  weekly  mixed  train  departed 
from  Central  San  Antonio  for  the  return 
trip  over  nonele drifted  branch-line  track- 
age to  Central  Hershey.    With  eight  tank 
cars  of  molasses,  a  box  car  of  miscellaneous 
freight,  and  a  Brill  interurban  trailer,  the 
little  diesel  had  all  it  could  do  to  get  the 
train  under  way.  William  D.  Middleton. 

Time  freight  No.   53,  westbound  from 
Matanzas  to  Havana  harbor  behind  a 
pair  of  GE  steeple-cab  locomotives,  headed 
out  of  the  siding  at  Canasi  as  an  east- 
bound  passenger  train  cleared  the  main 
line.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Almost  hidden  by  trackside  growth,  east- 
bound  Havana- Matanzas  time  freight 
52  came  grinding  up  the  long  grade  into 
Central  Hershey.    The  steeple-cabs'  panto- 
graphs reached  high  for  the   1200-volt 
catenary.    William  D.  Middleton. 


A  trim  little  GE  locomotive  switched  Ferrocarriles  Occidentals  de  Cuba  passen- 
ger cars  at  Havana's  Central  Station  in  1957.    The  Occidentals,  formerly  the 
Havana  Central,  once  operated  interurban  passenger  equipment  in  an  extensive 
suburban  service,  and  is  still  possessed  of  a  generous  amount  of  600-volt  overhead 
in  the  Havana  area.    William  D.  Middleton. 


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As  the  electric  street  and  interurban  railways  declined  in  North  America,  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  their  still-serviceable  rolling  stock  found  its  way  to  the  electric 
lines  of  Central  and  South  America.    In  1952  a  train  of  former  Pacific  Electric 
Hollywood  suburban  cars,  still  attired  in  PE  red  and  orange  colors,  operated 
left-handed  on  the  Federico  Lacroze  line  of  the  Ferrocarril  Nacional  General 
Urquiza  at  Buenos  Aires.  William  D.  Middleton  Collection. 


367 


1 


368 


Wrecks  and  Other  Mishaps 


♦4 


TA<?  combination  of  a  dispatcher's  lap  order  and  a  foggy 
November  morning  had  this  violent  aftermath  at  Fair- 
view,  Ida.,  in  1917  on  the  Ogden,  Logan  &  Idaho  Rail- 
way. The  conductor  on  the  almost  completely  telescoped 
wooden  express  motor  was  killed  and  three  other  crew- 
men were  seriously  injured.  Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


369 


Wrecks  and  Other  Mishaps 


DISASTER  AND  DEATH  along  the  rails  were 
sometimes  a  part  of  the  interurban  era.  Most  in- 
terurbans  were  single  tracked  and  rarely  were 
equipped  with  such  safety  refinements  as  block  sig- 
nals. The  tragedy  of  a  high-speed  collision  result- 
ing from  an  overlooked  meeting  point  or  a  forgotten 
special  train,  combined,  perhaps,  with  the  restricted 
visibility  of  hills  and  curves  or  a  foggy  night,  is  a 
recurring  theme  in  interurban  history. 

The  first  interurban,  Portland's  East  Side  Rail- 
way, was  only  a  few  months  old  when  the  car  Inez, 
inbound  from  Oregon  City  one  misty  November 
morning,  slid  on  frosty  rail  and  plunged  through 
the  open  Madison  Street  drawbridge  in  Portland. 
Most  of  the  passengers  saved  themselves  by  jumping 
as  the  interurban  hung  in  the  air  momentarily,  but 
7  were  killed  when  the  car  plummeted  into  35  feet 
of  water. 

The  worst  interurban  accident  of  all  occurred  at 
Kingsland,  Ind.,  on  September  21,  1910,  when  an 
extra  car  on  the  Fort  Wayne  &  Wabash  Valley  Trac- 
tion Company  overran  a  meeting  point  and  collided 
head-on  at  high  speed  with  a  northbound  local.  The 
crowded  local  was  completely  telescoped,  and  41  lost 
their  lives  in  the  splintered  wreckage  of  the  wood- 
en car. 

The  old  adage  that  "bad  accidents  come  in  threes" 
seemed  to  hold  some  truth,  for  during  the  same  week 
that  the  Kingsland  disaster  occurred,  5  were  killed  in 
a  collision  on  the  neighboring  Indiana  Union  Trac- 
tion Company,  and  less  than  two  weeks  later  36  met 
death  in  a  head-on  Illinois  Traction  System  crash, 
which  took  place  under  similar  circumstances  of  an 
overlooked  meet. 

The  public  outcry  following  the  Kingsland  and 
other  accidents  was  predictable.  The  Indiana  Rail- 
road Commission  demanded  the  installation  of  block 
signals  on  all  interurbans  in  the  state.  Illinois  Trac- 
tion voluntarily  began  the  costly  installation  of  sig- 


nals on  all  of  its  major  lines  and  by  1915  had  150 
miles  of  track  under  continuous  block  signals.  Adept 
at  making  the  best  of  a  bad  thing,  ITS  extracted 
maximum  publicity  benefits  from  its  new  signals. 
Full-size  models  of  the  signals  were  displayed  on 
street  corners  in  principal  cities,  and  the  workings 
of  their  mechanism  explained  to  the  curious.  "Travel 
is  perfection  under  IT  block  protection,"  proclaimed 
the  company's  advertising,  and  nervous  passengers 
were  assured  "they  never  sleep." 

Sometimes  the  lessons  taught  by  disaster  are  for- 
gotten, and  in  1950,  40  years  after  the  Kingsland 
wreck,  the  last  big  accident  of  the  interurban  era 
occurred  under  almost  identical  circumstances,  when 
two  Milwaukee  interurban  excursion  trains  collided 
head-on  with  a  loss  of  10  lives.  A  misunderstand- 
ing of  orders  sent  the  two  trains  racing  toward  each 
other  on  single  track,  and  just  as  at  Kingsland,  an 
overgrowth  of  trackside  brush  at  a  curve  obscured 
visibility  for  the  motormen  until  too  late. 

More  often  though,  interurban  mishaps  were  not 
so  deadly.  One  of  the  most  bizarre  and  spectacular 
interurban  accidents,  which  happened  on  the  In- 
diana Service  Corporation  at  Lafayette,  Ind.,  in  1930, 
took  place  with  the  almost  miraculous  absence  of 
serious  injury  or  death.  Approaching  Lafayette  from 
Fort  Wayne,  motorman  Frank  Simons,  after  ap- 
parently suffering  an  attack  of  dizziness  or  a  faint- 
ing spell,  toppled  through  the  open  door  of  his  in- 
terurban car.  Running  wild  with  the  power  still  on, 
the  big  wooden  car  reached  an  estimated  speed  of  45 
miles  per  hour  before  leaving  the  rails  on  a  curve  in 
the  streets  of  Lafayette  and  plunging  into  a  grocery 
store,  tearing  out  the  entire  front  of  the  building 
and  finally  coming  to  rest  within  the  store  in  a  mass 
of  tumbled  merchandise  and  debris.  The  interur- 
ban's  passengers  escaped  with  bruises  and  were  se- 
verely shaken  up.  The  narrowest  escape  of  all  was 
experienced  by  little  Jimmy  Moore,  who  was  in  the 


370 


I  tfCMMftuMOMtfW 


Forty-one  persons  died  when  these  two  interurbans  slammed  together  with 
brutal  force  at  Kingsland,  Ind.,  in  191Q.  It  was  the  worst  crash  of  the  interurban 
era.   Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


store  directly  in  the  path  of  the  runaway  car.  Buried 
in  the  wreckage,  the  7-year-old  emerged  with  only 
minor  cuts.  An  estimated  10,000  people  visited  the 
scene  of  the  crash  and  watched  efforts  to  free  the  in- 
terurban from  the  wreckage. 

An  Illinois  line,  the  Rockford  &  Interurban, 
seemed  to  have  recurrent  trouble  with  dairy  cattle. 
On  one  occasion,  not  far  from  Rockford,  one  of  the 
line's  cars  struck  a  cow,  which  became  wedged  under 
the  car,  threw  it  off  the  track,  and  left  it  at  right 
angles  to  the  rails.    On  another  occasion  a  car  ran 


into  a  whole  herd  of  cows  which  had  lain  down  on 
the  rails  at  night.  Twenty  cattle  were  killed  before 
the  car  finally  derailed  and  very  nearly  plunged  into 
the  Pecatonica  River. 

A  somewhat  similar  mishap  occurred  in  Ohio  in 
1907,  after  a  bull  escaped  from  a  slaughterhouse  at 
Jimtown,  near  Wapakoneta.  After  chasing  residents, 
the  bull  wandered  onto  the  nearby  tracks  of  the 
Western  Ohio  Railway  where  it  charged  head-on 
into  an  interurban  car.  The  contest  was  a  draw,  for 
the  bull  was  killed  and  the  interurban  derailed. 


371 


Anti-climbers  did  not  always  prevent 
cars  from  telescoping.    In   1949  a 
Milwaukee  Electric  local  car  missed 
a  passenger  waiting  at  Soldiers  Home 
station,  backed  up  through  a  protect- 
ing block  signal,  and  was  rammed  by 
a  limited  train  running  in  the  yellow 
block.    The  local  car  was  obscured 
until  the  last  minute  by  a  hill  and 
curve.    The  impact  peeled  the  sides 
and  roof  of  the  limited  car  like  a 
banana  and  shoved  the  locked  cars  1 50 
feet  down  the  track.  None  of  the  21 
passengers  were  fatally  injured,  but 
the  horror-stricken  waiting  passenger 
who  witnessed  the  roaring  crash  fled 
the  scene,  never  to  be  identified. 
The  Milwaukee  Journal. 


Disaster  was  narrowly  averted  near  Delaware,  O., 
in  1914  on  the  Columbus,  Delaware  &  Marion  Rail- 
way when  an  unemployed  railroad  fireman  named 
Bickle  telephoned  the  dispatcher  to  advise  that  a 
stretch  of  track  had  been  torn  up  in  an  attempt  to 
wreck  a  car.  Suspicious  officials  determined  that  the 
unfortunate  Bickle  had  attempted  the  train  wreck- 
ing himself  in  the  hope  that  by  doing  them  the  serv- 
ice of  calling  in  time  to  save  the  road  from  accident 
he  would  be  taken  into  their  employ. 

A  newsworthy  mishap  of  another  sort  took  place 
near  Cleveland  in  1905.  The  New  York  Central  then 
had  an  interest  in  a  number  of  New  York  state  elec- 


tric lines,  and  the  Central's  William  K.  Vanderbilt 
Jr.  was  making  a  tour  of  a  number  of  Ohio  in- 
terurbans  aboard  the  Everett-Moore  syndicate's  lux- 
urious private  car  Josephine.  Vanderbilt's  jour- 
ney over  the  Lake  Shore  Electric  was  disrupted 
when  an  overheated  motor  set  fire  to  the  floor  of  the 
car.  Members  of  the  inspection  party  rushed  to  a 
nearby  farmhouse  for  water  to  extinguish  the  blaze, 
and  the  Josephine  was  then  hauled  to  a  nearby  re- 
pair shop.  While  the  necessary  repairs  were  being 
made,  the  entire  party  played  baseball,  and  Mr.  Van- 
derbilt proved  to  be  a  star  player,  a  news  story  of 
the  event  reported. 


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wtm* 


This  car  of  the  Ballston  Terminal 

Railroad  of  New  York  drew  quite 

a  crowd  after  lunging  off  the 

rails  and  heading  for  the  river. 

Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


The  Salt  Lake  &  Utah  Railroad's 
observation  car  751  was  uncere- 
moniously dumped  into  the  street 
after  this  grade   crossing  tangle 
with  a  Denver  &  Rio  Grande 
switch  engine  at  Provo  in  1917. 
Fred  Fellow  Collection. 


Both  wrecking  crew  and  dapper  idlers 
posed  for  the   photographer  during 

efforts  to  restore  the  derailed  Elmira 

to  the  rails  on  the  Elmira  &  Seneca 

Lake  line  in  New   York  in   1903. 

William  R.  Gordon  Collection. 


This  particularly  violent  head-on  col- 
lision occurred  in  a  fog  north  of  Can- 
ton, III.,  on  the  Illinois  Central  Electric 
Railway.   Car  No.  12  (background), 
since  it  was  higher,  overrode  car 
No.  9,  completely  destroying  it. 
Paul  Stringham  Collection. 


373 


f  ■ 


^*£z. 


Little  more  than  twisted  steel  re- 
mained of  these  Waterloo,  Cedar 
Falls  &  Northern  interurbans  in 
195-t  after  a  nocturnal  fire  wiped 
out  the  Waterloo  roundhouse.    The 
lone  interurban  that  escaped  the 
blaze  managed  to  provide  all  of 
the  company's  passenger  service 
until  its  discontinuance  in  1956. 
William  S.  Kuba  Jr. 


Fire,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  was  a  constant  threat 
to  the  interurbans,  particularly  during  the  earlier 
years,  when  wooden  cars  and  inflammable  carbarns 
were  common  and  electrical  apparatus  was  often  er- 
ratic. A  few  years  after  the  Vanderbilt  party  mishap 
another  fire  had  more  serious  consequences  and  the 
glittering  Josephine  was  completely  destroyed.  Simi- 
lar spectacular  conflagrations  were  recorded  in  the 
history  of  almost  every  interurban  road  with  usual- 
ly little  more  remaining  than  a  few  smoldering  em- 
bers and  a  tangle  of  heat-twisted  metal  parts.  An- 
other all  too  common  occurrence  was  the  midnight 
carbarn  fire,  which  more  than  once  left  a  line  with 
hardly  a  single  car  available  at  the  start  of  business 
the  following  morning. 

The  heyday  of  the  train  robber  was  fairly  well 
over  by  the  time  the  interurban  arrived  on  the  Amer- 


ican scene,  but  there  were  a  few  more  or  less  ama- 
teurish attempts  to  knock  off  an  interurban  car  in 
the  grand  manner  of  the  Old  West.  One  of  the  first 
trolley  car  holdup  attempts  occurred  on  the  St.  Paul- 
Minneapolis  Inter-Urban  Electric  in  1893.  Five 
toughs  boarded  the  midnight  car  from  St.  Paul,  and 
when  it  had  reached  a  deserted  spot  along  the  line, 
one  of  them  pulled  down  the  trolley  pole  while 
the  others  set  upon  the  conductor,  one  of  them  in- 
flicting a  2-inch  stab  wound.  The  intrepid  motor- 
man  came  to  the  rescue  with  his  brass  lever  and,  ac- 
cording to  a  contemporary  account,  "the  way  he 
cranked  it  was  a  caution  to  evil-doers,  and  caused  a 
general  stampede."  The  conductor  replaced  the 
trolley  pole  and  the  car  escaped  amidst  a  shower  of 
stones  that  smashed  all  its  windows  and  caused  other 
damage,  but  no  money  was  lost  to  the  thugs. 


What  newspapers  described  as  the  most  sensational 
street  accident  in  Vancouver  (B.  C.)  history  occurred 
in  1947  when  a  British  Columbia  Electric  interur- 
ban train  (left)  ran  amuck.    As  the  train  left  the 
interurban  depot,  motorman  James  Dinsmore  was 
knocked  unconscious  when  a  WO-volt  short  circuit 


passed  through  the  controls  of  his  two-car  train. 
Hurtling  out  of  control  into  the  street,  the  inter- 
urban sent  a  taxi  flying,  derailed  two  streetcars,  and 
crushed  an  automobile  in  the  wreckage.    A  hun- 
dred persons  were  shaken  up  by  the  crash  but 
miraculously  there  were  no  fatalities.  Ernie  Plant. 


As  automobiles  became  common- 
place, the  grade-crossing  accident 
became  a  distressingly  frequent 
occurrence.  The  interurban,  like 
this  Pacific  Electric  car,  usually 
won  out  over  the  early  flivvers. 
Ira  L.  Swett  Collection. 


Dewirement  was  a  frequent 
minor  mishap  on  trolley  lines. 
After  the  620 's  trolley  left  the 
wire  in  a  high  cross  wind 
and  slammed  against  the  cross- 
arms,  the  Niagara,  St.  Catha- 
rines &  Toronto  crew  strug- 
gled to  replace  the  wrecked 
pole   with   the  spare   carried 
for   just   such    emergencies. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


A  pair  of  bandits  who  attempted  to  stick  up  a 
Seattle-Tacoma  car  on  the  Puget  Sound  Electric  Rail- 
way in  1914  fared  even  worse.  Once  their  intentions 
were  made  known,  the  pair  were  overpowered  and 
beaten  into  insensibility  by  passengers,  and  a  news 
account  of  the  affair  held  little  hope  for  their 
recovery. 

Two  masked  bandits  who  held  up  a  British  Co- 
lumbia Electric  interurban  train  on  the  Marpole  line 
in  1913  were  more  successful,  managing  to  make 
their  escape  into  a  nearby  wood  after  extracting  ap- 
proximately S100  from  the  train  crew  and  passen- 
gers. 

Another  pair  of  masked  bandits,  who  knocked 
off  a  Terre  Haute,  Indianapolis  &  Eastern  car  at 
Maywood,  Ind.,  in  1923,  were  better  compensated 
for  their  efforts.  After  stopping  the  car  on  signal, 
the  two  climbed  aboard,  firing  into  and  through  the 
car.  The  passengers  and  crew  were  forced  outside, 
lined  up  along  the  track,  and  relieved  of  better  than 
S1000  in  cash  and  valuables. 

What  was  probably  the  most  lucrative  heist  of  the 
traction  era  took  place  on  Pennsylvania's  Laurel  Line 
interurban  in  1923.  Bearing  870,126  among  them, 
the  paymaster  of  the  West  End  Colliery  of  Mocana- 
qua,  an  assistant  paymaster,  and  two  armed  guards 
boarded  a  morning  limited  at  Scranton.  Taking  the 
group  by  surprise,  five  roughly  dressed  armed  ban- 
dits opened  fire  within  the  car  near  Moosic  station, 
successfully  relieved  the  men  of  the  payroll,  and 
made  good  their  escape  from  the  interurban.  During 
the  melee  one  passenger  was  killed,  and  the  motor- 
man  and  two  other  passengers  wounded.  Eventually 
the  entire  band  was  apprehended  and  brought  to 
justice. 


XT*-*  ww 


375 


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Ttfo  Fonda,  Johnstown  &  Gloversville  cars  suffered  embarrassment  after  unsuccessfully  contesting  track 
space  in  the  Gloversville  (N.  Y.)  yard.    William  R.  Gordon  Collection. 


376 


Weather  sometimes  got  the  best  of  the  electric  cars. 
Floodwater  stranded  an  International  Railway  Ni- 
agara Falls  interurhan  at  Tonairanda,  N.  Y.,  in  1918. 
William  R.  Gordon  Collection,  from  Stephen  D. 
Maguire. 


Sometimes  individuals  of  a  larcenous  bent  ap- 
plied more  subtle  methods  against  the  traction  com- 
panies. In  1930  a  crew  engaged  in  an  ek-ctrolysis 
survey  on  the  lines  of  the  Milwaukee  Electric  was 
sent  out  to  take  ground  current  flow  readings  dur- 
ing the  early  morning  hours  when  no  cars  were 
operating.  The  men  were  puzzled  to  find  that  large 
amounts  of  current  were  flowing  through  the  rails 
despite  the  absence  of  interurban  cars.  Investiga- 
tion revealed  that  a  Cudahy  garage  owner  had  rigged 
a  bare  copper  wire  across  a  street  above  the  trolley 
wire.  At  night,  when  no  one  was  looking,  the  wire 
was  lowered  onto  the  trolley  wires  and  free  elec- 
tricity was  drawn  for  battery  charging  and  other 
operations. 

Trespassers  on  private  right  of  way  were  found 
to  be  a  problem  by  many  interurbans.  In  1910  one 
line  tried  the  experiment  of  providing  its  motor- 
men  with  circular  letters  of  warning  which  could 
be  thrown  to  trespassers.  No  one,  it  was  discovered, 
took  much  notice  of  the  circulars,  and  the  practice 
was  discontinued. 


Collapse  of  the  bridge  over  the  Miami  River  at  Day- 
ton, O.,  under  a  two-car  freight  train  in  1932  was 
the  last  straw  for  the  bankrupt  Dayton  &  Troy  Elec- 
tric Railway.    With  no  money  in  the  till  to  repair  the 
damage,  the  company  abandoned  its  entire  line  a  week 
after  the  mishap.    O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


A  trainload  of  steel  proved  too  heavy  for  the 

Sacramento  Northern  s  long  Lisbon  trestle  in 

1951,  and  the  structure  went  down  like  a  row 

of  dominoes.    Getting  the  train  out  proved 

to  be  a  major  task.   Fred  H.  Matthews  Jr. 


Obstreperous  passengers  sometimes  made  life  dif- 
ficult for  the  interurban  trainmen.  Consider  this 
accident  report  filed  by  a  conductor  on  the  Grays 
Harbor  Railway  &  Light  Company  (Washington)  in 
1914:  "A  man  at  Hoquiam  came  on  the  car  at  7  p.m. 
He  spit  and  expectorated  all  over  the  car  and  when 
I  asked  him  to  quit  he  swore  strong  at  me.  Then  he 
vomited  all  over  a  seat  and  on  the  floor.  1  told  him 
to  clean  it  up  or  I  would  have  him  arrested.  He 
started  to  clean  it  up,  and  then  he  went  to  the  door, 
jumped  from  the  car,  and  ran  down  E  Street  to  the 
river  and  jumped  in.  I  stopped  the  car,  ran  after  the 
man,  jumped  in  the  river,  dragged  him  out,  and  had 
him  arrested  for  spitting  on  the  floor  of  the  car." 

Another  interurban  rescue,  under  more  heroic 
circumstances,  brought  Lake  Shore  Electric  motor- 
man  William  Lang  national  recognition  in  the 
form  of  a  Carnegie  Medal  and  an  I.C.C.  medal  ap- 
proved by  President  Roosevelt.  Rounding  a  curve 
at  55  miles  per  hour  Lang  spotted  a  child  playing 
on  the  tracks  and  slammed  on  the  brakes  of  his 
Toledo  limited  car.  Realizing  that  the  wheels  were 
sliding  and  the  car  could  not  be  stopped  in  time, 
Lang  climbed  out  on  the  car  fender  and  snatched 
2-year-old  Lelia  Smith  to  safety. 

Life  was  seldom  dull  for  the  men  who  ran  the 
cars.    1 


1 


M 


r*  "*"" 


The  electric-powered  rotary  plow  that  kept  the 
line  clear  on  the  Oneonta  &  Mohawk  Valley,  in  up- 
state New  York's  snow  belt,  obviously  had  its  work 
cut  out  for  it.   In  addition  to  snow  removal  prob- 
lems, winter  weather  provided  a  jew  difficulties 


peculiar  to  interurban  operation.   Sleet  frequently 
disrupted  current  collection  from  both  third-rail 
and  overhead,  and  the  trolley  wire  sometimes 
snapped  under  the  contraction  caused  by  extreme 
cold.    Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


Where  they  traversed  city  streets,  interurban  and  street  railways  usually  took 

care  of  snow  removal  with  electrically  powered  rotary  sweepers.    The  McGuire- 

Cummings  standard  four-wheel  sweeper  was  common  anywhere  snow  fell. 

and  its  big  rattan  brushes  sent  up  a  barrage  of  ice  chips  that  had  the  hardiest 

of  pedestrians  ducking  for  cover.   This  sweeper  cleared  track  in  Winnipeg 

after  a  Manitoba  blizzard  in  1949.   Stan  F.  Styles. 


The  Philadelphia  &  West  Chester's  rotary  No.  1,  shown  on  the  West  Chester  line 
around  1907,  didn't  have  quite  such  arduous  duties  as  the  O&MV's  plow,  and 
the  company's  successor,  Philadelphia  Suburban,  manages  to  get  along  very 
well  without  it.   These  plows  had  rotary  blades  at  both  ends,  a  practice  more 
common  on  electric  than  on  steam  railroads.  Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


379 


Trolley  Freight 


-V 


V*" 


•V-^' 


The  Inland  Empire  System,  whose  electric  lines  centered  about  Spo- 
kane, Wash.,  was  typical  of  the  western  interurbans  on  which  carload 
freight  traffic  was  a  major  revenue  source  from  their  very  begin- 
ning. These  Baldwin-W  estinghouse  box-cab  locomotives  were  on  the 
company's  Moscow  (Ida.)  line,  which  was  electrified  with  a  25-cycle, 
6600-volt  single-phase  system.  Wheat  was  the  principal  commodity 
carried  on  Inland  Empire  freights.   LeRoy  O.  King  Jr.  Collection. 


> 


Trolley  Freight 


IN  a  few  cases  the  interurban  railways  were  former 
steam-powered  short  lines,  already  doing  a  sub- 
stantial freight  business,  and  in  many  still  develop- 
ing areas  of  the  West,  where  only  limited  steam 
railroad  service  was  available,  electric  lines  were 
often  built  to  serve  as  both  passenger  and  freight 
carriers.  Indeed,  many  of  the  Western  interurbans 
were  built  as  feeder  lines  to  the  large  steam  rail- 
roads, or  were  later  acquired  by  them  for  that  pur- 
pose. But  the  majority  of  interurban  roads  were 
conceived  principally  as  passenger  carriers,  and 
generally  little  attention  was  given  in  their  design 
and  construction  to  the  requirements  of  freight  train 
operation. 

Even  those  lines  originally  built  exclusively  for 
passenger  transportation  soon  found  that  light 
freight  and  express  traffic  could  be  a  profitable  side- 
line. The  very  nature  of  interurban  service,  with 
cars  operating  on  fast,  frequent  schedules,  made  it 
possible  to  provide  a  service  far  superior  to  that  of 
the  steam  railroads.  Such  traffic  as  newspapers,  milk 
and  cream,  fruit,  produce,  and  small  merchandise 
shipments  could  be  loaded  aboard  the  baggage  com- 
partments of  the  regular  cars,  and  even  lines  with- 
out cars  so  arranged  found  they  could  develop 
worth-while  extra  revenues  by  transporting  small 
parcel  shipments  on  the  front  platform  with  the 
motorman  at  nominal  charges  of  25  cents  or  50  cents 
per  parcel. 

Once  the  possibilities  of  the  trolley  freight  busi- 
ness became  apparent,  interurbans  began  to  inten- 
sively promote  its  development.  Even  before  World 
War  I,  when  a  few  lines  were  starting  to  lose 
passengers  to  automobiles,  interurbans  began  to  re- 
gard freight  traffic  as  a  good  area  to  recover  the  lost 
revenues. 

The  handling  of  perishables  between  farm  and 
market,  with  their  requirement  for  fast  service,  was 
a  particularly  lucrative  traffic.  To  help  develop  such 
business  the  New  England  Investment  &  Securities 


Company,  a  New  Haven  Railroad  subsidiary  which 
controlled  a  group  of  electric  lines  in  central  Mas- 
sachusetts, sponsored  in  1910  a  four-car  "Trolley 
Farming  Special,"  which  toured  300  miles  of  trolley 
line  in  the  Springfield-Worcester  area  with  agricul- 
tural and  forestry  exhibits.  In  1915  Fort  Wayne  & 
Northern  Indiana  operated  a  similar  two-car  agri- 
cultural exhibit  and  lecture  train  over  electric  lines 
in  Indiana.  The  Portland  Railway,  Light  &  Power 
Company  organized  an  agricultural  department  to 
furnish  farmers  with  information  on  the  growing 
of  feed  for  hog  and  cattle  raising,  and  the  Bangor 
Railway  &  Electric  Company  operated  a  40-acre 
demonstration  farm  —  staffed  with  a  University  of 
Maine  agriculturalist  —  to  promote  better  farming 
practices  in  its  territory.  In  1914  the  Lehigh  Valley 
Transit  Company  and  the  Philadelphia  &  Western 
Railway  joined  in  establishing  a  "farmers'  market" 
at  69th  and  Market  streets  in  Philadelphia  for  the 
sale  of  produce  brought  in  on  the  electric  cars. 

Efforts  to  develop  interurban  freight  traffic  were 
confronted  with  numerous  difficulties.  The  physical 
limitations  of  steep  grades,  light  construction,  and 
sharp  curves  often  precluded  the  operation  of  stand- 
ard freight  equipment,  and  made  necessary  the  con- 
struction of  special  cars  which  were  noninterchange- 
able  with  steam  railroads.  In  some  areas  trolley  lines 
were  built  to  nonstandard  track  gauges,  effectively 
preventing  interline  freight  traffic  development. 
Pennsylvania  electric  lines,  for  example,  were  gen- 
erally built  to  a  5-foot  21/i-inch  "Pennsylvania 
broad  gauge." 

Often  severe  restrictions  on  freight  operation 
through  city  streets  proved  a  handicap.  Many  cities 
restricted  the  length  and  frequency  of  freight  trains, 
and  some  confined  freight  operation  to  nighttime 
hours  only.  Such  objections  were  not  without 
reason.  Long,  lumbering  trolley  freight  trains  could 
be  an  infernal  nuisance  in  traffic-congested  streets, 
and  there  were  valid  objections  on  grounds  of  safety. 


382 


Pennsylvania's  Hersbey  Transit 
Company  was  representative  of  the 
majority  of  electric  lines  which  de- 
rived nonpassenger  revenues  from 
the  box-motor  carriage  of  express 
and  small  freight  shipments.  Trans- 
portation of  milk  to  the  plant  of 
parent  Hersbey  Chocolate  Company 
was  a  major  traffic  for  the  Hersbey 
line.   From  Stephen  D.  Maguire. 


Usually   unable   to   engage   in   freight 
interchange   with    steam    railroads,   the 
interurbans  of  the  Ohio-Indiana-Michi- 
gan   network    turned   to   development 
of  their  own  interchange  operation,  em- 
ploying  equipment   designed   to   ne- 
gotiate  restrictive   interurhan    curves. 
These  electric  freight  trailers  were  lined 
up  at  the  Northern  Ohio  Traction  & 
Light  Company's  Akron  freighthouse 
in  1926.  George  Krambles  Collection. 


The  trailers  hauled  by  this  Fort 
Wayne,  Van  Wert  &  Lima  box 
motor  were  constructed  to  stand- 
ards established  by  the  Central 
Electric  Railway  Association 
to  permit  their  use  in  the  in- 
terline freight  operation  of  the 
Midwestern  interurbans.    The 
Fort  Wayne-Lima  line  was  one 
of  three  connecting  routes  be- 
tween the  Ohio  and  Indiana 
systems.  O.  F.  Lee  Collection. 


In  addition  to  the  usual  prob- 
lems which  made  freight  inter- 
change  with   steam   lines  dif- 
ficult, the  broad-gauge  track  of 
many  Pennsylvania  interurbans 
prevented  them  from  handling 
steam  road  cars.  The  West  Penn 
Railways  and  the  connecting 
Pittsburgh  Railways  managed 
to    develop    their    own    modest 
I.e. I  interchange  business  with 
these    "Consolidated   Electric 
Freight"  box  motors. 
Charles  A.  Brown  Collection. 


This  was  convincingly  demonstrated  in  1927  by  the 
Detroit,  Jackson  &  Chicago  Railway  at  Ann  Arbor, 
Mich.,  when  four  cars  of  sheet  steel  got  away  from 
a  trolley  freight  crew  on  the  West  Huron  Street  hill. 
Failing  to  make  the  curve  at  Main  Street,  the 
runaway  cars  demolished  the  Farmers  &  Merchants 
Bank,  doing  $50,000  worth  of  damage. 

The  City  of  Detroit  required  that  freight  cars  be 
similar  in  appearance  to  passenger  cars,  and  re- 
stricted operation  of  the  freight  cars  to  single  units 
only,  not  less  than  2  hours  apart  in  each  direction. 
A  gondola  car  built  for  coal  and  ash  service  on 
the  Philadelphia  &  Easton  Electric  Railway  in  1910 
had  to  be  disguised  with  a  roof  and  gaily  striped 
side  curtains  before  city  officials  would  permit  it  to 
be  moved  through  the  streets.  In  1932  Milwaukee 
residents,  complaining  that  the  passage  of  heavy 
Milwaukee  Electric  freight  trains  was  damaging 
their  homes,  obtained  a  court  order  requiring  the 


company  to  limit  freight  space  to  not  more  than  a 
quarter  of  the  total  area  of  the  car. 

But  in  many  regions  the  greatest  obstacle  to  the 
development  of  widespread  interurban  freight  traf- 
fic was  the  refusal  of  steam  railroads  to  have  any- 
thing at  all  to  do  with  the  electric  lines.  The  inter- 
vention of  the  courts,  state  public  utilities  commis- 
sions, or  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  was 
not  infrequently  required  to  compel  steam  railroads 
to  interchange  carload  freight  traffic  with  inter- 
urbans, and  in  more  than  one  case  a  steam  road 
fought  its  case  to  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  before 
accepting  such  a  ruling.  The  steam  railroad  op- 
position to  the  new  electric  lines  sometimes  reached 
ridiculous  extremes,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Youngs- 
town  &  Southern,  an  Ohio  interurban,  which  was 
forced  to  power  its  freight  trains  with  steam  before 
the  steam  road  members  of  the  Central  Freight  Asso- 
ciation would  agree  to  interchange  traffic  with  it. 


384 


Despite  the  broad-gauge  handicap,  Philadelphia  & 
West  Chester  Traction  Company  was  able  to  do 
a  brisk  business  in  I.e. I.  freight  and  milk.   A  box 


motor  unloaded  milk  for  Philadelphia  about  1923 
at  the  company's  63rd  and  Market  freight  station. 
Philadelphia  Suburban  Transportation. 


In  addition  to  a  carload  freight  business  the  Salt  Lake  &  Utah  offered  a  "Red  Arrow  Fast  Freight"  service 
for  express  and  small  freight  shipments.  Free  pickup  and  delivery  were  provided  for  I.e. I.  shipments. 
Unfortunately,  this  type  of  business,  which  constituted  the  majority  of  interurban  freight  traffic, 
proved  just  as  vulnerable  to  highway  competition  as  passenger  traffic  had.    Fred   Fellow  Collection. 


This  scene  on  the  Illinois  Terminal  at  Bloomington,  III.,  illustrates 
the  difficulty  encountered  in  handling  freight  around  the  streetcar 
curves  found  on  interurban  lines.   Henry  J.  McCord. 


Illinois  Terminal  developed  a  special  double-jointed  coupling  for  company-owned  box  cars  in  order 

to  make  the  curves  on  its  line  through  Bloomington.    Other  interurbans  used  radial  couplers, 

or  employed  slotted  coupler  knuckles  and  intermediate  drawbars.    Henry  J.  McCord. 


Largely  unable,  because  of  physical  restrictions 
and  steam  road  intransigence,  to  interchange  freight 
cars  with  steam  railroads,  Midwestern  interurbans 
developed  their  own  standard  trolley  freight  car 
designs  and  operated  an  extensive  interline  freight 
service  over  the  interconnecting  traction  networks 
of  Ohio,  Michigan,  and  Indiana.  The  traction  freight 
service  was  usually  far  superior  to  that  of  the  steam 
roads. 

A  freight  terminal  was  built  in  conjunction 
with  Indianapolis'  great  Traction  Terminal,  and  the 
interurban  people  boasted  that  they  could  deliver 
shipments  within  75  miles  of  the  city  the  same  day 
the  goods  were  ordered.    Following-day  deliveries 


were  possible  almost  anywhere  in  Indiana  and  Ohio. 

A  number  of  electric  lines  in  northern  Indiana  and 
southern  Michigan  joined  in  through  less-than-car- 
load-lot  traffic  arrangements  with  Lake  Michigan 
steamship  companies,  a  service  that  saved  a  day  or 
more  for  shipments  destined  beyond  Chicago.  Faster 
electric  service  made  it  possible  to  get  livestock  to 
market  before  the  usual  shrinkage  in  weight 
occurred,  and  several  of  the  Indiana  lines  developed 
a  profitable  stock  business  employing  special  trol- 
ley cattle  cars.  In  1922  some  8500  cars  of  livestock 
were  moved  into  Indianapolis  by  interurban. 

Occasionally  the  Midwest  interurbans  joined  in 
the  operation  of  fast  through  freight  trains,  similar 


J 


in  concept  to  the  lines'  many  through  passenger 
operations.  Perhaps  the  first  such  service  was  the 
Cannonball  Express,  inaugurated  in  1914  as  a 
joint  operation  of  five  electric  lines  and  the  Wells 
Fargo  Express  Company.  The  Express  ran  on  a 
fast  limited  schedule  between  Indianapolis  and 
Benton  Harbor,  Mich.,  where  Chicago  connections 
were  made  with  the  Graham  &  Morton  Steamship 
Company.  Such  fast  time  freights  as  the  overnight 
Indianapolis-Detroit  Aeroplane  connected  many  of 
the  major  cities  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Michigan. 

Trolley  freight  equipment  was  constructed  in  a 
tremendous  variety  of  types  and  sizes.  For  express 
or  light  freight  service  the  "box-motor"  or  "express- 
motor"  unit,  more  or  less  resembling  a  motorized 
baggage  car,  was  widely  employed.  Usually  equipped 
with  more  powerful  motors  than  passenger  cars, 
and  geared  for  pulling  power  rather  than  speed, 
box  motors  were  often  capable  of  operating  with 
short  trains  of  freight  trailers.  Some  lines  built 
similar  motors  which  were  equipped  as  refrigerator 
or  cattle  cars. 

For  heavier  freight  operation,  particularly  when 
steam  railroad  cars  were  handled,  small  electric 
locomotives,  usually  of  the  B-B  double-truck  ar- 
rangement, were  favored.  Most  were  some  variation 
of  the  "steeple-cab"  type,  which  derived  its  name 
from  the  appearance  suggested  by  low  hoods  at  each 
end  sloping  up  toward  a  cab  in  the  center.  Noisy 
equipment,  such  as  blowers  and  compressors,  was 


The  bane  of  freight  operations  on  the  Sacramento 
Northern  Railroad  was  the  route  over  the  Oak- 
land hills,  where  grades  up  to  4  per  cent  were  en- 
countered.   This  southbound  freight  had  success- 
fully  made   the   climb  and   was  descending  into 
Oakland  late  one  afternoon  in  1951.   Pusher  engine 
No.  652,  a  standard  General  Electric  unit,  had  al- 
ready dropped  its  pantograph.    William   D. 

MlDDLETON. 


m*#mm 


During  the  last  years  of  the  interurban  era  a  lively 
trade  in  used  freight  locomotives  developed,  and 
some  of  the  machines  survived  as  many  as  three 
abandonments  of  electric  service.  The  50-ton  Charles 


City  Western  No.  303,  wheeling  westward  across 
Iowa  farmland  to   Marble   Rock   in    1955,   had 
originally  operated  on  the  Texas  Electric  Railway, 
where  it  had  been  built.  William  D.  Middleton. 


Potomac  Edison  steeple-cab  locomotive  No.    10  was  typical  of  the  hundreds  of  double-truck  units 
operated  by  interurban  railways.    Most  of  them  averaged  50  to  60  tons,  but  weights  ranged  from  30 
to  100  tons.   The  10,  at  Frederick,  Md.,  was  dwarfed  by  an  ordinary  box  car.    H.  N.  Proctor. 


387 


usually  enclosed  in  the  hoods,  and  the  shortened  cab 
provided  excellent  visibility  during  switching  oper- 
ations. A  less  widely  seen  variation  was  the  "box- 
cab"  locomotive,  which  had  a  cab  extending  the  full 
length  of  the  locomotive,  containing  all  of  its  elec- 
trical and  mechanical  equipment. 

A  few  of  the  larger  interurban  roads  found  that 
the  double-truck  locomotive  just  wasn't  big  enough 
for  their  requirements,  and  developed  16-wheel, 
4-truck  locomotives  which  employed  articulated 
frames  to  permit  negotiation  of  tight  interurban 
curves.  The  biggest  interurban  locomotives  of  all 
were  three  24-wheel  monsters  acquired  in  1949  by 
the  Chicago  South  Shore  &  South  Bend.  Originally 
built  for  the  U.S.S.R.  but  never  delivered  because  of 
strategic  export  restrictions,  the  GE  machines 
were  among  the  most  powerful  single-cab  electric 
locomotives  ever  constructed,  weighed  better  than 
270  tons,  and  had  an  hourly  rating  of  over  5500 
horsepower. 

In  several  notable  respects  interurban  freight 
operators  pioneered  important  innovations  in  rail- 
road freight  equipment  and  service  well  ahead  of 
their  steam  railroad  competitors.  Locomotive  stand- 
ardization, for  example,  was  common  in  the 
traction  industry  years  before  the  diesel  motive 
power  revolution  brought  it  to  the  steam  roads. 
While  steam  lines  were  still  ordering  custom-built 
motive  power,  such  manufacturers  as  Baldwin- 
Westinghouse  and  General  Electric  were  offering 
standard  lines  of  electric  locomotives  to  electric 
railways.  And  multiple-unit  control  made  it  pos- 
sible for  trolley  roads  to  operate  together  any  num- 
ber of  their  standardized  freight  motors  controlled 
from  a  single  unit,  employing  the  same  fundamental 
"building  block"  principle  now  used  with  diesel 
power  to  assemble  a  motive  power  combination  suit- 
able for  trains  of  any  size. 


At  the  time  of  its  construction  by  Northern  Electric 's 
Cbico  (Calif.)  shops  in  1911,  82-ton  No.  1010 
was  said  to  be  the  largest  and  heaviest  interurban 
locomotive  in  the  West.   All  electrical  equipment 
teas  carried  beneath   the  floor  and  the  elongated 
body  provided  space  for  I.e. 1.  freight.   In  1930  NE- 
successor  Sacramento  Northern  rebuilt  the  big  lo- 
comotive along  more  conventional  lines. 
Western  Pacific  Railroad. 

Pennsylvania's  Lackawanna  &  Wyoming  Valley 
Railroad  operated  a  pioneer  locomotive  in  No.  401, ' 
seen  here  emerging  from  the  Scranton  tunnel  in 
1930.    The  401  was  built  as  an  experimental  combi- 
nation passenger- freight  locomotive  by  Baldwin- 
W  estinghouse  in  1H95,  and  was  acquired  by  the 
Laurel  Line  in  1906.    After  59  years  of  service,  401 
was  retired  in  1953,  when  the  company  converted 
to  diesels.   William  D.  Middleton. 


388 


Wooden-bodied  5  502,  built  in  the 
Piedmont  &  Northern  Railway's 
Greenville  (S.  C.)  shops,  hauled 
new  Buicks  around  1916.   This  was 
one  of  the  first  interurban  loco- 
motives of  the  four-truck,  articu- 
lated-frame pattern.    Piedmont  & 
Northern  Railway. 


Evolution    of    the    four-truck 
wheel  arrangement  on  P&N  con- 
tinued through  1941,  when  Gen- 
eral  Electric   built   the    118-ton 
No.  5611.   General  Electric 
Company. 


Last  in  a  long  line  of  home-built  Illinois  Terminal  electric  motive  power  were  five  of  these  16-wheeled 

Class  D  locomotives  upgraded  by  Decatur  shops  between  1940  and  1942.    They  weighed  108  tons 

and  were  equipped  with  eight  traction  motors  totaling  1800  horsepower. 


390 


The  largest  of  all  interurban  locomotives  were 
three    5500-horsepower   units    which    were 
originally  destined  for  Soviet  Russia  but  which 
went  to  work  on  the  South  Shore  Line  instead. 
Still  very  much  in  use  in  1965,  they  are  broth- 
ers to  12  units  operated  by  the  Milwaukee  Road. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


A  chore  peculiar  to  trolley  freight  haulage 

was  the  necessity  of  tending  the  trolley  pole 

during  switching  operations.    This  Potomac 

Edison  brakeman  guided  the  pole  during  a 

backup  move.    H.  N.  Proctor. 


Multiple-unit  control  enabled  interurbans  to 
assemble   their   freight   locomotives   into    a 
motive  power  combination  suitable  for  trains 
of  varying  tonnage.    This  "building  block" 
principle,  which  later  contributed  greatly  to 
the  success  of  the  diesel-electric  revolution  in 
steam   railroading,  is  illustrated   by  this  train 
about  to  depart  from  the  North  Shore  Line's 
Pettibone  Yard  at  North  Chicago,  III. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


Municipal  ordinances  governing  freight  op- 
eration in  city  streets  sometimes  resulted  in 
oddities  such  as  this  Illinois  Traction  box 
motor,  which  was  built  to  resemble  a  passenger 
car  in  order  to  satisfy  St.  Louis  authorities. 
Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


i 


The  Bonner  "rail  wagon"  equip- 
ment operated  by  the  hake  Shore 
Electric  in  1930  employed  an  un- 
usual flat  car  with  inside-bearing 
trucks    which    was   rolled   under 
three  18- foot  trailers.   These  were 
then    fixed    to    the    car    with    lug 
latches.    The  idea  had  some  simi- 
larity   to    the    "Clejan"    system 
adopted  by  some  steam  railroads 
in  more  recent  years.    George 
Krambles  Collection. 


This  unusual  General  Electric  loco- 
motive, operated  on  the  Hutchin- 
son &  Northern  in  Kansas,   was 
equipped  with  a  "frameless  truck." 
Axle  bearings  were  placed  in  an 
extra-heavy  traction  motor  frame, 
which  was  provided  with  lugs  over 
the  bearings  to  receive  the  equalizer 
bars.    Fred  Fellow. 


392 


An  Insull  interurban,  the  North  Shore  Line, 
pioneered  "piggyback"  transportation  of  truck 
trailers  in  its  present-day  form  in  1926  when  it 
began  hauling  trailers,  loaded  with  small  freight 
shipments,  on  flat  cars  between  Chicago  and  Mil- 
waukee. A  few  years  later,  in  1932,  the  North  Shore 
offered  what  was  perhaps  the  first  modern  "common 
carrier"  piggyback  service  when  it  began  transport- 
ing trucks  on  flat  cars  for  either  trucking  companies 
or  shippers  themselves.  And  as  early  as  1930  an  Ohio 
interurban,  the  Lake  Shore  Electric  Railway,  was 
moving  trailers  between  Cleveland  and  Toledo  on 
Banner  "rail  wagon"  cars  which  were  similar  to  the 
specially  designed  cars  developed  several  decades 
later  for  steam  railroad  piggyback  services. 

Interurban  roads  made  early  use  of  special  freight 
containers  which  could  be  lifted  from  flat  cars  to 
truck  beds,  permitting  "door  to  door"  freight  serv- 
ice. Many  lines  were  thus  able  to  extend  the  radius 
of  their  freight  service  far  beyond  the  limits  of  their 
own  lines.  The  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie,  for  example, 
in  addition  to  the  overnight  "store  door"  container 
service  available  between  Cincinnati  and  Toledo  on 
its  own  line,  was  able  to  offer  shippers  second- 
morning  deliveries  in  Kentucky  and  Michigan  cities. 

Mechanical  refrigerator  cars,  which  have  only 
recently  begun  to  replace  ice-refrigerated  cars  on 
steam  railroads,  were  in  operation  on  several  inter- 
urban roads  during  the  '20's.  Electrically  driven  re- 
frigeration equipment  was  used. 

In  1926  an  interurban,  the  Northern  Ohio  Trac- 
tion &  Light  Company,  even  participated  in  a  joint 
rail-air  freight  service.  A  shipment  of  670  pounds 
of  forgings  was  moved  from  Alliance,  O.,  to  the 
Cleveland  airport  in  3  hours  18  minutes  by  trolley 
freight  and  an  airplane  completed  the  journey  to  the 
Ford  plant  in  Detroit  in  another  1  hour  45  minutes. 

Freight  traffic  on  interurban  railways  grew  to 
substantial  proportions.  In  1902  it  was  estimated 
that  interurban  companies  received  about  2  million 
dollars  for  hauling  such  commodities  as  newspapers, 
mail,  milk,  and  express.  By  1925  trolley  freight 
revenues  were  in  the  vicinity  of  65  million  dollars 
annually,  and  some  15  per  cent  of  electric  railway 
gross  revenues  came  from  freight. 

Unfortunately,  the  light  package  freight  and  ex- 
press business  that  generated  most  of  the  trolley 
freight  income  proved  just  as  vulnerable  to  the  com- 
petition of  the  new  trucking  industry  as  the  passen- 
ger business  had  to  the  automobile,  and  during  the 
'20's  it  became  increasingly  evident  that  develop- 
ment of  an  extensive  carload  freight  business,  with 
interchange  of  standard  steam  railroad  equipment, 
was  required. 

A  few  of  the  lines  originally  ill  equipped  to 
handle  heavy  freight  traffic  had  taken  early  steps  to 


develop  the  necessary  facilities.  As  early  as  1906, 
for  example,  Illinois  Congressman  McKinley  was 
building  belt  lines  around  principal  cities  on  his 
Illinois  Traction  System  to  permit  unrestricted  car- 
load freight  operation,  and  his  system  ultimately  be- 
came a  major  freight  railroad.  But  not  many  other 
interurbans  had  equal  foresight,  and  by  the  time 
the  need  for  a  heavy  freight  traffic  became  apparent, 
few  of  them  had  sufficient  means  to  undertake  the 
necessary  improvements. 

Many  of  the  interurbans  which  had  a  capacity  for 
carload  freight  operation  all  along,  or  managed  to 
develop  it,  survived  the  interurban  era  as  freight- 
only  short  line  railroads,  usually  employing  diesel- 
electric  motive  power.  But  for  most  interurbans 
freight  traffic  proved  to  be  as  ephemeral  as  passenger 
traffic,  and  when  both  vanished  abandonment  was 
the  only  recourse.     1 


Almost  all  of  the  interurbans  that  have  survived 
as  freight-only  carriers  have  abandoned  elec- 
tric equipment  in  favor  of  diesel-electric  mo- 
tive  power.     Iowa's   Fort   Dodge-Des   Moines 
Line  still  employed  both  forms  of  power  when 
this  70-ton  General  Electric  diesel  worked  in 
the  Des  Moines  River  valley  in  1955,  but  the 
railway  has  since  taken  down  its  trolley  wire. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


393 


— L - 


K.. 


hr   M^.« 


!w*gfe 


Exit  the  Interurban 


77>e  sun  set  on  the  interurban  at  Tuck  Station  on  British 
Columbia    Electric 's    Steveston    line.     Stan    F.    Styles. 


395 


Exit  the  Interurban 


THE  INTERURBAN  was,  of  course,  "done  in"  by 
the  automobile,  a  form  of  transportation  almost  as 
old  as  the  electric  cars  themselves.  In  a  manner  not 
unlike  that  in  which  the  interurban  had  largely  sup- 
planted steam  railroad  local  passenger  service,  the 
automobile  in  its  turn  captured  the  public  fancy 
simply  because  it  provided  an  even  greater  utility 
and  convenience  than  the  electric  service  it  displaced. 

In  the  automobile's  infancy  few,  even  among  its 
most  ardent  advocates,  had  any  notion  of  the  monster 
industry  it  would  one  day  create.  The  early  autos 
were  far  too  costly  for  any  but  the  well-to-do;  they 
were  extremely  unreliable;  and  the  roads  were  abom- 
inable in  any  case.  Clearly,  autos  were  no  more  than 
a  rich  man's  plaything.  The  electric  cars,  on  the 
other  hand,  were  sturdy,  dependable  vehicles  that 
had  proven  their  worth  and  were  headed  for  a  gold- 
en future  which  held  unlimited  promise.  Electric 
transportation,  it  was  widely  felt,  would  soon  be- 
come almost  universal. 

Occasionally,  during  the  early  days  of  motoring, 
the  auto  was  even  a  source  of  extra  revenue  for  the 
interurbans.  In  1905  the  general  superintendent  of 
the  Lake  Shore  Electric  Railway,  noting  the  frequen- 
cy with  which  farmers  were  hauling  in  disabled 
automobiles  from  the  highway  which  paralleled  the 
railway  all  the  way  from  Cleveland  to  Toledo,  estab- 
lished an  "automobile  ambulance"  service,  which 
employed  a  flat  car  drawn  by  a  freight  locomotive 
and  equipped  with  the  necessary  apparatus  for  haul- 
ing stranded  autos  aboard.  The  service,  which  cost 
$15  and  up,  was  said  to  be  "much  less  embarrassing 
than  having  to  resort  to  the  horse  to  get  back  to 
town."  The  Buffalo  &  Lake  Erie  Traction  Company 
was  collecting  $5  a  head  in  a  similar  manner  by  pro- 
viding a  train  of  flat  cars  to  haul  motorists  when 
roads  became  impassable  along  its  line.  Even  as 
late  as  the  '20's  the  Pacific  Northwest  Traction  Com- 
pany was  doing  a  lively  business  hauling  trucks, 
buses,  and  automobiles  around  gaps  in  the  uncom- 


pleted Pacific  Highway  north  of  Seattle  on  the  elec- 
tric line's  "land  ferries,"  which  consisted  of  flat  cars 
drawn  by  a  freight  locomotive. 

As  early  as  1905  the  Street  Railway  Journal  took 
editorial  notice  of  the  rapidly  growing  number  of 
automobiles,  but  only  to  discount  it  as  a  threat  of 
any  consequence.  And  even  10  years  later,  when 
some  interurbans  were  beginning  to  feel  the  effects 
of  automobile  competition,  the  Journal,  still  not 
sure  there  was  anything  to  worry  about,  remarked, 
"Whether  this  condition  will  be  permanent  or 
whether  it  will  practically  disappear,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  bicycle,  is  hard  to  say." 

Any  lingering  doubts  were  soon  resolved.  Auto- 
mobile ownership  soared  and  the  traction  industry 
found  itself  with  a  competitor  that  could  no 
longer  be  disregarded.  The  urban  transit  industry 
was  the  first  to  feel  the  severe  effects  of  widespread 
auto  ownership,  but  a  clamor  from  the  new  motor- 
ing public  set  in  motion  a  road  building  pro- 
gram to  get  rural  America  "out  of  the  mud," 
and  the  interurbans  soon  found  that  more  and  more 
of  their  onetime  passengers  were  driving  their  own 
cars  over  a  new  network  of  hard-surfaced  roads.  A 
few  of  the  smaller  lines,  which  had  been  marginal 
propositions  all  along,  promptly  folded,  but  general- 
ly the  first  effect  of  the  new  competition  was  to 
bring  to  a  halt  the  heretofore  spectacular  growth  of 
the  interurbans.  Total  U.  S.  interurban  mileage, 
which  had  grown  steadily  to  a  peak  of  about  18,100 
miles  in  1917,  leveled  off  and  then  began  a  gradual 
decline,  although  occasional  new  construction  con- 
tinued for  another  10  years.  The  last  new  interurban 
line,  for  example  —  Texas'  Houston  North  Shore 
Railway  —  opened  as  late  as  1927.  But  after  1917 
the  abandonments  always  came  faster  than  the  new 
construction. 

Interurban  car  construction,  another  indicator  of 
the  industry's  health,  gradually  declined  from  an  av- 
erage of  more  than  a  thousand  cars  annually  during 


396 


With  the  end  of  over  40  years  of  service  not  far  away,  a  lonely  Illinois  Terminal  interurban  waited 
quietly  in  a  January  1955  snowstorm  at  the  Champaign  depot.    WILLIAM  D.  MlDDLETON. 


397 


the  years  prior  to  1910  to  a  low  of  128  new  cars  built 
during  1919. 

If  business  was  not  quite  as  good  as  it  had  once 
been,  most  of  the  interurbans  were  still  in  good 
shape,  and  throughout  the  '20's  the  stronger  systems 
that  had  been  soundly  conceived  to  begin  with  were 
able  to  wage  a  determined  battle  to  regain  their  pas- 
senger traffic.  Millions  were  spent  on  track  and  pow- 


er improvements  and  on  line  relocations  to  provide 
faster  service.  Older  rolling  stock  was  modernized, 
and  as  many  lines  installed  brand-new  equipment, 
interurban  carbuilding  enjoyed  a  brief  resurgence, 
reaching  a  peak  of  over  500  cars  annually  in  1924. 
Imaginative  new  services  were  started,  and  freight 
traffic,  which  the  interurbans  had  been  giving 
increasing  attention,  grew  to  unprecedented  levels. 


Dr.  Thomas  Conway's  prescription  for  the  success- 
ful interurban  included  consolidation,  high-speed 
equipment,  new  traffic  promotion  ideas,  and  pub- 
licity.   After  one  of  his  new  Cincinnati  &  Lake 
Erie  interurbans  defeated  an  airplane  in  a  race 
staged  for  newsreel  cameras  in  1930,  a  bannered  car 


toured  Dayton  streets  inviting  the  public  to  see 
films  of  the  race  at  a  local  theater.    C&LE  later 
adopted  such  innovations  as  free  taxi  service  to  and 
from  the  depot,  but  the  lure  of  the  automobile  was 
irresistible  and  the  system  lasted  only  until  1939. 
Mayfield  Photos  Inc. 


tv 


^ks 


Despite  its  aged  equipment,  the  Atlantic 
City  &  Shore  Railroad  tried  to  keep 
right  up  with  the  times  in  1 940  by  pro- 
riding  its  interurbans  with  hostesses  on 
the  run  between  Atlantic  City  and  Ocean 
City.    Ann  Hackney,  "the  world's  first 
trolley  hostess,"  prepared  to  board  her 
Shore  Fast  Line  wooden  car  in  1 942. 
Central  Studios,  Atlantic  City. 


A  remarkable  pair  of  Pennsylvania  interurbans,  Lehigh  Valley 

Transit  and  West  Penn  Railways,  survived  into  the  '50's  as 

typical  examples  of  the  passenger  interurban  of  old.    In 

1950,  LVT's  Liberty  Bell  Limited  No.  1030,  a  former  Indiana 

Railroad  high-speed  car,  careened  down  Lehigh  Mountain 

near  Allentown  on  its  way  to  Norristown.    Abandonment 

was  a  year  away.   William  D.  Middleton. 


A  bright  orange  West  Penn  interurban  rambled  across  the  high  bridge  at  Brownsville.  The  broad-gauge 
system  lasted  until  the  mid-")0's,  despite  a  lack  of  commuters  and  carload  freight.   David  A.  STRASSMAN. 


399 


For  a  time  the  rejuvenation  had  encouraging  re- 
sults. A  good  example  of  the  thoroughgoing  over- 
haul given  many  properties  was  that  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati &  Dayton  Traction  Company,  which  had 
been  in  almost  continuous  receivership  for  10  years 
when  it  was  reorganized  in  1926  as  the  Cincinnati, 
Hamilton  &  Dayton.  Headed  by  Dr.  Thomas  Con- 
way Jr.,  the  new  management  refinanced  and  com- 
pletely rebuilt  the  property.  Track  was  rebuilt 
with  new  rails  and  ties,  drainage  was  improved,  and 
the  power  distribution  system  completely  rebuilt. 
New  shops  were  erected,  new  passenger  cars  were 
placed  in  service,  and  a  large  fleet  of  freight  equip- 
ment was  acquired  for  a  new  fast  freight  and  express 
service. 

The  publicity-conscious  Conway  management  in- 
troduced the  newly  overhauled  CH&D  with  a  gala 
celebration  near  Dayton  on  June  22,  1927.  Nearly 
400  prominent  citizens,  public  officials,  and  railway- 
men  attended  a  banquet  at  the  new  car  shops,  then 


adjourned  to  a  nearby  natural  amphitheater  where 
nearly  30,000  were  awaiting  the  public  celebration. 
There  was  a  night  flying  exhibition  and  an  elaborate 
fireworks  display,  and  a  band  played  while  seven  old 
cars  were  burned.  The  climax  of  the  occasion  came 
when  the  lights  were  turned  on  in  the  new  fleet  of 
cars  to  the  accompaniment  of  horns  and  gongs. 

Thus,  with  much  fanfare,  the  CH&D  regained  its 
competitive  position  and  was  soon  solidly  back  in 
the  black.  Other  lines  enjoyed  similar  comebacks 
and  many  electric  railwaymen,  for  a  few  brief  years, 
looked  to  the  future  with  renewed  confidence.  Pre- 
dicted Britton  I.  Budd,  president  of  Samuel  Insull's 
North  Shore  and  South  Shore  interurbans  at  Chi- 
cago, in  1927,  "Well-located  interurban  lines,  in- 
stead of  being  obsolete,  are  in  reality  entering  upon 
the  period  of  their  greatest  usefulness."  His  pre- 
diction, although  it  proved  correct  in  the  special  case 
of  his  own  lines,  turned  out  to  be  a  rather  bad  guess 
about  the  future  of  the  interurbans. 


400 


The  first  interurban  came  close  to  being  the  last.  Portland's  Oregon  City  line, 
opened  in  1893,  lasted  until  early  1958.  Former  Pacific  Electric  car  4018  rolled 
across  a  much-photographed  trestle  at  Milwaukie,  Ore.,  in  1955.    William  D. 

MlDDLETON. 


The  Milwaukee  Rapid  Transit  &  Speedrail  Com- 
pany was  an  ill-fated  attempt  to  modernize  the 
remaining  interurban  routes  of  the  old  Milwaukee 
Electric  system  with  the  economies  of  lightweight 
cars  and  one-man  operation.    A  head-on  collision  of 
two  excursion  trains  in  1950,  the  last  big  wreck  of 


the  interurban  era,  brought  financial  difficulties 
and  abandonment  a  year  later.   On  a  bright  Decem- 
ber day  in  1950  Waukesha  Limited  car  No.  60,  a 
Cincinnati  curved-side  lightweight  that  had  seen 
service  on  three  Indiana  and  Ohio  lines,  sped 
through  West  Junction.   William  D.  Middleton. 


401 


Pacific  Electric  transported  the  greatest  passen- 
ger loads  in  its  entire  history  during  World 
War  II,  and  continued  to   carry  a  flourishing 
rail  passenger  traffic  into  the  early  '50's.  During 
rush  hour  at  Amoco  Tower,  on  the  celebrated 
four-track  main  line  of  PE's  Southern  District, 
a  Watts  local  on  the  outer  track  had  just  been 
overtaken  by  a  fast  moving  Bellflower  express. 
Early  in  1961  the  last  PE  interurban  route  —  to 
Long  Beach  —  was  abandoned  by  its  most  recent 
operator,  the  Los  Angeles  Metropolitan  Transit 
Authority.   William  D.  Middleton. 


Smoking  brake  shoes  and  motors  testified  to  the 
heat  of  a  July  afternoon  in  1955  as  a  North  Shore 
local,  en  route  from  Chicago  to  W aukegan  over  the 
Shore  Line  route,  braked  to  a  stop  at  North  Chi- 
cago Junction,  only  a  week  before  the  route  was 
abandoned.    Once  the  main  line,  the  Shore  Line 
continued  to  operate  an  extensive,  if  unprofitable, 
commuter  business  to  the  suburbs  north  of  Chi- 
cago  following    completion   of   the   high-speed 
Skokie  Valley  main  line  in  1925.   Early  in  1963 
the  remainder  of  the  North  Shore  system  was 
abandoned.    William  D.  Middleton. 


The  great  depression  that  began  with  the  stock 
market  crash  of  1929  brought  the  interurbans'  come- 
back to  an  end.  As  business  activity  stagnated,  in- 
terurban freight  and  passenger  revenues  declined  ac- 
cordingly, and  often  there  was  too  little  left  even 
for  operating  expenses,  much  less  further  improve- 
ments. For  40  major  interurbans  Electric  Railway 
Journal  reported  1930  net  operating  revenues  that 
were  down  46  per  cent  from  the  year  before,  while 
operating  expenses  decreased  only  slightly.  Financial 
reports  for  1931  were  even  worse.    A  survey  of  23 


interurbans  revealed  that  operating  revenues  had 
dropped  as  much  as  60  per  cent  below  1930  results, 
and  while  10  of  the  lines  had  reported  some  net  in- 
come in  1930,  only  6  had  anything  left  after  oper- 
ating expenses  in  1931.  Further  drops  in  revenues 
as  high  as  40  per  cent  were  reported  in  1932.  Sys- 
tem after  system  went  under,  and  by  1933  interurban 
mileage  had  been  reduced  to  little  over  10,000  miles, 
a  decline  of  almost  6000  miles  in  10  years.  New  in- 
terurban car  construction  reached  an  all-time  low  of 
seven  cars  in  1932,  and  then  disappeared  altogether. 


Separate  Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin  cars  from  Aurora  and  Elgin  had  just  been  con- 
solidated into  a  single  Chicago  express  at  Wheaton,  III.,  on  a  summer  evening 
in   1955.    A  few   years  later,   with  insufficient  freight  revenues  to  cover  com- 
muter traffic  losses,  the  CA&E  became  the  first  of  Samuel  Insult's  "super  inter- 
urbans"  to   abandon   service.    William    D.    Middleton. 


402 


' '■■■  ■ . '.    /' 


1  :<h9i&-u 

mill  HMMWiiMiit;iiiin;'!»i 


-      ~-    '":*• 


Even  under  the  crushing  effect  of  depression  there 
were  a  few  major  efforts  to  modernize  and  to  consoli- 
date separate  lines  into  strong  systems.  In  Ohio  in 
1929,  Dr.  Conway,  with  his  overhauled  CH&D  as  a, 
nucleus,  assembled  the  new  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie 
system  stretching  from  the  Ohio  River  to  Lake  Erie, 
bought  20  new  high-speed  cars,  and  installed  im- 
proved through  services.  In  1930  the  Insull  inter- 
ests organized  the  statewide  Indiana  Railroad  Sys- 
tem, bought  35  new  high-speed  cars,  spent  thousands 
on  line  improvements,  and  inaugurated  vastly  im- 
proved service.  In  1932  the  Fonda,  Johnstown  & 
Gloversville  in  New  York  placed  new  Bullet  cars  on 
limited  schedules  that  cut  as  much  as  half  an  hour 
from  previous  Gloversville-Schenectady  timings,  and 
enjoyed  a  78  per  cent  increase  in  net  revenues  over 
those  for  1931.  Such  efforts  were  widely  hailed,  and 
many  thought  the  winning  combination  for  the  in- 
terurban  had  at  last  been  found. 


Still  going  strong  in  7965,  the  Philadelphia  Suburban 
Transportation  Company  was  the  only  surviving  in- 
terurban  east  of  Chicago.    A  lightweight  Brill  subur- 
ban car,  one  of  the  last  cars  turned  out  by  the  once- 
great  Philadelphia  carbuilder,  rolled  through  a  rock 
cut  at  S medley  Park  in  1956,  en  route  from  Media 
to  69th  Street  terminal.   William  D.  Middleton. 


A  South  Shore  Line  express  from  Gary,  Incl.,  slid  into  Illinois  Central's 
Randolph  Street  Suburban  Station  in  Chicago  in  1955.  Lengthened 
and  fitted  with  picture  windows,  foam  rubber  seats,  and  air  condi- 
tioning, this  equipment  helped  place  the  South  Shore  in  the  fore- 
front of  passenger  inter ur bans,  but  tonnage  freight  traffic  moving 
behind  heavy  electric  motive  power  had  a  lot  more  to  do  with  the 

South  Shore's  continued  prosperity  in  /965.  WILLIAM  D.  MlDDLETON. 


405 


One  of  Dr.  Conway's  wind-tunnel-designed  Bullet  cars  raced  through  Gulph  Cut 
on  the  third-rail  "super-interurban"  Philadelphia  &  Western  line,  since  1954  a 
part  of  the  Philadelphia  Suburban  system.    William  D.  Middleton. 


ag. 


r  t.    x- 


But  such  measures  provided  only  a  temporary 
stay  of  execution.  By  1932  piecemeal  abandonments 
had  reduced  Indiana  Railroad  mileage  from  850  to 
only  300,  and  the  entire  system  was  gone  by  1941. 
Dr.  Conway's  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  lasted  only 
until  1939,  and  the  high-speed  cars  that  had  shown 
such  early  promise  on  the  FJ&G  were  returned  to  the 
builders  in  default  of  payments  several  years  after 
delivery. 

The  few  interurbans  that  survived  into  the  '40's 
and  '50's  could  generally  be  fitted  into  one  of  two 
special  categories.  Some,  which  entered  large  metro- 
politan areas,  found  new  usefulness  as  home-to-work 
transportation  for  burgeoning  bedroom  suburbs.  All 
three  of  the  major  Insull  interurbans  at  Chicago,  for 
example,  became  important  commuter  railroads. 
Others  which  had  become  essentially  electric  freight 
railroads  continued  to  operate  an  interurban  pas- 
senger service  which  was  by  this  time  no  more  than 
a  minor  sideline.  A  few  fortunate  systems  enjoyed 
both  a  substantial  freight  traffic  and  a  large  com- 
muter business.    Los  Angeles'  Pacific  Electric,  with 


A  lightweight  interurban  car  of  the  Evansville  & 
Ohio  Valley  Railway  in  Indiana  was  one  of 
the  first  to  fall  to  the  bus.    In  1928  No.  136 
posed  beside  its  replacement  on  the  Hender- 
son (Ky.)  run.  George  Krambles  Collection. 

both  a  tremendous  suburban  passenger  business  and 
enough  on-line  industries  to  make  the  railway  Cali- 
fornia's third  largest  originator  of  freight  traffic, 
was  one  of  these. 

A  few  remarkable  interurban  systems  managed 
to  survive  as  purely  passenger-carrying  intercity 
railroads.  Notable  among  them  was  Pennsylvania's 
Lehigh  Valley  Transit  Company,  which  served  the 
populous  communities  of  the  Lehigh  Valley  and 
had  good  connections  for  Philadelphia-bound  pas- 
sengers. When  the  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  folded  in 
1939  LVT  acquired  the  major  part  of  C&LE's  fleet 
of  high-speed,  lightweight  cars,  completely  refur- 
bished them  for  its  "Liberty  Bell  Route,"  and  con- 
tinued to  operate  an  interurban  passenger  service 
in  the  grand  old  manner  until  1951. 


407 


rAUlU^  ' 


A  sober-faced  group  gathered  in  the  main  street  of  New  Philadelphia,  O.,  in  1929 
for  the  departure  of  the  last  interurban  car  on  the  Northern  Ohio  Power  & 
Light  Company.   Stephen  D.  Maguire  Collection. 


408 


Those  lines  that  survived  the  depression  enjoyed 
a  brief  return  to  the  bonanza  traffic  of  an  earlier 
era  during  the  World  War  II  years  of  gasoline  ra- 
tioning and  the  great  industrial  activity  of  national 
defense.  The  Southern  California  population  ex- 
plosion generated  by  an  extraordinary  defense  in- 
dustry growth,  for  example,  provided  the  Pacific 
Electric  system  with  more  rail  passengers  (a  peak  of 
109  million  in  1945)  than  it  had  ever  handled 
before. 

With  the  end  of  the  war  the  forces  which  had 
been  at  work  on  the  interurbans  resumed.  More 
autos  than  ever  before  rolled  off  the  assembly  lines, 
and  continuing  declines  in  what  passenger  traffic 
was  left  combined  with  growing  operating  costs  to 
force  the  abandonment  of  the  remaining  marginal 


passenger  operations.  Low  fares  and  excessively  high 
peak  hour  requirements  served  to  make  commuter 
traffic  less  and  less  attractive,  regardless  of  its  vol- 
ume; and  even  those  few  systems  that  operated  ex- 
ceedingly large  suburban  traffics  found  remaining 
solvent  more  and  more  difficult.  Within  less  than  10 
years  Pacific  Electric  had  almost  entirely  converted 
its  passenger  operation  to  more  economical,  if  less 
satisfactory,  bus  services,  and  in  1961  its  last  interur- 
ban  route,  by  then  part  of  a  metropolitan  transit 
authority,  was  discontinued.  By  early  1963  two 
of  the  three  Insull  interurbans  at  Chicago  —  the 
Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin  and  the  North  Shore  Line 
— had  quit  entirely.  Only  the  South  Shore  Line 
transported  enough  freight  traffic  to  underwrite 
its  passenger  losses  and  continue  operation. 


Sometimes  the  interurbans  last  run  was  the  occasion  for  a  celebration  every  bit  the  equal  of  its 

inaugural  trip.   This  croud  gathered  at  Thurmont,  Md.,  one  rainy  day  in  1954  to  see  the  last  trolley 

off  on  the  Potomac  Edison's  inter  urban  line  to  Frederick.    H.  N.  PROCTOR. 

A  handsome  1903  Niles  wooden  interurban  of  classic  lines,  originally  owned  by 
the  Toledo.  Port  Clinton  &  Lakeside  Railway,  approached  Proprietors'  Road  on 
trackage   of  the   Ohio   Railway    Museum   at    W'orthington.     John    Mallov. 


409 


~  /W^-.j.^-  Hr>sr  -  J»  V^T 


Excursionists    boarded   a   restored   Connecticut 
Company  open  car  in  1 959  for  a  ride  over  the 
Branford  museum's  line  near  East  Haven,  Conn. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


Traction  enthusiast  E.  ].  Quinby,  a  former  inter- 
urban  mo  tor  man,  took  the  controls  of  a  well- 
restored  open  car  on  the  Branford  Electric  Rail- 
way museum.   William  D.  Middleton. 


A  former  Connecticut  Company  open  car  rolled  through  a  New  England  wood 
on  the  Connecticut  Electric  Railway  trolley  museum,  whose  rails  are  laid  on  the 
long-abandoned  roadbed  of  a  Hartford  &  Springfield  Street  Railway  branch. 
William  D.  Middleton. 


East  of  Chicago  only  a  single  system,  the  Philadel- 
phia Suburban  Transportation  Company,  favored 
with  unusual  circumstances  that  helped  level  off  the 
peak  demands  of  its  suburban  passenger  business, 
continued  to  operate. 

As  the  interurban,  along  with  the  urban  trolley 
car,  vanished  from  North  America,  its  determined 
fans,  who  seemed  to  grow  in  numbers  as  the  elec- 
tric cars  became  increasingly  uncommon,  com- 
menced to  assemble  its  history  in  painstaking  texts, 
countless  photographs,  maps,  timetables,  and  other 
memorabilia.  Their  ultimate  achievement  was  to 
preserve  and  operate  the  cars  themselves,  and  the 
first  such  group  formed  for  this  purpose,  the  Sea- 
shore Electric  Railway,  was  established  at  Kenne- 
bunkport,  Me.,  in  1939.  Others  followed,  and  by 
1961  there  were  more  museum  groups  operating  in- 
terurban cars  than  there  were  surviving  interurban 
railways.  Over  two  dozen  groups  had  preserved  well 
over  200  pieces  of  electric  railway  equipment,  and 
more  than  a  dozen  of  these  were  actually  operating 
the  cars  or  had  definite  plans  to  do  so.  The  Seashore 
undertaking  alone,  the  largest  of  the  projects,  had 
preserved  no  less  than  71  items  of  traction  rolling 
stock  of  every  description. 

In  retrospect   it  is  all  too  easy   to  write  off   the 


interurban  railways  as  ill-conceived  ventures,  for 
clearly  they  failed  to  achieve  the  lasting  position  and 
universal  application  that  was  once  so  freely  pre- 
dicted for  them,  and  only  rarely  did  they  reap  the 
promised  rich  financial  returns  that  once  made  them 
so  popular  with  investors.  But  in  their  time  the  elec- 
tric cars  served  well  the  transportation  needs  of  a 
growing  nation,  and  this  essential  contribution  can 
never  be  overlooked. 

It  is  worth  noting,  too,  that  the  interurban  rail- 
ways were  rendered  obsolete  not  by  a  transportation 
development  of  superior  technology  but  by  one  that 
provided  only  a  greater  mobility.  As  a  mass  trans- 
portation vehicle  the  electric  railway  possessed  many 
of  the  same  virtues  in  1965  that  it  had  in  1900.  For 
it  could  still  transport  large  numbers  of  people  far 
more  economically,  and  quite  often  more  rapidly, 
than  its  petroleum-fueled  successors. 

As  America's  metropolitan  planners,  and  not  a 
few  of  the  commuting  public  as  well,  were  becoming 
increasingly  aware,  the  private  automobile,  with  its 
insatiable  demand  for  highway  and  parking  space. 
was  a  costly  and  far  from  satisfactory  way  of  getting 
the  suburban  dweller  between  home  and  work.  It  is 
not  unreasonable  to  suppose,  for  example,  that  the 
Waukesha    commuter    who    once    was    whisked    to 


411 


Interurban  enthusiasts  of  the  Iowa  Railway  Historical  Museum  have  the  17 -mile  Southern  Iowa 
Railway  at  their  disposal  for  excursions  with  the  group's  former  Waterloo,  Cedar  Falls  &  Northern 
Railroad  parlor-buffet-observation  car.    William  D.  MiDDLETON. 


412 


jMBWCcli 


^^\,v^ 


Iowa's   Charles   City    Western   Railway,   which 

couldn't  bear  to  part  with  its  inter  urban  after 

passenger  service  ended  in  1952,  refurbished  car 

No.  50  with  a  pastel  color  scheme,  draperies,  and 

lounge  furniture  and  offered  it  for  charter  trips 

over  the  freight-only  line  by  trolley  fans  and 

nostalgic  local  residents.  William  D.  Middleton. 

downtown  Milwaukee  in  as  little  as  35  minutes  by 
interurban,  and  who  must  now  spend  considerably 
more  time  making  the  same  trip  by  bus  or  ma- 
neuvering his  automobile  through  congested  streets, 
regards  the  disappearance  of  his  electric  railway 
with  some  regret. 

Indeed,  throughout  the  50s  there  was  a  grow- 
ing interest  again  being  shown  in  the  electric  rail- 
way. Toronto  completed  its  handsome  new  Yonge 
Street  subway,  Cleveland  inaugurated  a  brand-new 
rapid  transit  system,  and  Chicago  was  extending 
its  subway  and  elevated  lines  into  new  territory.  San 
Francisco,  Los  Angeles,  Montreal,  and  many  other 
cities  were  making  serious  plans  for  construction  of 
rapid  transit  systems.  To  be  sure,  the  new  electric 
railways  bore  little  outward  resemblance  to  the  col- 
orful interurbans  of  a  half  century  before,  but  be- 
neath their  sleek  and  functional  modernity  the  very 
same  principles  of  clean,  quiet,  and  efficient  electric 
transportation  were  at  work. 

If  the  Buckeye  Specials,  Hoosierlands,  and  Comets 
that  once  raced  importantly  through  the  countryside 
in  the  glamorous  days  of  the  interurban  era  were 
gone  forever,  a  new  and  different  era  of  electric 
transportation  was  perhaps  at  hand.    X 


413 


Interurban  and  Rural  Railways 

in  the  United  States,  Canada,  and  Mexico 


1  HIS'  directory  is  based  upon  a  1922  Electric  Railway  Census  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  Commerce,  with  corrections,  additions,  and  deletions  by  the  author  and 
others.  Companies  listed  operated  bona  fide  interurbans,  rural  trolley  lines,  or 
suburban  electric  lines  with  interurban  characteristics.  Companies  which  operated 
street  railways  only  are  excluded. 

Company  names  are  normally  those  under  which  the  railways  were  listed  in 
1922.  Successor  companies  and  previous  names,  when  they  were  well  known,  are 
shown  in  italics.  Steam  railroad  control  or  affiliation  is  shoivn  in  parentheses. 
Companies  are  entered  under  the  state  in  which  headquarters  were  maintained. 
NOTES 

*Company  still  electrically  operated  for  passenger  service  in   1965. 
f  Company  still  electrically  operated  for  freight  service  only  in  1965. 
All  companies  were  operated  by  overhead  trolley  exclusively  except  as  indicated 
below: 

(1)  Third-rail  operation. 

(2)  Third-rail  and  overhead-trolley  operation. 

(3)  Underground-conduit  and   overhead-trolley   operation. 

(4)  Gas-electric  operation. 


NEW  ENGLAND  STATES 

MAINE 

Androscoggin   &    Kennebec   Ry.    Co., 

The 

Lewiston,  Augusta  &  W aterville  St. 
Ry. 
Androscoggin  Electric  Co. 

Portland-Lewiston    Interurban    RR 
Aroostook  Valley  RR  Co.  (  CPR  ) 
Atlantic  Shore  Ry.  Co. 
Bangor  Ry.  &  Electric  Co. 
Biddeford  &  Saco  RR,  The 
Cumberland   County   Power  &   Light 

Co. 

Portland  RR 
Rockland,  Thomaston  &  Camden  St. 

Ry.  Co.,  The 

NEW   HAMPSHIRE 
Berlin   St.   Ry. 
Boston  &  Maine  RR 

Concord  Electric   Co. 
Claremont  Ry. 
Dover,  Somerset  &  Rochester  St.  Ry. 

Co. 
Exeter,  Hampton  &  Amesbury  St.  Ry. 
Manchester   &   Derry    St.   Ry. 
Manchester  &  Nashua  St.  Ry. 
Manchester  St.  Ry. 
Nashua   St.   Ry. 
Portsmouth  Electric  Ry. 

VERMONT 

Barre  &  Montpelier  Traction  & 

Power  Co. 
Bellows   Falls   &   Saxton   River 

Electric  RR 
Burlington   Traction   Co. 
Mt.  Mansfield   Electric  RR 
Rutland  Ry.,  Light  &  Power  Co. 
St.  Albans  &  Swanton  Traction  Co. 
Springfield   Electric   Ry.  Co.    ( B&M ) 

Springfield  Terminal  Ry. 


Twin  State  Gas  &  Electric  Co.,  The 

MASSACHUSETTS 

Attleboro  Branch  RR  Co. 

Berkshire  St.  Ry.  Co.  (NH) 

Blue  Hill  St.  Ry. 

Boston  &  Worcester  St.  Ry.  Co. 

Bristol  County   St.   Ry.   Property 

Concord,  Maynard  &  Hudson  St.  Ry. 

Co. 
Connecticut  Valley  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Eastern  Massachusetts  St.  Ry.  Co. 

Bay  State  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Fitchburg  &  Leominster  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Grafton  &  Upton  RR 
Holyoke  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Interstate  Consolidated   St.  Ry.  Co. 
Lowell  &  Fitchburg  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Massachusetts  Northeastern  St.  Ry. 

Co. 
Medway  &  Dedham  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Middlesex  &  Boston  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Milford  &  Uxbridge  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Milford,  Attleboro  &  Woonsocket  St. 

Ry.  Co. 
Nahant  &  Lynn  St.  Ry.  Co. 
New  Bedford  &  Onset  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Northampton  Street  Ry.  Co. 
Northern   Massachusetts  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Norton,  Taunton  &  Attleboro  St.  Ry. 

Co. 
Plymouth  &  Brockton  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Plymouth  &  Sandwich  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Shelburne  Falls  &  Colerain  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Springfield  St.  Ry.  Co.   (NH) 
Union  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Ware  &  Brookfield  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Worcester   Consolidated    St.    Ry.    Co. 

(NH) 

RHODE    ISLAND 

Newport  &  Providence  Ry.  Co. 
Providence  &  Fall  River  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Rhode  Island  Co.,  The   (NH) 
United  Electric  Rys.  Co. 


CONNECTICUT 

Bristol  &  Plainville  Electric  Co. 
Connecticut  Co.,  The  (NH) 
Danbury  &  Bethel  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Hartford  &  Springfield  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Shore  Line  Electric  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Waterbury  &  Milldale  Tramway  Co.. 
The 


MIDDLE  ATLANTIC  STATES 

NEW  YORK 

Albany  Southern  Ry.  Co.  (2) 
Auburn  &  Syracuse  Electric  RR  Co. 
Buffalo  &  Lake  Erie  Traction  Co. 

Buffalo  &  Erie  Ry. 
Chautauqua  Traction  Co. 
Cortland  County  Traction  Co. 
Elmira,     Corning     &     Waverly     Ry. 

(Erie) 
Elmira  Water,   Light   &   RR   Co. 
Empire  State  RR  Corp. 
Erie  Railroad    ( Mt.  Morris  Div.) 
Fonda,  Johnstown  &  Gloversville  RR 

Co. 
Geneva,  Seneca  Falls  &  Auburn  RR 

Co. 
Hudson  Valley  Ry.  Co.  (D&H) 
International  Ry.  Co. 
Ithaca-Auburn  &  Lansing  RR 
Jamestown,   Westfield    &    Northwest- 
ern RR  Co. 
Kaydeross  RR  Corp. 
Keesville,  Ausable   Chasm   &   Lake 

Champlain  RR  ( 1 ) 
Lima-Honeoye   Electric   Light   &   RR 

Co. 
New  Paltz,  Highland  &  Poughkeepsie 

Traction  Co. 
New  York  &  Stamford  Ry.  Co. 
New  York  State  Rys.  (2)    (NYC) 

Rochester  &  Sodus  Bay  Ry. 

Rochester  &  Eastern  Rapid  Ry. 

Oneida  Ry. 

Utica  &  Mohawk  Valley  Ry. 
New  York,  Westchester  &  Boston  Ry. 

Co.    (NH) 
Niagara  Gorge  RR  Co.,  The 
Olean,  Bradford  &  Salamanca  Ry.  Co. 
Orange  County  Traction  Co. 
Paul  Smith's  Electric  Light,  Power  & 

RR  Co. 
Penn  Yan  &  Lake  Shore  Ry. 
Putnam  &  Westchester  Traction  Co. 
Rochester  &  Syracuse  RR  Co. 

Rochester,  Syracuse  &  Eastern  RR 
Co. 
Rochester,    Lockport    &    Buffalo    RR 

Corp. 

Buffalo,  Lockport  &  Rochester  Ry. 
Schenectady  Ry.  Co.   (D&H-NYC) 
Southern    New    York    Power    &    Ry. 

Corp. 

Southern  New  York  Ry. 
Syracuse  &  Suburban  RR  Co. 
Syracuse  Northern   Electric  Ry. 
Walkill  Transit  Co.   (Erie) 

NEW  JERSEY 

Atlantic  &  Suburban  Ry.  Co. 
Atlantic   City   &   Shore   RR   Co.    (2) 
Atlantic  Coast  Electric  Ry.  Co. 
Bridgeton  &  Millville  Traction  Co. 


414 


Burlington  County  Transit  Co. 
Jersey  Central  Traction  Co. 
Millville  Traction  Co. 
Monmouth   County    Electric   Co. 
Morris  County  Traction  Co.,  The 
North  Jersey  Rapid  Transit  Co. 
Northampton-Easton    &    Washington 

Traction  Co. 
Public  Service  Ry.  Co. 
Salem  &  Pennsgrove  Traction  Co. 
Trenton   &   Mercer   County   Traction 

Corp. 
Trenton-Princeton  Traction  Co. 

(RDG) 

PENNSYLVANIA 

Allegheny  Valley  St.  Ry.  Co. 

West  Penn  Ry.  Co. 
Allen  Street  Ry.  Co. 
Allentown  &  Reading  Traction  Co. 
Altoona  &  Logan  Valley  Electric  Ry. 

Co. 
Bangor  &  Portland  Traction  Co. 
Beaver  Valley  Traction  Co.,  The 
Bethlehem  Transit  Co. 
Blue  Ridge  Traction  Co. 
Carlisle  &  Mount  Holly  Rys.  Co. 
Centre  &  Clearfield  Ry.  Co. 
Chambersburg  &  Gettysburg  Electric 

Ry.  Co.  (  PRR  ) 
Chambersburg    &    Shippensburg    Ry. 

Co. 
Chambersburg,  Greencastle  & 

Waynesboro  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Citizens  Traction  Co.,  The 
Cleveland  &  Erie  Ry.  Co. 
Conestoga  Traction  Co. 
Corry  &  Columbus  Traction  Co. 
Cumberland  Ry. 
Eastern  Pennsylvania  Rys.  Co. 
Ephrata  &  Lebanon  Traction  Co. 
Fairchance  &  Smithfield  Traction  Co. 
Hanover  &  McSherrystown  St.  Ry. 

Co. 
Harrisburg  Rys.  Co. 
Hershey  Transit  Co. 
Indiana  County  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Jefferson  Traction  Co. 
Jersey  Shore  &  Antes  Fort  RR  Co. 
Johnstown  &  Somerset  Ry.  Co. 
Johnstown  Traction  Co. 
Lackawanna  &  Wyoming  Valley  RR 

Co.    (2) 
Lancaster  &  Southern 
Lancaster  &  York  Furnace  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Lehigh  Traction  Co.,  The 
Lehigh  Valley  Transit  Co. 
Lewisburg,   Milton   &  Watsontown 

Passenger   Ry.   Co. 
Lewistown  &  Reedsville  Electric  Ry. 

Co.,  The 
Lykens  Valley  Ry.  Co. 
Mauch    Chunk    &    Lehighton    Transit 

Co. 
Montgomery  Transit  Co. 
North  Branch  Transit  Co. 
Northampton  Transit  Co. 
Northern  Cambria  Ry.  Co. 
Northwestern   Electric  Service  Co.  of 

Pennsylvania 
Pennsylvania  RR   (  Dillsburg  branch) 
Pennsylvania  &  Maryland  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Pennsylvania-New  Jersey  Ry.  Co. 
Philadelphia  &  Easton  Transit  Co. 


*  Philadelphia  &  West  Chester 

Traction   Co. 

Philadelphia  Suburban  Transporta- 
tion Co. 
♦Philadelphia  &  Western  Ry.  Co.  ( 1  ) 

Philadelphia  Suburban  Transporta- 
tion  Co. 
Phoenixville,  Valley  Forge  & 

Strafford  Electric  Ry.  Co. 
Pittsburgh  Ry.  Co. 
Pittsburgh,  Harmony,   Butler  &  New 

Castle  Ry.  Co. 
Pittsburgh,  Mars  &  Butler  Ry.  Co. 
Pottstown  &  Reading  St.  Ry. 
Reading  Transit  &  Light  Co. 
Schuylkill  Ry.  Co. 
Scranton  Ry.  Co. 
Scranton,  Montrose  &  Binghamton 

RR  Co. 
Shamokin   &   Edgewood   Electric   Ry. 

Co. 
Shamokin   &   Mount   Carmel   Transit 

Co. 
Sharon  &  New  Castle  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Slate  Belt  Transit  Co. 
Southern  Cambria  Ry.  Co. 
Southern    Pennsylvania   Traction   Co. 
Stroudsburg  Traction  Co.,  The 
Sunbury  &  Sellinsgrove  Ry.  Co. 
Titusville  Traction  Co. 
Trenton,    Bristol    &    Philadelphia    St. 

Ry.  Co. 
United  Traction  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Valley  Rys. 

Warren  &  Jamestown  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Warren  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Waverly,  Sayre  &  Athens  Traction 

Co.  ( Erie ) 
West  Chester,  Kennett  &  Wilmington 

Electric  Ry.  Co. 
West  Chester  St.  Ry.  Co.,  The 
West  Penn  Ry.  Co. 
Wilkes-Barre  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Wilkes-Barre    &    Hazleton    Ry.    Co., 

The  (2) 
York  Rys.  Co. 

SOUTH  ATLANTIC  STATES 

DELAWARE 

Wilmington  &  Philadelphia  Traction 
Co. 

MARYLAND 

Cumberland   &   Westernport    Electric 

Ry.  Co. 
Kensington  Ry.  Co. 
Potomac  Public  Service  Co. 

Hagerstoun  &  Frederick  Ry. 
United  Rys.  &  Electric  Co.  of 

Baltimore 
Washington,   Baltimore   &   Annapolis 

Electric  RR  Co.  (3) 

Baltimore  &  Annapolis  RR  Co. 
(B&O) 

DISTRICT   OF   COLUMBIA 

Washington  Ry.  &  Electric  Co.  (3) 

VIRGINIA 

Newport    News    &    Hampton    Ry. 

Gas  &  Electric  Co. 
Norfolk  Southern  RR 
Richmond  &  Chesapeake  Bay  Ry. 


Richmond- Ashland    Ry.    Co. 
Richmond-Fairfield  Ry.  Co. 
Roanoke  Ry.  &  Electric  Co. 
Virginia  Ry.  &  Power  Co. 
Washington   &   Old   Dominion   Ry. 
Washington-Virginia  Ry.   (3) 

Arlington  &  Fairfax  Ry. 

Washington,    Alexandria    &    Ml. 
Vernon   Ry. 

WEST   VIRGINIA 
Appalachian  Power  Co. 

Tri-City  Traction  Co. 
Charleston  Interurban  RR  Co. 
Kanawha  Traction  &  Electric  Co. 

Monongahela  West  Penn  Public 
Service  Co. 
Lewisburg  &  Ronceverte  Electric  Ry. 

Co. 
Monongahela  Power  &  Ry.  Co. 

Monongahela  West  Penn  Public 
Service  Co. 
Ohio  Valley  Electric  Ry.  Co. 
Parkersburg    &    Ohio    Valley    Electric 

Ry. 
Princeton  Power  Co. 

Tri-City  Traction  Co. 
Sistersville    &    New    Martinsville 

Traction  Co. 
Tyler  Traction  Co. 
Wellsburg,  Bethany  &  Washington 

Ry.  Co. 
Wheeling  Public  Service  Co. 
Wheeling  Traction  Co. 

NORTH   CAROLINA 
Piedmont  Ry.  &  Electric  Co. 
Tidewater  Power  Co. 

SOUTH   CAROLINA 
Charleston-Isle  of  Palms  Traction 

Co. 
Columbia  Ry.,  Gas  &   Electric  Co. 
Piedmont  &  Northern  Ry.  Co. 

GEORGIA 

Atlanta  Northern  Ry.  Co. 
Augusta-Aiken  Ry.  &  Electric  Corp. 
Fairburn  &   Atlanta  Ry.   &   Electric 

Co.  (4) 
Georgia  Ry.  &  Power  Co. 
Savannah  Electric  &  Power  Co. 

FLORIDA 

None 

NORTH  CENTRAL  STATES 

OHIO 

Cincinnati  &  Columbus  Traction  Co. 
Cincinnati  &  Dayton  Traction  Co., 

The 

Ohio  Electric  Ry.  Co. 

Cincinnati.  Hamilton  &  Dayton  Ry. 
Co. 

Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  RR 
Cincinnati,  Georgetown  & 

Portsmouth   RR   Co.,   The 
Cincinnati,    Lawrenceburg    &    Aurora 

Electric  St.  RR  Co.,  The 
Cincinnati,  Milford  &  Blanchester 

Traction  Co.,  The 

Cincinnati  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Cleveland,  Alliance  &  Mahoning 

Valley  RR  Co. 


415 


Cleveland  &  Chagrin  Falls  Ry.  Co., 

The 
Cleveland  &  Eastern  Traction  Co., 

The 
Cleveland,    Painesville    &    Ashtabula 

RR  Co.,  The 
Cleveland,   Painesville   &   Eastern   RR 

Co.,  The 
Cleveland,  Southwestern  &  Columbus, 

Ry.  Co.,  The 
Columbus,  Delaware  &  Marion 

Electric  Co.,  The 
Columbus,   Magnetic   Springs  & 

Northern  Ry. 
Columbus,  Marion  &  Bucyrus  Ry. 

Co.,  The 
Columbus,  New  Albany  &  Johnstown 

Traction  Co.,  The 
Columbus,  Newark  &  Zanesville 

Electric  Ry.  Co.,  The 

Ohio  Electric  Ry. 
Columbus  Ry.,  Power  &  Light  Co., 

The 
Columbus,  Urbana  &  Western 

Electric  Ry.,  The 
Dayton  &  Troy  Electric  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Dayton  &  Western  Traction  Co.,  The 

Ohio  Electric  Ry.  Co. 

Indiana  RR  System 
Dayton,  Covington  &  Piqua  Traction 

Co.,  The 
Dayton,  Springfield  &  Xenia 

Southern  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Felicity  &  Bethel  RR  Co. 
Fort  Wayne,  Van  Wert  &  Lima 

Traction  Co.,  The 

Ohio  Electric  Ry.  Co. 

Fort  Wayne-Lima  RR  Co. 
Fostoria  &  Fremont  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Gallipolis  &  Northern  Traction   Co. 
Hocking-Sunday  Creek  Traction  Co., 

The 
Indiana,  Columbus  &  Eastern 

Traction  Co.,  The 

Ohio  Electric  Ry.  Co. 

Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  RR 
Interurban  Ry.  &  Terminal  Co. 
Lake   Erie,  Bowling  Green   & 

Napoleon   Ry. 
Lake  Shore  Electric  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Lebanon  &  Franklin  Traction  Co. 
Lima-Toledo  RR  Co.,  The 

Ohio  Electric  Ry.  Co. 

Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  RR 
Lorain  St.  RR  Co.,  The 
Maumee  Valley  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Northern  Ohio  Traction  &  Light  Co. 
Northwestern  Ohio  Ry.  &  Power 

Co.,  The 
Norwalk  &  Shelby  RR 
Ohio  &   Southern   Traction   Co.,   The 
Ohio  Public  Service  Co. 
Ohio  River  &  Columbus  Ry. 
Ohio  River  Electric  Ry.  &  Power  Co. 
Ohio  Service  Co.,  The 
Ohio   Traction   Co. 
Ohio  Valley  Electric  Ry. 
Pennsylvania  &  Ohio  Ry.  Co. 
Pennsylvania-Ohio    Electric   Co.,   The 

Mahoning  &  Shenango  Ry.  & 
Light  Co. 
Portsmouth  Public  Service  Co. 
Scioto  Valley  Traction  Co.,  The  (  2  ) 
Southeastern  Ohio  Ry.  Co.,  The 


Springfield   &  Washington   Ry.  Co. 
Springfield  &  Xenia  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Springfield  Terminal  Ry.  &  Power 

Co.,  The 
Springfield,  Troy  &  Piqua  Ry.  Co. 
Stark  Electric  RR  Co.,  The 
Steubenville,   East   Liverpool   & 

Beaver   Valley  Traction   Co. 
Tiffin,  Fostoria  &  Eastern   Electric 

Ry.  Co.,  The 
Toledo  &  Indiana  RR  Co.,  The 
Toledo  &  Western   RR  Co.,  The 

(WAB) 
Toledo,  Bowling  Green  &  Southern 

Traction  Co.,  The 
Toledo,   Fostoria   &    Findlay   Ry.   Co., 

The 
Toledo,  Ottawa  Beach  &  Northern 

Ry.  Co.,  The 
Wellston  &  Jackson  Belt  Ry.   ( Hock- 
ing Valley ) 
Western  Ohio  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Youngstown  &  Ohio  River  RR  Co., 

The 
Youngstown  &  Suburban  Ry.  Co., 

The  ( Montour ) 

INDIANA 

Beech  Grove  Traction  Co. 

Bluffton,  Geneva  &  Celina  Traction 

Co. 
*  Chicago,  Lake  Shore  &  South  Bend 

Ry.  Co. 

Chicago  South  Shore  &  South 
Bend  RR 
Chicago,  South  Bend  &  Northern 

Indiana  Ry.  Co. 

Northern  Indiana  Ry..  Inc. 
Evansville  &  Ohio  Valley  Ry.  Co. 
Evansville   Suburban   &   Newburgh 

Ry.  Co. 
Fort  Wayne  &  Decatur  Traction  Co. 
Fort  Wayne  &  Northwestern  Ry.  Co. 

Indiana  RR  System 
Gary   &   Southern   Traction   Co. 
Gary  &  Valparaiso  Ry.  Co. 

Gary  Rys.  Co. 
Gary  St.  Ry.  Co. 

Gary  Rys.  Co. 
Goshen,   South   Bend   &  Chicago  RR 

Co. 
Indiana  Service  Corp. 

Indiana  RR  System 
Indianapolis    &    Cincinnati    Traction 

Co. 

Indianapolis    &    Southeastern    RR 
Co. 
Interstate  Public  Service  Co. 

Indiana  RR  System 
Lafayette  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Lebanon-Thorntown  Traction  Co. 
Marion  &  Bluffton  Traction  Co. 

Indiana  Service   Corp. 

Indiana  RR  System 
Northern   Indiana  Power  Co. 

Indiana  RR  System 
St.  Joseph   Valley   Traction   Co. 
Southern  Indiana  Gas  &  Electric  Co. 
Terre   Haute,   Indianapolis   &   Eastern 

Traction  Co. 

Indiana  RR 
Union  Traction   Co.  of  Indiana 

Indiana  RR 
Winona  Interurban  Ry.  Co. 


MICHIGAN 

Benton  Harbor-St.  Joe  Ry.  &  Light 

Co. 
Detroit,   Jackson   &   Chicago   Ry. 

Detroit  United  Ry. 

Michigan  Electric  Ry. 
Detroit,  Monroe  &  Toledo  Short  Line 

Detroit  United  Ry. 

Eastern  Michigan-Toledo  Ry. 
Detroit  United  Ry. 

Eastern  Michigan  Rys. 
Escanaba  Power  &  Traction  Co. 
Grand  Rapids,  Grand  Haven  & 

Muskegon  Ry.  Co.  (  2  ) 
Houghton   County   Traction   Co. 
Lake  Superior  District  Power  Co. 
Michigan  Ry.   (2) 

Michigan    RR 

Michigan  United  Ry. 

Michigan   Electric   Ry. 

Grand  Rapids,  Holland  &  Chicago 
Ry. 
Southern  Michigan  Ry.  Co. 

Northern    Indiana   Ry.,    Inc. 

ILLINOIS 

Alton,   Granite   &   St.   Louis   Traction 

Co. 

Illinois  Terminal  RR 
Alton,  Jacksonville  &  Peoria  Ry.  Co. 
Aurora,   Elgin   &   Fox   River   Electric 

Co. 
Aurora,  Plainfield  &  Joliet  RR  Co. 
Bloomington,  Pontiac  &  Joliet 

Electric  Ry.  Co. 
Cairo  &  St.  Louis  Ry.  Co. 
Central  Illinois  Traction  Co. 
Chicago   &   Interurban   Traction   Co. 
Chicago  &  Joliet  Electric  Ry.  Co. 
Chicago,  Aurora  &  De  Kalb  RR  Co. 
Chicago  Aurora  &  Elgin  Ry.  Co.   (2) 
Chicago   North    Shore   &    Milwaukee 

RR   (2) 
Chicago,  Ottawa  &  Peoria  Ry.  Co. 
Coal  Belt  Electric  Ry.  Co.    (MP) 
De   Kalb,   Sycamore   &   Interurban 

Traction  Co. 
East  St.  Louis  &   Suburban   Ry.  Co. 
East  St.  Louis,  Columbia  &  Waterloo 

Ry.  Co. 
Elgin  &  Belvidere  Electric  Co. 
Fox  &  Illinois  Union  Ry.  Co. 
Galesburg  &  Kewanee  Electric  Ry. 

Co. 
Galesburg  Ry.  Lighting  &  Power  Co. 
Illinois  Central  Electric  Ry.,  The 
Illinois  Traction  System 

Illinois  Terminal  RR 
Joliet  &  Eastern  Traction  Co. 
Kankakee  &  Urbana  Traction  Co. 
Lee  County  Central   Electric  Ry.  Co. 
Murphysboro  &  Southern  Illinois  Ry. 

Co. 
Peoples'  Traction  Co. 
Peoria  Ry.  Terminal  Co.   (CRI&P) 
Rock  Island  Southern  RR  Co. 
Rock  Island  Southern  Ry.  Co. 
Rockford  &  Interurban  Ry.  Co. 
St.  Louis  &  Belleville  Electric  Ry.  Co. 
Southern  Illinois  Ry.  &  Power  Co. 
Springfield,  Clear   Lake   &   Rochester 

Interurban    Ry. 
Sterling,   Dixon   &   Eastern   Electric 

Ry.  Co. 


416 


Woodstock  &  Sycamore  Traction  Co. 

(4) 

WISCONSIN 

Chicago,  Harvard  &  Geneva  Lake  Ry. 

Co. 
Eastern  Wisconsin  Electric  Co. 
Milwaukee  Electric  Ry.  &  Light  Co., 

The 

Milwaukee  Rapid  Transit  &  Speed- 
rail   Co. 
Milwaukee  Northern  Ry.  Co. 

Milwaukee  Electric  Ry.  &  Light 
Co..  The 
Wisconsin-Minnesota  Electric  Light  & 

Power  Co. 
Wisconsin  Power  &  Light  Co. 
Wisconsin  Public  Service  Corp. 
Wisconsin  Traction,  Light,  Heat  & 

Power  Co. 
Wisconsin  Valley   Electric  Co. 

MINNESOTA 

Electric  Short  Line  Ry.   (4) 

Mesaba  Ry.  Co. 

Minneapolis,  Anoka  &  Cuyuna  Range 

Ry.  Co. 
Minneapolis,  St.  Paul,  Rochester  & 

Dubuque  Electric  Traction  Co. 
(4) 
Minnesota  Northwestern  Electric  Ry. 

Co.    (4) 
St.  Paul  Southern  Electric  Ry. 

Co. 
Twin  City  Rapid  Transit  Co. 

IOWA 

Albia  Light  &  Ry.  Co. 

Cedar  Rapids  &  Marion  City  Ry.  Co. 

tCharles  City  Western  Ry.  Co. 

Clinton,  Davenport  &  Muscatine  Ry. 

Co. 
Des  Moines  &  Central  Iowa  RR 
Fort  Dodge,  Des  Moines  &  Southern 

RR  Co. 
Iowa  Ry.  &  Light  Co. 

Cedar  Rapids  &  Iowa  City  Ry.  Co. 
+Iowa  Southern  Utilities  Co. 

Southern  Iowa  Ry.  Co. 
Keokuk  Electric  Co. 
tMason  City  &  Clear  Lake  RR  Co. 
Oskaloosa  Traction  &  Light  Co. 
Waterloo,  Cedar  Falls  &  Northern 

Ry.  Co. 

MISSOURI 

Jefferson   City   Bridge  &  Transit  Co. 

Kansas  City,  Clay  County  &  St. 

Joseph  Ry.  Co. 
Kansas  City   Power   &   Light  Co. 
Mexico,  Santa  Fe  &  Perry  Traction 

Co. 
Missouri  Electric  RR  Co. 
St.   Francois  County  RR   Co. 
St.    Joseph    &    Savannah    Interurban 

Ry. 
Southwest  Missouri  RR  Co.,  The 
Union  Depot  Bridge  &  Terminal  RR 

Co. 
United  Rys.  Co.  of  St.  Louis 

NORTH    DAKOTA 

Valley  City  St.  &  Interurban  Ry.  Co. 


SOUTH    DAKOTA 

Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  RR 
( 3-foot-gauge   interurban   at   Dead- 
wood,  Lead,  and  Pluma) 

NEBRASKA 

Omaha  &   Lincoln  Ry.  &  Light  Co. 
Omaha   &    Southern    Interurban   Ry. 

Co. 
Omaha,  Lincoln  &  Beatrice  Ry.  Co. 

KANSAS 

Arkansas  Valley  Interurban  Ry.  Co. 
Iola   Electric  Ry. 
Joplin  &  Pittsburg  Ry.  Co. 
Junction  City  &   Fort  Riley  Ry. 
Kansas  City,  Kaw  Valley  &  Western 

Ry.  Co.,  The 
Kansas  City,  Lawrence  &  Topeka 

Electric   RR  Co. 
Kansas  City,  Leavenworth  &  Western 

Ry.  Co. 
Manhattan  City  &  Interurban  Ry.  Co. 
Missouri   &   Kansas   Ry.   Co. 
Southwestern    Interurban   Ry.   Co. 
Union  Traction  Co.,  The 

Union  Electric  Ry. 

SOUTH  CENTRAL  STATES 

KENTUCKY 

Kentucky    Traction    &    Terminal    Co. 
Louisville   &   Interurban   RR  Co. 

TENNESSEE 
Bristol  Traction  Co. 
Chattanooga  Traction  Co. 
Memphis  &  Lake  View  Ry.  Co. 
Nashville  Interurban  Ry. 

Nashville-Franklin  Ry. 
Union   Traction   Co.   of   Tennessee 

Nashtille-Gallatin    Interurban    Ry. 

ALABAMA 

Alabama  Power  Co. 

Birmingham  Ry.,  Light  &  Power  Co. 

Mobile  Light  &  RR  Co. 

MISSISSIPPI 

Gulfport  &  Mississippi  Coast  Traction 

Co. 
Laurel  Light  &  Ry.  Co. 

ARKANSAS 

Central  Power  &  Light  Co. 
Fort   Smith    Light   &   Traction   Co. 
West  Helena  Consolidated  Co.,  The 
Interurban   Traction   Co. 

LOUISIANA 

Orleans-Kenner  Traction  Co. 
St.  Tammany  Ry.  &  Power  Co. 
Southwestern  Traction  &  Power  Co. 

OKLAHOMA 
Ardmori-  Ry. 

Bartlesville   Interurban  Ry. 
Chickasha  St.  Ry.  Co. 
Muskogee  Electric  Traction  Co. 
Northeast  Oklahoma  RR  Co. 
Oklahoma  Ry.  Co. 
Oklahoma  Union  Ry.  Co. 

lulsa-Sapulpa  Union  Ry.  Co. 


Pittsburg  County  Ry.  Co. 
Sand   Springs  Ry. 
Sapulpa   &   Interurban   Ry. 
Shawnee-Tecumseh    Traction    Co. 

TEXAS 

Brownsville  St.  &  Interurban  RR  Co. 

Bryan   &   College  Interurban  RR  Co. 

Eastern  Texas  Electric  Co. 

Galveston-Houston   Electric  Ry.  Co. 

Greenville  Ry.  &  Light  Co. 

Houston   North   Shore  Ry.    (MP) 

Northern  Texas  Traction  Co. 

Rio  Grande  Valley  Traction  Co. 

Roby  &  Northern  RR  Co. 

Southwestern  Traction  Co. 

Tarrant  County  Traction  Co. 

Texas  Electric  Ry. 

Texas  Interurban  Ry. 

Uvalde  &  Leona  Valley  Interurban 

Ry. 
Wichita  Falls  Traction  Co. 

MOUNTAIN  STATES 

MONTANA 

Anaconda  Copper  Mining  Co. 

Gallatin  Valley  Electric  Ry.  (MILW) 

IDAHO 

Boise  Valley  Traction  Co. 
Caldwell  Traction  Co. 
Sandpoint  &  Interurban  Ry. 

WYOMING 

Sheridan  Ry.  &   Light  Co. 

COLORADO 

Colorado  Springs  &  Cripple  Creek 

District  Ry.  Co.   (C&S) 
Colorado   Springs   &    Interurban    Ry. 

Co..  The 
Denver  &  Intermountain  RR  Co.,  The 
Denver  &  Interurban  RR  Co.  (C&S) 
Denver  &  South  Platte  Ry.  Co.,  The 
Grand  River  Valley  Ry.  Co.,  The 

(Colorado  Midland) 
Trinidad  Electric  Transmission  Ry.  & 

Gas  Co.,  The 

NEW   MEXICO 

None 

UTAH 

Bamberger  Electric  RR  Co. 

Emigration  Canyon  Ry.  Co. 

Salt  Lake  &  Utah  RR  Co. 

Salt  Lake,  Garfield  &  Western  Ry.  Co. 

Utah  Idaho  Central  RR  Co. 

Utah  Light  &  Traction  Co. 

ARIZONA 

Douglas  St.  Ry. 

Phoenix  Ry.  Co.  of  Arizona 

Warren  Co. 

II  arren-Bisbee   Ry. 

NEVADA 

None 

PACIFIC  STATES 

WASHINGTON 

Grays   Harbor   Ry.   &   Light  Co. 


417 


Inland  Empire  RR  Co. 

Spokane,  Coeur  d'Alene  &  Palotue 
Ry.  (GS) 
Lew  iston-CIarkson  Transit  Co. 
North  Coast  Power  Co. 
Olympia  Light  &  Power  Co. 
Pacific  Northwest  Traction  Co. 
Pacific  Traction  Co. 
Puget  Sound  Electric  Ry.   (  2  ) 
Puget   Sound   International  Ry.  & 

Power  Co. 
Seattle  &  Rainier  Valley  Ry.  Co. 
Seattle  Municipal    St.   Ry. 
Spokane  &  Eastern  Ry.  &  Power  Co. 

Spokane,  Coeur  d'Alene  &  Palouse 
Ry.  <GN) 
Tacoma  Ry.  &  Power  Co. 
Twin   City   Ry. 
Vancouver  Traction  Co. 
Walla  Walla  Valley  Ry.  Co.  (NP) 
Washington  Water  Power  Co. 
Willapa  Electric  Co. 
TYakima    Valley    Transportation    Co. 

(UP) 

OREGON 

Oregon   Electric  Ry.  Co.    (SP&S) 
Portland   Ry.   Light   &   Power  Co. 
Southern   Oregon   Traction   Co. 
Southern  Pacific  Co. 

Portland,  Eugene  &  Eastern  Ry. 
United   Rys.  Co.    (SP&S) 
Willamette   Valley   Southern   Ry.   Co. 

CALIFORNIA 

Central   California   Traction   Co.    (2) 

(SP-WP-ATSF) 
Fresno  Traction  Co. 
Glendale  &  Montrose  Ry.  (UP) 
Market    St.    Ry. 

Northwestern  Pacific  RR   (1)    (SP) 
Pacific  Coast  Ry.  Co. 
Pacific  Electric  Ry.  Co.   (  SP  ) 
Peninsular  Ry.  Co.    (SP) 
Petaluma  &  Santa  Rosa  RR  Co. 

(NWP) 
tSacramento  Northern   RR  (  2 )  ( WP ) 
San   Diego  Electric  Ry.  Co. 


San  Diego  Southern  Ry.  Co. 

San   Francisco,  Napa  &  Calistoga  Ry. 

San  Francisco-Oakland  Terminal  Rys. 

(2) 

Key  System 
San  Francisco-Sacramento  RR  Co. 

Sacramento  Northern  RR   (WP) 
Southern  Pacific  Co. 

lnterurban  Electric  Ry. 
Tidewater  Southern  Ry.  (WP) 
Visalia  Electric  RR  Co.  (SP) 

CANADA 

NEWFOUNDLAND 

None 

NOVA   SCOTIA 

Cape  Breton  Tramways 
Pictou  County  Ry. 

NEW   BRUNSWICK 

None 

QUEBEC 

Hull  Electric  Co.  (CPR) 
Montreal  &  Southern  Counties  Ry. 

(CNR) 
Montreal  Tramways 
Quebec  Ry.,  Light  &  Power  Co. 

(CNR) 

ONTARIO 

Brantford  &  Hamilton  Electric  Ry. 

Brantford  Municipal  Ry. 

Chatham,  Wallaceburg  &  Lake  Erie 
Ry. 

Grand  River  Ry.    (CPR) 

Grand  Valley  Ry. 

Hamilton  &  Dundas  St.  Ry. 

Hamilton,  Grimsby  &  Beamsville 
Electric  Ry. 

Hamilton  Radial  Electric  Ry. 

Lake  Erie  &  Northern  Ry.    (CPR) 

London  &  Lake  Erie  Ry.  &  Trans- 
portation   Co. 

tLondon    &    Port    Stanley    Ry. 


Mt.  McKay  &  Kakabeka  Falls  Ry. 
Niagara  Falls  Park  &  River  Ry. 
Niagara,  St.  Catharines  &  Toronto 

Ry.  (CNR) 
Nipissing   Central   Ry. 
Sandwich,   Windsor    &    Amherstburg 

Electric  Ry. 
Schomsburg  &  Aurora  Ry. 
Sudbury-Copper  Cliff  Suburban  Ry. 
Toronto  &  York  Radial  Rys. 
Toronto  Suburban  Ry.   (CNR) 
Windsor,  Essex  &  Lake  Shore  Rapid 

Ry. 
Woodstock,  Thames  Valley  & 

Ingersoll  Ry. 

MANITOBA 
Winnipeg  Electric  Co. 
Winnipeg,  Selkirk  &  Lake  Winnipeg 
Ry. 

SASKATCHEWAN 

None 

ALBERTA 

Calgary  Municipal  Ry. 

BRITISH    COLUMBIA 

tBritish   Columbia   Electric  Ry. 

MEXICO 

F.C.  Electrico  de  Lerdo  a  Torreon 
F.C.  Electrico  de  Tampico  a  la  Barra 
F.C.  Mexicano,  Tejeria-Jalapa  branch 

(mule   power) 
*Servicio  de  Transportes  Electricos, 

Mexico  City 

CUBA 

*F.C.  Cubano  de  Hershey 

PUERTO  RICO 

Caguas  Tramway  Co. 


Principal  lnterurban  Carbuilders 


Indiana    Railroad's    notable    high- 
speed,  lightweight   car   fleet   of    1931- 


JTOR  a  more  detailed  discussion  of  carbuilders  the  reader  is  referred  to  "Rail- 
way Car  Builders  of  the  United  States  &  Canada,''  written  by  E.  Harper  Charlton 
and  published  by  Interurbans,  from  which  this  summary  is  drawn  with  the  kind 
permission  of  the  author  and  publisher. 


American    Car    Company,    St.    Louis, 
Mo.,    1891-1931. 

A  leading  street  and  interurban  car- 
builder,  American  was  acquired  by 
J.  G.  Brill  in  1902  as  a  strategically- 
located  plant  for  Brill's  western  or- 
ders. Cars  were  built  there  under  the 
American  label  until  the  plant's  re- 
organization as  J.  G.  Brill  of  Missouri 
in  1931,  only  a  scant  four  months 
before  the  works  closed  its  doors 
for  good. 


American   Car  &   Foundry  Company, 
1899- 

Formed  by  the  merger  of  1 3  older 
firms,  ACF  is  still  a  leading  railroad 
carbuilder.  Much  of  ACF's  interur- 
ban car  construction  was  centered  at 
its  Jeffersonville  ( Ind. )  plant,  which 
included  among  its  output  many  of 
the  handsome  heavy  steel  coaches, 
diners,  parlor  cars,  and  sleepers  that 
graced  Ohio  and  Indiana  traction 
during  the  '20s,  and  a  portion  of  the 


Barney  &  Smith  Car  Company,  Day- 
ton,  O.,    1849-1923. 

A  general  railway  carbuilder, 
Barney  &  Smith  built  interurbans  for 
many  Midwest  and  other  systems.  The 
plant  made  the  transition  to  steel  car- 
building  in  1913,  and  closed  only  10 
years  later. 

J.    G.    Brill    Company,    Philadelphia, 

Pa.,  1868-1956. 

Without  question  Brill  was  the 
leader  in  street  and  interurban  car 
construction  throughout  the  age  of 
electric  traction.  Formed  by  John 
George  Brill  and  his  son  G.  Martin 
Brill,  the  firm  pioneered  many  im- 
portant  advances   in    electric   railway 


418 


cars  and  their  equipment.  In  1899 
the  company  laid  plans  to  consolidate 
its  own  activities  with  several  other 
firms'  into  the  Consolidated  Street 
Car  Company,  which  would  have  ab- 
sorbed 90  per  cent  of  the  electric 
carbuilders  in  the  U.  S.  These  plans 
were  later  abandoned,  but  between 
1902  and  1908  Brill  acquired  the 
American  Car  Company  at  St.  Louis; 
G.  C.  Kuhlman  Car  Company  at 
Cleveland;  John  Stephenson  Car 
Company  at  Elizabeth,  N.  J.;  Wason 
Manufacturing  Company  at  Spring- 
field, Mass.;  and  Danville  Car  Com- 
pany at  Danville,  111.,  giving  the  com- 
pany strategically  located  plants  in 
most  parts  of  the  U.  S.  In  1912  Com- 
pagnie  J.  G.  Brill  was  formed  with  a 
plant  at  Paris,  France,  which  pro- 
duced cars  and  trucks  for  electric 
lines  throughout  the  Eastern  Hemis- 
phere. Brill  cars  were,  in  fact,  to  be 
found  throughout  the  world. 

Every  conceivable  type  of  car  was 
built  by  Brill.  Among  a  few  of  the 
most  notable  Brill  designs  were  the 
patented  Brill  semi-convertible  car, 
which  was  widely  used  throughout 
the  U.  S.;  the  heavy  steel  high-speed 
articulated  cars  built  in  1926  for  the 
Washington,  Baltimore  &  Annapolis; 
and  the  lightweight,  high-speed  Bul- 
let cars  developed  in  1930.  Brill  had 
patents  covering  virtually  every  com- 
ponent of  car  construction,  from 
trucks  to  trolley  wheels,  and  the  firm 
pioneered  "package"  selling  and  as- 
sembly   line    production. 

Brill  declined  along  with  the 
electric  railways  it  supplied,  and  the 
last  car  came  out  of  the  Philadelphia 
plant  in  1941,  after  which  the  firm 
turned  its  attention  to  buses  and 
other  products. 

Canadian  Car  &  Foundry  Company, 
Limited,  Montreal,  Que.,  1909- 
A  general  railway  carbuilder  ever 
since  its  organization,  Canadian  Car 
was  a  leading  builder  of  electric  rail- 
way cars  in  Canada,  and  large  vol- 
umes of  street  and  interurban  cars 
were  built  from  1909  until  the  last 
one  rolled  out  of  the  plant  in  1946. 
Now  Canadian  Car  Company,  Ltd., 
the  plant  still  produces  railroad 
equipment. 

Cincinnati  Car  Company,  Cincinnati, 
O.,    1902-1931. 

A  subsidiary  of  the  Cincinnati 
Street  Railway,  Cincinnati  Car  had  its 
origin  in  Chester  Park  shops  which 
built  cars  and  trucks  for  the  parent 
firm  for  its  own  use.  Other  Ohio  com- 
panies asked  to  have  cars  built  for 
them,  and  as  the  demand  increased 
the  separate  carbuilding  firm  was 
formed. 

Cincinnati  cars  were  seen  largely 
on  systems  in  the  Midwest  and  South- 
east. Virtually  every  type  of  car,  both 
wood  and  steel,  was  built  during  the 


firm's  30  years  in  business,  but  the 
most  notable  among  them  were  the 
famous  curved-side  lightweight  cars 
built  during  the  1920's,  and  the  fleet 
of  lightweight,  high-speed  cars  built 
in  1930  for  the  Cincinnati  &  Lake 
Erie  Railroad.  The  latter  represented 
virtually  the  last  cars  built  by  the 
firm,  for  only  a  year  later  Cincinnati 
completed  its  final  order. 

Columbia    Car   &    Tool    Works,    Port- 
land, Ore. 

Columbia  built  only  a  modest  num- 
ber of  cars  for  electric  lines  in  the 
Northwest  but  is  deserving  of  men- 
tion by  virtue  of  having  built  the  first 
cars,  in  1892,  for  the  Portland-Oregon 
City  East  Side  Railway,  generally  re- 
garded as  the  first  interurban. 

Danville  Car  Company,  Danville,  III., 
circa   1900-1913. 

Danville,  a  short-lived  firm,  built  a 
considerable  number  of  street  and  in- 
terurban cars  for  Midwest  and  West- 
ern systems.  The  plant  was  acquired 
by  J.  G.  Brill  in  1908  but  went  out  of 
business  only  five  years  later  when 
the  traction  industry  began  the  transi- 
tion  to   steel  equipment. 

Harlan  &  Hollingsworth,  Wilmington, 
Del.,   1836-1905. 

Established  in  1836,  Harlan  &  Hol- 
lingsworth was  one  of  the  oldest  rail- 
way carbuilders.  Purchased  by  Beth- 
lehem Steel  in  1905,  the  car  works 
continued  in  operation  until  1944. 
Among  the  most  interesting  interur- 
ban cars  produced  by  the  plant  were 
the  "Holland"  sleeping  cars  built  in 
1903,  which  converted  from  a  parlor 
car  by  day  to  a  sleeper  by  night,  and 
the  unusual  articulated  units  con- 
structed by  Bethlehem  in  1935  for  the 
Key  System's  Bay  Bridge  service  be- 
tween San  Francisco  and  the  East  Bay 
cities. 

Jewett   Car   Company,    Newark,    O 
1894-1918. 

Jewett  was  one  of  several  builders 
that  produced  in  large  numbers  the 
handsomely  proportioned  "classic" 
cars  that  typified  the  wood  car  era  on 
the  Midwestern  interurbans.  Jewett 
changed  over  to  steel  construction 
and  turned  out  a  few  groups  of  distin- 
guished all-steel  cars  before  it  went 
into  receivership  and  out  of  business 
in  1918. 

Jones'    Sons    Car    Company,    Water- 
vliet,   N.  Y.,   1839-1922. 

An  early  entrant  in  the  electric  car- 
building  industry,  the  Jones  firm  be- 
gan building  street  railway  cars  in 
1864  and  as  early  as  1886  was  said  to 
be  building  300  streetcars  a  year. 
Jones  cars  went  to  many  countries, 
but  most  of  them  were  to  be  found 
on  the  streetcar  and  rural  trolley  lines 


of  New   England  and   the   East.    Pro- 
duction of  cars  ended  in   1912. 


G.  C.  Kuhlman  Car  Company,  Cleve- 
land,  O.,    1892-1932. 

Kuhlman  built  an  extensive  variety 
of  street  and  interurban  cars,  includ- 
ing wood  cars  of  classic  pattern, 
heavy  steel  cars,  and  a  considerable 
number  of  lightweights  during  the 
1920s.  J.  G.  Brill  absorbed  the  Kuhl- 
man firm  in  1904,  as  part  of  its  pro- 
gram to  acquire  plants  at  strategic  lo- 
cations. Production  continued  under 
the  Kuhlman  name  until  1931,  when 
the  plant  was  reorganized  as  J.  G. 
Brill  of  Ohio.  Only  a  year  later  car- 
building  ceased  for  good. 


Laconia     Car     Company,     Laconia, 
N.  H.,    1881-1928. 

Cars  by  Laconia,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing builders  in  New  England,  were 
found  everywhere  in  the  Northeast, 
and  frequently  in  other  parts  of  the 
U.  S.  as  well.  The  company  was  also 
an  important  builder  of  steam  road 
equipment.  Along  with  a  majority  of 
the  traction  carbuilders,  Laconia  went 
out  of  business  with  the  decline  of 
the  electric  railway  industry  in  the 
late  1920s. 

McGuire-Cummings   Manufacturing 
Company,  Chicago  and  Paris,  III., 

-1943. 
Entering  the  electric  railway  field 
as  a  car  truck  builder  in  1888, 
McGuire-Cummings  was  known  as  the 
McGuire  Manufacturing  Co.  Later 
the  company  began  building  spe- 
cialized equipment,  and  finally  be- 
came a  major  producer  of  all  types 
of  electric  railway  equipment,  as  well 
as  a  considerable  amount  of  steam 
railway  rolling  stock.  A  great  volume 
of  wood  and  steel  interurbans  bore 
the  McGuire-Cummings  label.  Prob- 
ably the  most  distinguished  among 
them  were  the  three  steel  parlor-buf- 
fet-observation cars  built  for  limited 
service  on  the  Waterloo,  Cedar 
Falls  &  Northern  Railroad  in  1915. 
The  company  later  became  the  Cum- 
mings  Car  &  Coach  Company,  and 
built  its  last  car  in   1930. 

Niles  Car  &  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, Niles,  O  ,  1901-1917. 
Although  it  built  a  few  steel  cars 
in  its  last  years,  the  Niles  firm  was 
noted  principally  for  the  handsome 
wood  cars  it  turned  out  during  the 
peak  years  of  interurban  carbuilding. 
Niles  called  its  cars  "The  Electric 
Pullmans,"  and  among  them  were 
perhaps  the  largest  wood  interurbans 
ever  constructed.  Built  for  the  Wash- 
ington, Baltimore  &  Annapolis  in 
1907,  these  62-foot  cars  weighed  44 
tons. 


419 


Osgood  Bradley  Car  Company, 
Worcester,  Mass.,  1833-1930. 
A  producer  of  railway  cars  since 
1833.  the  Osgood  Bradley  plant, 
which  operated  until  1960  as  part 
of  Pullman-Standard,  was  the  oldest 
carbuilding  plant  in  the  United 
States.  Its  127  years  of  production  in- 
cluded virtually  every  type  of  steam 
and  electric  railroad  car.  Osgood 
Bradley  was  associated  with  the 
Standard  Steel  Car  Company  after 
1910,  and  became  part  of  Pullman- 
Standard  in  1930.  P-S  rapid-transit 
car  production  was  concentrated  at 
the  Osgood  Bradley  plant  until  its 
closing  in   I960. 

Ottawa  Car  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, Ottawa,  Ont.,  1891-1947. 
One  of  the  leading  Canadian  car- 
builders,  Ottawa  built  large  numbers 
of  street  and  interurban  cars  that  op- 
erated in  all  parts  of  the  Dominion. 
The  plant  closed  in  1947,  after  build- 
ing a  final  order  of  streetcars  for  the 
Ottawa  Electric  Railway. 

Pressed  Steel  Car  Company,  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  1896-1954. 
A  pioneer  steel  carbuilder  from 
the  time  of  its  organization,  Pressed 
Steel  was  exclusively  a  freight  car- 
builder  until  1906,  when  it  built  some 
of  the  first  steel  passenger  cars.  The 
firm,  principally  a  steam  road  car- 
builder,  also  manufactured  street  and 
,  interurban  cars,  among  them  some  of 
the  earliest  all-steel  designs.  Out- 
standing among  its  interurbans  were 
24  all-steel  cars  built  in  1915  for  high- 
speed service  over  Pacific  Electrics 
premiere  San  Bernardino  line.  The 
legendary  super-salesman  "Diamond 
Jim"  Brady  was  associated  with 
Pressed  Steel  Car  until  1902,  when 
he  walked  out  to  join  in  forming  the 
rival  Standard  Steel  Car  Company. 

Preston  Car  &  Coach  Company,  Pres- 
ton, Ont.,   1908-1921. 

Another  of  the  principal  Canadian 
builders,  Preston  built  electric  rail- 
way cars,  as  well  as  occasional  steam 
road  equipment.  In  1921,  when  the 
Toronto  Transportation  Commission 
restricted  bidding  on  new  cars  to  Ca- 
nadian firms,  J.  G.  Brill  leased  Pres- 
ton Car  &  Coach  and  set  up  Canadian 
Brill  Company,  Ltd.,  which  lasted 
hardly  long  enough  to  complete  the 
50-car  Toronto  order  it  obtained. 


Pullman-Standard  Car  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  1867- 
One  of  the  leaders  in  American  car- 
building,  the  Pullman  organization 
began  its  carbuilding  activities  in 
1867,  when  George  Pullman  founded 
Pullman's  Palace  Car  Company.  Vari- 
ous corporate  changes  have  taken 
place  in  the  intervening  years  but  the 
name  "Pullman"  has  been  synony- 
mous with  sleeping  cars  and  carbuild- 
ing ever  since.  Pullman  entered  the 
electric  car  field  in  1891  and  has  con- 
tinued in  the  business  to  the  present 
time,  building  everything  from  4- 
wheel  streetcars  to  heavy  M.U.  coach- 
es for  steam  road  electrifications. 
Among  distinguished  Pullman  inter- 
urbans have  been  some  of  Pacific 
Electric's  finest  steel  interurbans,  cars 
for  Southern  Pacific's  Oregon  electri- 
fication, high-speed  steel  equipment 
for  the  Insull  interurbans  at  Chicago, 
and  a  portion  of  Indiana  Railroad's 
1931  fleet  of  high-speed  aluminum 
cars. 

St.    Louis    Car    Company,    St.    Louis, 

Mo.,    1887- 

Exceeded  only  by  Brill  in  volume, 
St.  Louis  Car  was  one  of  the  greatest 
of  the  electric  carbuilders,  and  it  en- 
joys the  distinction  of  being  the  only 
one  of  the  firms  once  devoted  largely 
to  carbuilding  for  the  electric  railway 
industry  that  still  remains  in  busi- 
ness. In  I960  the  company  was  pur- 
chased by  General  Steel  Castings  Cor- 
poration. St.  Louis  has  built  electric 
equipment  of  every  description,  and 
a  considerable  amount  of  steam  rail- 
road rolling  stock  also,  including 
carbodies  for  many  of  Electro-Mo- 
tive's early  gas-electric  cars  and  sev- 
eral of  its  first  diesel-electrics.  Like 
Brill,  St.  Louis  designed  and  built 
trucks  and  virtually  every  other  ma- 
jor car  component,  as  well  as  cars 
themselves.  The  noteworthy  interur- 
bans produced  by  St.  Louis  are  almost 
too  numerous  to  mention.  Among  the 
most  recent  were  the  two  extraordi- 
nary 85-mile-per-hour  streamlined 
Electroliner  trains  built  for  the  Chi- 
cago North  Shore  &  Milwaukee  in 
1941,  and  the  three  post-World  War 
II  electric  streamliners  for  the  Illinois 
Terminal  Railroad,  which  were  the 
very  last  interurbans  built.  Today 
St.  Louis  is  turning  out  rapid  trans- 
it cars  and  equipment  for  steam  rail- 
roads. 


Southern  Car  Company,  High  Point, 
N.  C,   1904-1917. 

In  business  only  13  years,  South- 
ern Car  was  nonetheless  an  important 
builder,  and  its  street  and  interurban 
cars  were  found  throughout  the 
South,  and  at  points  as  far  away 
as  New  York  and  Puerto  Rico.  When 
Southern  went  out  of  business  a  new 
firm,  the  Perley  A.  Thomas  Car 
Works,  was  established,  which  took 
over  the  plant  and  continued  build- 
ing streetcars  until   1930. 

John  Stephenson  Car  Company,  Eliz- 
abeth,  N.  J.,    1831-1917. 

Stephenson  was  one  of  the  first 
U.  S.  railroad  carbuilders.  Originally 
located  in  New  York,  the  firm  built 
most  of  the  city's  first  street  railroad 
rolling  stock.  In  the  15  years  from 
1876  to  1891  alone,  Stephenson  built 
25,000  horse,  cable,  and  electric  cars. 
During  the  boom  years  of  interurban 
construction  many  lines  were 
equipped  with  handsome  wood  cars 
turned  out  by  the  Stephenson  plant, 
including  some  of  the  earliest  cars 
capable  of  really  high  speeds.  In 
1903,  for  example,  a  Stephenson  car 
covered  35  miles  on  the  new  third- 
rail  Aurora,  Elgin  &  Chicago  Rail- 
way in  34  minutes  39  seconds,  in- 
cluding speed   restrictions  and  stops. 

The  Stephenson  plant  was  acquired 
by  J.  G.  Brill  in  1904,  but  production 
continued  under  the  Stephenson 
name.  The  plant  never  tooled  up  for 
steel  carbuilding,  and  closed  in  1917. 

Wason     Manufacturing     Company, 
Springfield,   Mass.,    1845-1931. 

Wason  was  another  of  the  car- 
builders acquired  by  J.  G.  Brill  in  its 
expansion  program  shortly  after  the 
turn  of"  the  century.  Wason  electric 
cars  were  built  in  large  numbers  for 
lines  in  New  England  and  other 
areas,  and  it  was  also  a  steam  road 
carbuilder.  Trucks  and  bodies  for 
General  Electric's  line  of  gas-electric 
cars  were  almost  always  turned  out 
by  the  Wason  plant.  The  Wason 
name  continued  in  use  after  the  1906 
Brill  purchase  until  1931  when  the 
plant,  in  common  with  the  other  re- 
maining Brill  subsidiaries,  lost  its 
identity  and  became  J.  G.  Brill  of 
Massachusetts.  Within  a  year,  also  in 
common  with  the  other  Brill  subsidi- 
ary plants,  Wason  went  out  of  the 
carbuilding    business    for    good,    i 


420 


Principal  Types  of  Interurban  Rolling  Stock, 
Important  Components,  and  Accessories 


PASSENGER   CAR  TYPES 

CLOSED  Car:  The  ordinary  closed 
car,  comparable  in  general  arrange- 
ment to  steam  railroad  coaches,  with 
doors  and  enclosed  vestibules  at  each 
end,  was  by  far  the  most  common 
type  of  interurban  passenger  car. 

Combine  Car:  With  the  provision 
of  a  compartment  for  mail,  express, 
and  baggage  at  one  end  of  the  car,  a 
single  unit  enabled  interurban  op- 
erators to  provide  varied   services. 

Center-Entrance  Car:  With 
doors  and  steps  at  or  near  the  center 
of  the  body,  the  center-entrance  car 
usually  had  side  plates  that  sloped 
down  to  the  bottom  of  the  steps,  giv- 
ing what  was  described  as  a  "possum- 
belly"  or  "sow  belly"  appearance. 

OPEN  Car:  The  most  common 
variety  of  this  summer  car  had  trans- 
verse benches  across  the  full  width  of 
the  car,  with  longitudinal  steps  the 
full  length  of  the  car  to  permit  board- 
ing or  alighting  at  any  point. 

Combination  or  "Semi-Open" 
Car:  Divided  between  open  and 
closed  sections,  this  arrangement  was 
popular  in  California,  where  weather 
changes  were  often  sudden. 

California  Car:  This  variation, 
the  original  type  of  "semi-open"  car, 
placed  the  closed  section  at  the  center. 

Convertible  Car:  Equipped  with 
removable  side  panels  and  windows, 
the  "full  convertible,"  which  enjoyed 
only  modest  popularity,  was  an 
attempt  to  develop  an  open  car  suit- 
able for  year-around  operation. 

Semi-Convertible  Car:  Window 
sash  which  could  be  removed,  or 
which  disappeared  into  wall  or  roof 


pockets,  made  the  semi-convertible  a 
practical  car  for  both  winter  and  sum- 
mer operation,  and  it  was  built  in 
great  numbers  for  interurban  lines  in 
all  parts  of  the  U.  S. 


motor   was   used   for  express  or   light 
freight    service. 

B-B  Steeple-Cab  Locomotive: 
This  locomotive,  the  most  widely 
used  locomotive  type  for  interurban 
freight  service,  had  a  center  cab  of 
variable  length,  with  sloping  hoods 
at  each  end  that  housed  a  part  of 
its  air,  electrical,  and  other  equip- 
ment. These  machines  were  usually 
equipped  for  multiple-unit  operation, 
and  ranged  in  size  from  very  light 
units  to  ones  weighing  as  much  as  100 
tons.  Standardized  lines  of  steeple- 
cabs  were  produced  by  such  builders 
as  GE  and   Baldwin-Westinghouse. 


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CLOSED 


Articulated  Car:  Articulation, 
with  two  carbodies  resting  on  a  com- 
mon truck,  made  possible  a  high- 
capacity   unit  which  could  still  nego- 


B-B  Box-Cab  Locomotive:  Oth- 
erwise identical  to  the  steeple-cab  de- 
sign, the  box-cab  locomotive  had  all 
of  its  equipment  installed  in  a  full- 
length  cab.  The  arrangement  was 
simplicity  itself,  but  the  design  was 
never  as  popular  as  the  steeple-cab, 
principally  because  visibility  was  not 
as  good  in  switching  operations. 


COMBINE 


tiate  the  restrictive  curvature  common 
to  most  interurbans.  Another  type  of 
articulated  car,  consisting  of  a  short 
carbody  suspended  between  two 
single-truck  cars  and  often  described 
as  "two  rooms  and  a  bath,"  was  used 
on  a  few  street  railways. 

FREIGHT   EQUIPMENT 

Box  or  Express  Motor:  Essential- 
ly a  motorized  baggage  car,  with  con- 
trols  at   one   or    both   ends,   the    box 


B-B  +  B-B  Articulated  Locomo- 
tive: Several  interurban  lines  with 
extremely  heavy  freight  traffic  built 
powerful  locomotives  of  this  ar- 
rangement, which  employed  four 
power  trucks  under  a  pair  of  artic- 
ulated frames  to  operate  through 
short   radius  electric   line  curves. 

CURRENT   COLLECTION 

Overhead  Systems:  A  trolley 
pole,  which  was  held  against  the  wire 


CENTER-ENTRANCE 


TROLLEY  BASE 


421 


TROLLEY  WHEEL 


TROLLEY  SHOE 


RETRIEVER 

by  the  tension  of  springs  mounted  in 
a  swiveling  trolley  base,  was  the  usual 
means  of  current  collection  for  over- 
head systems.  Originally  the  use  of  a 
large  trolley  wheel,  6  inches  or  more 
in  diameter  and  cast  from  a  variety 
of  compositions,  was  favored  for  cur- 
rent collection.  A  trolley  "harp"  held 
the  wheel  and  provided  a  positive 
means  of  electrical  contact.  In  later 
years  sliding  shoes  were  developed 
which  seemed  to  work  better,  and 
they  were  eventually  substituted  for 
wheels  on  most  lines.  In  case  of  de- 
wirement  the  flailing  trolley  pole 
often  caused  damage  to  the  overhead 
construction,  and  some  lines  used 
various  types  of  retrievers,  which 
automatically  pulled  the  pole  down 
when  the  shoe  or  wheel  became  dis- 
engaged from  the  wire. 


PANTOGRAPH 

The  amount  of  current  that  could 
be  successfully  drawn  by  a  single  trol- 
ley wheel  or  shoe  was  limited,  and 
for  heavy-duty  lines  on  which  large 
currents    were    required    the    panto- 


graph system  was  preferred.  The  pan- 
tograph, employing  one  or  two  flat 
collectors  which  slid  along  the  wire, 
was  raised  and  held  against  the  wire 
by  springs  and  was  lowered  by  air 
pressure. 

The  use  of  "pole  bow"  trolleys, 
which  combined  some  of  the  features 
of  an  ordinary  pole  trolley  and  a  pan- 
tograph, although  common  in  Europe, 
was  rare  in  North  America.  Either  a 
flat  collector  or  a  roller  was  held 
against  the  wire  by  spring  tension. 
Only  one  line,  the  Indianapolis  & 
Cincinnati  Traction  Company,  used 
this  system  for  an  extended  period. 

Third-Rail  Systems:  Current 
collection  from  third-rail  systems  was 
usually  by  means  of  a  truck-mounted 
iron  collection  shoe,  which  was  held 
against  the  top  of  the  power  rail  by 
its  own  weight.  In  protected  third- 
rail  installations,  where  the  power 
rail  was  usually  inverted,  an  "under- 
running"  shoe,  held  in  place  by 
spring  tension,  was  used. 

Underground  Conduit  Systems: 
Sliding  shoes  on  a  truck-mounted 
"plow,"  which  projected  through  the 
slot  between  the  rails,  collected  cur- 
rent from  the  underground  power 
rail.  Two  shoes  were  usually  neces- 
sary, since  most  conduit  systems  had 
a  separate  return  rail. 

TRUCKS  AND  MOTORS 

The  double-truck  car  was  virtually 
universal  in  interurban  operation, 
and  truck  design  largely  followed  the 
pattern  of  steam  railroad  passenger 
car  practice.  The  typical  interurban 
truck  was  a  four-wheel  design  of  the 
M.C.B.  (Master  Car  Builders)  type, 
with  the  car  weight  carried  to  the 
truck  frame  by  a  transverse  bolster 
beam  supported  by  leaf  springs,  and 
the  load  in  turn  carried  to  the  axles 
through  coil  springs  and  equalizer 
bars.  Trucks  were  usually  built  up 
from  steel  shapes  and  forged  sections, 
although  some  builders  used  pressed 
steel  assemblies,  and  in  later  years 
a  few  cars  were  built  with  cast  steel 
trucks.  Several  of  the  major  car- 
builders,  such  as  St.  Louis  and  Brill. 


BOW  TROLLEY 


OVERRUNNING  SHOE 


UNDERRUNNING  SHOE 

built  trucks  of  their  own  design, 
which  were  often  applied  under  the 
cars  of  other  builders  as  well  as  their 
own;  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works 
and  the  American  Locomotive  Com- 
pany both  built  widely  used  motor 
trucks;  and  a  number  of  independent 
truck  builders,  prominent  among 
them  Peckham,  Standard,  McGuire, 
and  Taylor,  also  built  extensively 
used  designs. 

The  wheelbase  of  interurban  trucks 
usually  varied  between  6  and  7  feet. 
A  longer  \vheelbase  provided  a 
smoother  ride  in  high-speed  opera- 
tion, but  the  necessity  for  operation 
around  sharp  curves  set  a  limit  on  the 
practical  maximum  wheelbase.  Iron 
wheels  and  axles  were  often  used  on 
the  earlier  cars  but  steel  soon  became 
standard  for  this  purpose.  A  wheel 
around  36  inches  in  diameter  was 
ordinarily  employed,  although  some 
roads  used  wheels  as  large  as  39 
inches  for  high-speed  operation. 
Wheel  flanges  were  usually  smaller 
than  M.C.B.  standards  because  of  the 
restricted  flanges  and  specialwork 
prevalent  on  the  street  railways  used 
for  city  entrances.  The  smaller  flanges 
were  more  prone  to  chipping  or 
breaking,  and  provided  a  smaller 
margin  of  safety  against  derailment 
at  high  speed.   Because  of  the  limita- 


OPEN 


422 


tions  of  trolley  curvature,  the  six- 
wheel  "Pullman"  type  of  passenger 
car  truck  was  impractical  for  inter- 
urban  service,  and  only  a  few  cars 
were  ever  attempted  with  this  tvpe. 

One  of  the  most  radical  departures 
in  interurban  truck  design  was  the 
modified  arch  bar  cantilever  (A.B.C.) 
truck  developed  in  1923  by  the  Cin- 
cinnati Car  Company  for  use  on  its 
lightweight  interurbans  and  street- 
cars. The  equalizer  bar  of  conven- 
tional practice  was  eliminated  and 
the  load  was  carried  directly  from  the 
truck  frame  to  the  axles  through  coil 
springs.  Various  types  of  "snubbers" 
were  used  which  counteracted  the 
tendency  of  coil  spring  suspension  to 
set  up  a  dangerous  rhythmic  undu- 
lation (in  some  Cincinnati  experi- 
ments test  cars  actually  left  the  rails 
from  this  cause).  Further  refined  in 
subsequent  years,  the  Cincinnati 
A.B.C.  truck  was  extremely  success- 
ful in  providing  a  smooth  ride  at 
high  speeds.  Much  smaller  and  light- 
er than  the  usual  M.C.B.  trucks,  the 
A.B.C.  used  wheels  only  28  inches  in 
diameter,  and  required  the  develop- 
ment of  very  compact  motors. 

Many  early  interurban  cars  em- 
ployed only  two  motors,  placing 
one  on  each  truck  or  both  on  a 
single  truck,  but  the  requirement  for 


LIGHTWEIGHT  TRUCK 


HEAVYWEIGHT  TRUCK 

ample  power  to  drive  heavy  cars  at 
high  speed  soon  made  the  four-motor 
car  the  most  common  type.  Motors 
were  either  "inside"  or  "outside" 
hung,  depending  upon  whether  they 
were  placed  between  or  outside  the 
axles,  and  were  connected  to  the  axles 
by  gear  drives.  The  inside-hung  ar- 
rangement, which  was  almost  univer- 
sal on  trucks  designed  for  interurban 
service,  required  a  longer  wheelbase, 
which  was  needed  for  smooth  opera- 
tion at  speed  anyway.  Motors  nor- 
mally varied  from  about  75  to  100 
horsepower  in  large  interurban  car 
applications,  but  on  occasion  motors 
developing  as  much  as  200  horse- 
power each  were  used  for  exception- 
ally large  and  fast  cars. 

BRAKES   AND   CONTROLLERS 

Conventional     air     brake     systems 
were    almost    always    used    by    inter- 


urban roads.  At  first,  when  single 
car  operation  was  common,  "straight 
air"  systems,  in  which  air  was  admit- 
ted to  or  exhausted  from  the  brake 
cylinder  directly  by  the  motorman's 
valve,  were  used.  Train  operation  re- 
quired the  use  of  "automatic"  brake 
systems,  with  the  brake  cylinders 
directly  controlled  by  a  "triple  valve" 
in  each  car,  which  in  turn  was  con- 
trolled by  varying  the  pressure  in  the 
brake  pipe  with  the  motorman's 
valve.  An  electric  motor-driven  com- 
pressor under  each  car  provided  the 
necessary  air  supply. 

At  least  one  interurban  system,  the 
West  Penn  Railways,  made  wide  use 
of  cars  which  had  no  air  brakes  at  all, 
but  used  instead  a  magnetic  track 
brake.  This  consisted  of  an  electro- 
magnetic brake  shoe  suspended  be- 
tween the  wheels  from  springs 
mounted  on  the  truck  frame.  To 
apply  brakes  the  electromagnet  was 
energized,  which  drew  the  brake  shoe 
down  against  the  rail.  When  air 
braking  systems  alone  were  found  in- 
adequate for  the  extremely  high- 
speed cars  developed  by  several  lines 
in  1929-1930,  they  were  supple- 
mented by  magnetic  track  brakes. 

To  control  the  flow  of  current  to 
the  traction  motors  on  the  earliest 
interurban  cars,  a  "direct  controller" 
was  used,  which  passed  the  entire  cur- 
rent through  the  motorman's  control- 
ler. This  type  had  several  disadvan- 
tages. The  electrical  equipment  re- 
quired to  control  the  heavy  currents 
drawn    by    the    powerful    motors    of 


CAB  INTERIOR 

large  interurban  cars  made  the  con- 
troller extremely  bulky,  and  the 
presence  of  high-voltage,  high-amper- 
age currents  on  the  platform  pre- 
sented a  potential  hazard  to  crew  and 
passengers.  Also,  the  direct  controller 
was  adaptable  to  single  car  operation 
only. 

The  invention  of  multiple-unit  con- 
trol —  which  was  essentially  a  re- 
mote-control system  —  by  Frank  J. 
Sprague  in  1898  eliminated  the  short- 
comings of  the  direct-control  system. 
The  remote-control  system  employed 
only  a  small  master  controller  at  the 
motorman's  position  and  a  .low-volt- 
age, low-amperage  control  circuit 
that   actuated,   by    means   of   magnet- 


SEMI-CONVERTIBLE 


423 


ic  or  pneumatic  switches,  the  main 
controller  which  was  located  under 
the  car.  When  operation  of  more 
than  one  car  in  a  train  was  desired, 
the  control  circuits  of  the  separate 
cars  were  simply  connected  by  jump- 
ers and  the  main  controller  of  each 
car  was  then  operated  simultaneously 
with  others  in  the  train  by  the  master 
controller  in  the  lead  car. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CAR  EQUIPMENT 

Pilots  and  Fenders:  Huge  pro- 
jecting timber  pilots  were  often  em- 
ployed on  the  early  cars,  but  when 
operation  in  trains  was  contemplated, 
pilots  of  more  restrained  size,  re- 
cessed under  the  front  of  the  car  to 
permit  coupling,  became  necessary. 
After  the  earliest  years,  steel  and  iron 
were  almost  always  used  for  pilots. 
For  winter  operations  in  areas  of 
heavy  snows,  pilots  were  sometimes 
covered  with  sheet  metal  to  act  as 
plows,  or  were  sometimes  replaced 
entirely  by  snowplows. 

City  ordinances  in  many  areas,  par- 
ticularly in  California,  required  elec- 
tric lines  to  provide  their  cars  with 
special  fenders,  which  looked  not  un- 
like a  large  bed  spring,  designed  to 
scoop  up  wayward  pedestrians  before 
they  were  run  over  by  the  cars. 

Anti-Climbers:  The  projecting 
steel  corrugations  of  this  device, 
which  was  installed  at  each  end  of 
interurban  cars,  were  supposed  to  in- 
terlock in  the  unfortunate  event  of  a 
collision  with  another  car,  and  pre- 
vent the  floor  of  one  car  from  riding 
over  that  of  the  other  with  a  devastat- 
ing telescoping  effect. 

Couplers:  Interurban  lines  most 
often  employed  automatic  couplings 
similar  to  those  which  were  by  then 
in  general  use  on  steam  railroads. 
However,  the  short  shank  and  limited 
swing  of  the  standard  steam  road 
coupler  made  it  impossible  to  use  on 
the  sharp  curves  of  interurban  lines, 
and  special  long-radius  couplings 
were  developed.  Some  lines  devel- 
oped special  fully  automatic  cou- 
plings which  made  all  of  the  neces- 
sary air,  electrical,  and  control  con- 
nections automatically. 

Headlights:  Oil  lamps  were  used 
on  the  earliest  interurbans,  but  were 


ARTICULATED 


FRONT  EQUIPMENT 


soon  replaced  by  massive  electric  arc 
headlights.  One  problem  encoun- 
tered with  electric  headlights  was 
their  failure  whenever  the  power  sup- 
ply was  interrupted,  often  at  a  critical 
moment.  Some  roads  solved  this  prob- 
lem by  the  use  of  a  storage  battery  on 
the  car.  Another  difficulty  was  the 
insistence  by  cities  and  towns  that  the 
bright  arc  headlights  be  dimmed. 
This  was  sometimes  accomplished  by 
means  of  a  curtain  device,  which  the 
motorman  could  pull  over  the  head- 
light with  a  string,  but  most  lines 
adopted  combination  arc  and  incan- 
descent headlights  and  turned  off  the 
arc  light  when  passing  through  cities 
or  towns.  Later,  incandescent  head- 
lights were  used  almost  exclusively. 
The  "Golden  Glow"  headlight,  which 
employed  a  special  colored  reflec- 
tor that  extracted  from  the  head- 
light beam  blue  and  violet  rays, 
thought  to  have  a  blinding  effect,  was 
a  patented  type  that  was  widely  used. 

Whistles,  Horns,  and  Bells: 
Interurbans  usually  had  an  air-oper- 
ated horn  or  whistle  which  acted  as 
a  warning  device.  For  operation 
through  city  streets  some  sort  of  air- 
or  foot-operated  bell  or  gong  was 
provided  for  the  same  purpose. 

Destination  Signs:  Interurban 
cars  operating  over  fixed  routes  some- 
times had  the  names  of  their  destina- 
tion cities  painted  directly  on  the  ves- 
tibule dash,  but  more  often  destina- 
tions were  shown  by  metal  or  wooden 
signs  hung  on  the  front  or  sides  of 
the  cars,  and  sometimes  illuminated 
at  night  by  lights.  Later  on,  an  illum- 
inated roller  destination  sign  became 
the  most  common  practice. 


B-B  STEEPLE-CAB 


EXPRESS  MOTOR 


424 


SANDERS:  To  prevent  slipping  on 
wet  rail,  most  interurbans  were 
equipped  with  some  sort  of  sanders. 
A  supply  of  sand,  stored  in  a  dry, 
well-protected  box  or  container,  was 
fed  onto  the  rail  by  gravity  or  air 
pressure  and  was  directed  under  the 
wheels  by  pipes. 

Heating  Systems:  Interurban  cars 
were  heated  with  either  electrical  re- 
sistance heaters  or  coal-fired  hot 
water  heaters,  and  a  few  cars  had 
both  types.  The  hot  water  heaters 
were  more  economical  to  operate, 
but  took  up  more  space  and  were  not 
as  clean  as  electric  heat.  An  impor- 
tant advantage  of  a  hot  water  system 
was  the  fact  that  a  car  could  still  be 
heated  without  a  power  supply. 

FARE  REGISTERS:  Some  interurbans 
employed  a  fare  register,  which  the 
conductor  could  operate  from  any 
point  in  the  car,  to  ring  up  fares  as 
they  were  collected,  but  most  relied 
on  the  same  type  of  cash  fare  receipt 
used  by  steam  railroads  to  account 
for  fares  received.  When  one-man 
car  operation  became  common  dur- 
ing the  '20's  the  time-consuming 
handling  of  fare  collections  by  the 
motorman  often  slowed  up  opera- 
tion, and  elaborate  registers  were  de- 
veloped that  automatically  computed 
the  fare  and  printed  a  receipt.    1 


B-B  BOX-CAB 


"^L-^^^gSjA^,  ,^3ag& 


B-B  +  B-B  ARTICULATED 


Electrification  and  Current  Collection 


CURRENT  AND  VOITAGE 

Direct  Current:  Low-voltage, 
direct-current  motors,  which  were 
simple  and  rugged  in  construction, 
and  possessed  superior  control  and 
performance  characteristics  under  the 
varying  demands  of  electric  railway 
service,  were  by  far  the  most  widely 
used  type  on  both  street  and  inter- 
urban railways.  Because  higher  volt- 
ages presented  greater  hazards  to  the 
public  and  were  generally  frowned 
upon  for  street  railway  service,  direct 
current  systems  of  550  to  600  volts 
became  virtually  universal  for  urban 
electric  railways,  and  since  interur- 
bans frequently  used  the  streetcar 
tracks  to  enter  cities  and  were  often 
operated  by  the  same  companies, 
600-volt  electrification  became  the 
most  common  type  for  interurban 
railways  as  well. 

Low-voltage  direct  current  did 
have  some  disadvantages  in  interur- 
ban operation,  however.  Since  a  larg- 
er current  is  required  to  transmit  a 
given  amount  of  energy  at  a  lower 
voltage,  transmission  of  600-volt  cur- 
rent over  any  distance  resulted  in 
either  excessive  voltage  drop  and 
power  loss,  or  extremely  heavy  trans- 


mission line  requirements.  Conse- 
quently, the  spacing  of  substations, 
which  converted  the  high-voltage 
alternating  currents  used  for  efficient 
long  distance  transmission  to  the  low- 
voltage  direct  current  fed  to  the  trol- 
ley wire,  could  rarely  exceed  10  to  12 
miles.  Even  then,  under  severe  oper- 
ating conditions  the  actual  voltage 
available  to  an  interurban  car  some- 
times dropped  to  as  little  as  250  volts, 
and  often  less  than  50  per  cent  of  the 
power  generated  was  actually  deliv- 
ered to  the  car. 

Higher  voltage  direct  current  sys- 
tems of  1200  to  1500  volts  were  also 
common,  and  since  the  current  re- 
quired for  a  given  amount  of  power 
decreased  in  inverse  ratio  to  the  volt- 
age, transmission  losses  were  reduced 
and  substation  spacing  could  be  sub- 
stantially increased.  When  operation 
over  600-volt  streetcar  lines  was 
necessary,  the  high-voltage  cars  either 
were  operated  at  half  speed  or  used 
relatively  simple  changeover  devices. 
Occasionally  even  higher  voltages  of 
2400  to  3000  were  used  on  interurban 
systems,  and  on  at  least  one  occasion 
an  experimental  direct  current  elec- 
trification at  5000  volts  was  made. 


Basic  substation  equipment  con- 
sisted of  transformers  to  reduce  the 
voltage  of  the  alternating  current 
from  the  transmission  lines,  and 
either  motor-generator  sets  or  syn- 
chronous or  "rotary"  converters  to 
convert  alternating  to  direct  current. 
A  motor-generator  was  nothing  more 
than  an  alternating  current  motor 
driving  a  direct  current  generator, 
while  the  rotary  converter  performed 
an  identical  function  but  incorpo- 
rated both  motor  and  generator  into 
a  single  unit.  In  later  years  mercury 
arc  rectifiers  were  developed  which 
did  the  same  job  more  efficiently. 
Occasionally  banks  of  storage  bat- 
teries were  included  in  substations  to 
provide  for  peak  loads  which  ex- 
ceeded the  capacity  of  the  conversion 
equipment,  or  to  act  as  an  emergency 
power  source  in  case  of  power  failure. 
Many  interurban  systems  also  em- 
ployed portable  substations,  which 
incorporated  all  of  the  necessary 
equipment  into  a  box  car  that  could 
be  moved  about  the  system  to  lake 
care  of  seasonal  or  other  peak  load 
requirements. 

In  earlier  years  of  the  interurban 
era,  substation  equipment  was  such 
that  it  required  an  operator  in 
continuous  attendance,  but  later 
reliable  controls  were  developed 
which  permitted  automatic  operation. 


425 


Alternating  Current:  The  use 
of  high-voltage,  single-phase  alter- 
nating currents  for  electric  railways, 
which  largely  eliminated  the  need  for 
frequent  substation  installations  and 
the  problems  of  voltage  drop  and 
power  loss  inherent  in  low-voltage 
direct-current  systems,  presented,  in 
theory  at  least,  a  much  more  satis- 
factory system  of  electrification,  and 
enjoyed  a  brief  period  of  popularity 
shortly  after  the  turn  of  the  century 
when  a  number  of  interurbans  were 
thus  electrified,  usually  with  either 
6600-  or  1 3,000-volt  systems.  Alter- 
nating current  motors  were  less  sat- 
isfactory in  performance  or  efficiency, 
and  the  necessary  heavy  transformers 
and  complicated  control  systems 
added  greatly  to  the  weight  of  rolling 
stock.  Many  lines  found  the  equip- 
ment more  difficult  and  costly  to 
maintain  as  well.  The  complexity  of 
A.  C.  equipment  was  further  increased 
when  operation  into  cities  over  600- 
volt  D.  C.  systems  was  necessary.  The 
single  phase  A.  C.  motors  normally 
used  could  also  be  operated  on  direct 
current,  but  separate  control  and  cur- 
rent collection  systems  were  required. 
Such  were  the  practical  disadvantages 
that  in  later  years  many  of  the  A.  C. 
interurbans  were  converted  to  D.  C. 
operation,  usually  at  great  expense 
and  necessitating  extremely  intricate 
construction  schedules  to  avoid  in- 
terruptions to  service.  When  the 
Pittsburgh  &  Butler  Street  Railway, 
for  example,  converted  from  alter- 
nating current  to  1 200-volt  D.  C.  op- 
eration in  1914  it  was  able  to  realize 
a  15  per  cent  saving  in  power  costs, 
and  reduce  the  weight  of  each  of  its 
motor  cars  by  6  tons  through  elimina- 
tion of  the  bulky  A.  C.  equipment. 


DISTRIBUTION  AND 
CURRENT  COLLECTION 

Direct  Suspension:  Overhead 
wire  distribution  systems  were 
used  by  the  majority  of  interur- 
ban  systems.  The  most  common  type 
was  the  "direct  suspension"  system 
consisting  of  a  single  hard  drawn 
copper  wire  supported  at  intervals 
of  80  to  125  feet  from  either  metal 
brackets  or  insulated  span  wires  sus- 
pended between  poles  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  track.  Originally  soldered 
"ears"  were  used  to  attach  the  wire 
to  its  supports  but  later  a  grooved 
wire  was  developed  to  which  a 
mechanical  clamping  ear  could  be 
attached.  Parallel  feeder  wires  were 
used  to  feed  current  to  the  trolley 
wire.  On  single  track  lines,  double 
overhead  wires,  spaced  about  6  inches 
apart,  were  occasionally  employed, 
one  for  traffic  in  each  direction,  which 
eliminated  the  need  for  overhead 
switches  or  frogs  at  turnouts  and  re- 
placed some  of  the  feeder  copper 
requirement. 


Catenary:  The  sag  between  sup- 
ports and  the  varying  flexibility  of 
direct  suspension  sometimes  caused 
dewirement  of  the  trolley  wheel  or 
shoe,  and  for  high-speed  operation 
catenary  systems  were  often  used,  in 
which  the  trolley  wire  was  hung  from 
a  "messenger"  wire  by  hangers  of 
varying  length.  The  spacing  of  sup- 
ports was  usually  increased  to  inter- 
vals of  about  1 50  feet  with  catenary 
systems.  A  few  lines  used  catenary 
spans  of  as  much  as  300  feet.  The 
more  uniformly  level  catenary  system 
was  especially  desirable  when  panto- 
graph collection  was  employed. 

Overhead  Supports:  Wood  poles 
were  usually  used  to  support  over- 
head construction,  but  some  of  the 
more  elaborate  installations  employed 
substantial  steel  structures.  When  the 
supporting  structure  was  also  used 
to  carry  high  tension  transmission 
lines  for  a  parent  power  company,  as 
was  sometimes  the  case,  the  resulting 
installation  was  impressive  indeed. 
Within  cities  more  ornamental  metal 
poles  were  often  used. 

Third  Rail:  For  heavy-duty,  high- 
speed interurbans  third-rail  systems 
were  often  used.  A  steel  power  rail 
was  used,  usually  mounted  about  6 
inches  above  and  20  inches  out  from 
the  running  rail  and  supported  on  in- 
sulators placed  on  the  ends  of  extra 
long  ties  spaced  every  6th  to  10th  tie. 

Third-rail  systems  had  the  advan- 
tage of  a  greater  conductivity  than 
was  possible  with  a  trolley  wire,  and 
could  be  more  easily  made  level  and 
true.  However,  because  of  the  danger 
to  human  life,  they  could  be  used 
only  on  private  right  of  way  and  most 
third-rail  interurbans  had  to  install 
alternate  overhead  wires  where  opera- 
tion in  city  streets  or  in  populated 
areas  was  involved.  Still  other  dis- 
advantages were  the  necessity  for  gaps 
in  the  third  rail  at  road  crossings  and 
switches  and  the  extreme  vulnerabil- 
ity of  the  bare  rail  to  sleet,  which 
stuck  to  the  rail  like  varnish  and  had 
to  be  removed  with  special  scrapers 
or  brine.  The  use  of  a  protected 
third  rail,  which  employed  a  metal  or 
wood  cover,  helped  eliminate  the 
sleeting  problem  and  reduced  the 
potential  hazard  to  life.  Third-rail 
lines  still  required  a  pole  line  to  sup- 
port feeders,  and  were  usually  more 
costly  to  install  than  an  overhead 
system. 

Third  rails  were  normally  used 
only  for  low-voltage  D.  C.  systems, 
but  at  least  one  line,  the  Michigan 
Railway,  had  a  2400-volt  third-rail 
system,  later  cut  to  1200  volts,  on  its 
high-speed  Kalamazoo-Grand  Rapids 
and  Battle  Creek-Allegan  lines.  Ex- 
tremely elaborate  protective  measures 
were  required,  however,  to  insure  the 
safety   of  the   public. 


Underground  Conduit:  A  varia- 
tion of  third-rail  current  collection 
was  the  underground  system,  consist- 
ing of  power  rails  mounted  in  a  con- 
duit beneath  the  track,  which  elimi- 
nated the  unsightly  overhead  con- 
struction. The  system  was  extremely 
costly  and  resulted  in  intricate  spe- 
cialwork  at  switches  and  crossings. 
It  was  used  in  the  U.  S.  only  by  street 
railways  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
New  York  City,  and  the  several  in- 
terurban  lines  that  entered  Washing- 
ton were  the  only  ones  that  ever 
used  it. 

Current  Return:  Except  on  a 
few  street  railways,  which  employed 
a  second  overhead  wire,  and  the 
underground  conduit  systems,  which 
had  a  separate  return  rail,  the  running 
rails  were  universally  used  to  com- 
plete the  return  circuit  to  the 
powerhouse.  This  required  careful 
bonding  between  each  length  of  rail, 
usually  by  means  of  copper  wire. 
When  bonding  systems  were  not  care- 
fully maintained  the  current  had  a 
habit  of  wandering  off  and  following 
other  conductors,  such  as  water  pipes, 
gas  mains,  and  telephone  cables,  creat- 
ing electrolytic  corrosion  and  other 
complicated  problems.  In  one  in- 
stance, in  1930,  on  the  Milwaukee 
Electric's  interurban  line  between  Ra- 
cine and  Kenosha,  where  many  rail 
bonds  were  missing,  it  was  found 
that  the  return  current  was  striking 
off  across  a  celery  marsh  for  half  a 
mile  to  the  North  Shore  Line's  rails, 
which  it  followed  to  Racine,  then 
jumped  to  the  city  car  rails  and  fol- 
lowed these  to  the  Milwaukee  Elec- 
tric powerhouse. 


POWER    SUPPLY 

In  the  early  years  of  interurban 
construction,  the  provision  of  a  com- 
pany-owned power  generating  plant 
was  the  usual  practice.  In  many  cases 
the  interurban  companies  also  sold 
power  to  communities  or  individual 
users,  and  the  sale  of  power  by  inter- 
urban companies  was  occasionally  the 
first  form  of  rural  electrification.  The 
first  electric  range  installed  in  an 
Ohio  farm  home,  for  example,  was 
powered  by  current  purchased  from 
the  Scioto  Valley  Traction  Company. 
Indeed,  many  interurbans  were  no 
more  than  subsidiaries  of  large  pow- 
er companies,  although  Government 
trustbusters  were  to  frown  upon  this 
practice  in  later  years. 

Because  of  the  varying  power  de- 
mands at  different  times  of  the  day, 
most  interurbans  found  that  genera- 
tion of  their  own  electricity  was  less 
economical  than  purchase  from  pub- 
lic utility  companies,  and  most  later 
discontinued  the  operation  of  their 
own  plants  in  favor  of  purchased 
power,    i 


426 


Electric  Railway  Museums 

in  the  United  States  and  Canada 


NEW  ENGLAND 

MAINE 

Seashore  Electric  Railway, 
Kennebunkport,  operated  by  the 
New  England  Electric  Railway  His- 
torical Society,  was  founded  in  1939 
and  is  the  original,  as  well  as  the 
largest,  electric  railway  museum.  The 
museum  collection  includes  43  city 
cars,  1 1  interurbans,  and  26  freight  or 
work  cars,  and  represents  a  nearly 
complete  selection  of  important  car 
types  and  builders  throughout  the 
history  of  North  American  electric 
traction.  Among  the  outstanding  in- 
terurban  cars  preserved  are  light- 
weight, high-speed  cars  from  both 
the  Indiana  Railroad  and  the  Cincin- 
nati &  Lake  Erie.  Over  a  mile  of  track 
is  presently  operated  and  construc- 
tion of  3  additional  miles  is  under 
way. 

The  museum  is  open  daily  from  late 
June  through  Labor  Day,  and  on 
week  ends  during  the  remainder  of 
the  year.  Cars  are  operated  daily  dur- 
ing the  summer. 

CONNECTICUT 

Branford  Electric  Railway 
Association  Inc.,  Short  Beach, 
founded  in  1945,  operates  one  of  the 
most  successful  of  all  trolley  museum 
projects.  The  museum  collection  in- 
cludes 28  city  and  suburban  cars,  4 
interurbans,  and  15  freight  or  work 
units,  representing  almost  all  impor- 
tant car  types  and  periods.  Outstand- 
ing among  the  interurban  cars  are  a 
former  Connecticut  Company  parlor 
car,  still  completely  furnished,  and  a 
Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie  high-speed 
car. 

A  mile  of  track,  part  of  the  aban- 
doned Connecticut  Company  Short 
Beach  line,  is  presently  operated. 
Service  over  another  half  mile  of 
track  is  suspended  until  reconstruc- 
tion  of   a   hurricane-damaged   trestle. 

The  museum  is  open  daily,  and 
cars  are  operated  from  1  p.m.  to  6 
p.m.  on  Sundays  from  April  through 
November,  and  during  the  same 
hours  on  Saturdays  and  holidays  from 
May  30  through  Labor  Day.  Cars 
may  also  be  chartered  by  advance  ar- 
rangement. 

Connecticut  Electric  Railway 
Association  Inc.,  Warehouse  Point, 
founded  in  1941,  or  its  individual 
members  own  16  city  cars,  1  interur- 
ban, and    10   work   or   freight   units. 


Equipment  is  operated  over  a 
mile  of  track  laid  on  the  roadbed  of 
the  abandoned  Rockville  branch  of 
the  Hartford  &  Springfield  Street 
Railway.  In  the  future  track  will  be 
laid  over  3  miles  of  right  of  way 
owned  by  the  group,  and  picnic  fa- 
cilities are  planned  at  the  site  of 
Piney  Ridge  Park,  once  operated  by 
the  Hartford  &  Springfield. 

Cars  are  operated  Sunday  and  holi- 
day afternoons  from  July  through 
October,  with  private  charter  opera- 
tion  by  advance  arrangement. 

MIDDLE  ATLANTIC  STATES 

NEW  YORK 

Rail  City  Museum  Inc.,  Sandy 
Creek,  opened  in  1955,  is  principally 
a  steam  railroad  museum,  which  also 
owns  2  streetcars  and  2  electric 
work  cars.  In  addition,  2  wood 
interurban  cars  from  Ontario  lines, 
owned  by  the  Syracuse  Chapter, 
NRHS,  are  located  at  the  museum. 

Steam  equipment  only  is  operated. 

The  museum  is  open  daily  during 
July  and  August,  and  on  week  ends 
during  June,  September,  and  October. 

PENNSYLVANIA 

Arden  Short  Line  Electric 
Railway,  Washington,  operated  by 
the  Pittsburgh  Electric  Railway 
Club,  was  founded  in  1954.  Car  own- 
ership includes  5  city  cars,  3  interur- 
bans, and  a  freight  locomotive.  Of 
particular  interest  is  former  West 
Penn  Railways  car  No.  832,  the  only 
intact  surviving  example  of  the  fa- 
mous Cincinnati  Car  Company 
curved-side   lightweight   car. 

The  museum  has  completed  3700 
feet  of  track,  most  of  it  on  the  right 
of  way  of  the  abandoned  Pittsburgh 
Railways  Washington  interurban 
line.  Construction  of  an  additional 
600  feet  is  planned  for  1961,  and 
operation  of  cars  may  begin  late  in 
1961.  Track  is  laid  to  the  5'-2>/2" 
Pennsylvania  broad  gauge,  with  500 
feet  of  dual  broad-  and  standard- 
gauge  track. 

The  museum  is  open  to  the  public 
on  Saturdays  from  10  a.m.  to  4  p.m. 

SOUTH  ATLANTIC  STATES 


Maryland    Historical    Society, 
Baltimore,    owns    a    collection    of    8 


historical  Baltimore  streetcars,  do- 
nated by  the  Baltimore  Transit  Co.  At 
present  the  cars  are  in  storage  but 
attempts  are  being  made  to  locate 
a  suitable  site  for  permanent  exhibi- 
tion and,  perhaps,  operation  of  the 
cars.  An  additional  car  is  on  display 
at  a  city  playground. 

NORTH  CENTRAL  STATES 
OHIO 

Ohio  Railway  Museum,  Wor- 
thington,  founded  in  1948  by  the 
Central  Ohio  Railfans  Association, 
has  been  operating  electric  cars  since 
1952.  Equipment  includes  3  city  cars, 
3  interurbans,  and  a  wide  variety  of 
miscellaneous  electric  and  steam  rail- 
road rolling  stock.  Interurban  equip- 
ment includes  a  1905  Niles  combine- 
typical  of  the  graceful  wooden  cars 
of  the  early  interurban  years,  and 
one  of  the  Cincinnati  &  Lake  Erie 
Railroad's  famed  lightweight,  high- 
speed cars  of  1930. 

One  mile  of  track,  laid  on  the  road- 
bed of  the  abandoned  Columbus, 
Delaware  &  Marion  Electric  Co.,  is 
operated,  and  another  mile  will  be 
constructed  in  the  future.  A  steam 
locomotive   is   also   operated. 

The  museum  is  open  Saturday 
afternoons  and  Sundays,  and  cars  are 
operated  on  Sundays  from  2  p.m.  to 
5  p.m.  from  May   1   to  November  1. 

MICHIGAN 

Ford  Museum,  Dearborn,  has 
3  streetcars,  including  a  former 
Fort  Collins  (Colo.)  Birney  car  and 
a  Peter  Witt  car. 

ILLINOIS 

Illinois  Electric  Railway  Mu- 
seum Inc.,  North  Chicago,  was 
founded  in  1953-  Six  city  cars,  5  in- 
terurbans, and  a  variety  of  elevated 
and  work  equipment  are  owned  by 
the  museum.  Notable  among  them 
are  a  former  Indiana  Railroad  light- 
weight, high-speed  car;  a  coach  and 
parlor  car  from  the  Milwaukee  Elec- 
tric; and  several  Illinois  Terminal 
cars.  Equipment  is  temporarily  stored 
until  a  suitable  site  for  an  operating 
museum  is  located. 

The  present  storage  site  at  the 
Chicago  Hardware  Foundry,  North 
Chicago,  is  normally  open  on  Satur- 
days, and  the  cars  may  be  seen  Sun- 
days  by  appointment. 

Electric  Railway  Historical 
Society,  Chicago,  founded  in  1952, 
owns  8  street  railway  cars  from  Chi- 
cago which  are  temporarily  stored 
near  Downers  Grove,  111.  Future 
plans  call  for  operating  trackage,  pos- 
sibly in  conjunction  with  the  Illinois 
Electric  Railway  Museum. 


427 


The  cars  may  be  seen  Sunday  after- 
noons, and  usually  on  Saturdays. 

Illini  Railroad  Club,  Cham- 
paign, owns  2  former  Illinois  Trac- 
tion System  business  cars  built  in 
1910  for  the  use  of  Congressman  Wil- 
liam B.  McKinley,  founder  and  presi- 
dent of  the  system.  Not  equipped 
with  motors,  the  cars  are  used  for  an- 
nual club  excursions  behind  diesel 
power. 

Stored  at  Champaign,  they  may  be 
inspected  on  appointment  with  club 
members. 

IOWA 

Iowa  Railway  Historical  Mu- 
seum Inc.,  Centerville,  was  founded 
in  1958  by  the  Iowa  Chapter,  NRHS. 
The  museum  owns  former  Waterloo, 
Cedar  Falls  &  Northern  parlor-buf- 
fet-observation car  No.  100,  which  is 
stored  at  the  carbarn  of  the  Southern 
Iowa  Railway.  Two  annual  trips,  in 
June  and  October,  plus  charter  trips 
during  the  summer,  are  operated  by 
the  museum  over  approximately  16 
miles  of  electrified  SIRy  track.  In 
addition,  SIRy  equipment,  which  in- 
cludes a  streetcar  as  well  as  electric 
freight  equipment,  is  operated  on  ex- 
cursions. 

Waterloo,  Ia.,  has  a  former 
Waterloo,  Cedar  Falls  &  Northern 
streetcar  on  display  in  Cedar  River 
Park.  The  car  originally  operated  in 
Knoxville,  Tenn. 

MISSOURI 

National  Museum  of  Trans- 
port, Barretts  Station,  St.  Louis, 
founded  in  1945,  owns  an  extensive 
collection  of  steam  and  electric  rail- 
way equipment.  Electric  car  owner- 
ship includes  13  city  and  8  interur- 
ban  cars,  as  well  as  2  cable  cars,  a 
Brooklyn  rapid  transit  car,  and  an 
interurban  freight  locomotive.  Of 
unusual  historical  significance  among 
the  interurban  car  collection  is  the 
famous  test  car  Louisiana,  originally 
constructed  in  1904  for  high-speed 
tests  in  Indiana  and  later  operated  as 
a  Purdue  University  test  car.  Also 
noteworthy  are  2  streamlined  Il- 
linois Terminal  passenger  units,  and 
a  four-truck  Illinois  Terminal  freight 
locomotive. 

Equipment  is  stored  on  track  laid 
on  an  abandoned  Missouri  Pacific 
right  of  way  which  includes  two 
tunnels.  Operation  of  equipment  is 
not  contemplated,  but  the  museum 
will  have  displays  of  many  forms  of 
transportation  equipment  and  a  large 
transportation  library. 

The  museum  is  open  daily  from 
10  a.m.  to  8  p.m.,  May  15  to  Septem- 
ber 15,  and  from  10  a.m.  to  5  p.m., 
September  15  to  May  15. 


NEBRASKA 

Pioneer  Museum,  Minden,  owns 
a  former  Fort  Collins  (Colo.)  four- 
wheel  Birney  streetcar. 

SOUTH  CENTRAL  STATES 

KENTUCKY 

Cincinnati  Railway  Historical 
SOCIETY  owns  the  former  Cincinnati, 
Newport  &  Covington  single-truck 
parlor  car  Kentucky,  built  in  1892, 
which  is  on  display  at  the  William 
Behringer  Museum,  Devou  Park, 
Covington,  Ky. 

The  museum  is  open  between  1 
p.m.  and  8  p.m.  daily  except  Mon- 
day, from  Easter  to  October. 

Kentucky  Railway  Museum 
Inc.,  Louisville,  was  opened  in  Eva 
Bandman  Park  in  1958.  Devoted 
largely  to  steam  railroad  equipment, 
the  museum's  collection  also  includes 
a  Milwaukee  streetcar. 

The  museum  is  open  on  week  ends 
from  Memorial  Day  to  Labor  Day. 

TEXAS 

Witte   Memorial   Museum,   San 

Antonio,   has   a   former    San   Antonio 
streetcar  on  display. 

MOUNTAIN  STATES 

COLORADO 

Colorado  Railroad  Museum, 
Golden,  has  a  display  of  historical 
narrow-gauge  and  standard-gauge 
cars  and  locomotives  from  Colorado 
railroads.  Included  in  the  collection 
are  a  four-wheel  Birney  streetcar 
from  Fort  Collins  and  a  Denver  & 
Intermountain  interurban  car,  both 
preserved  by  the  Rocky  Mountain 
Railroad  Club.  Future  plans  con- 
template the  construction  of  operat- 
ing track  and  electrification. 

The  museum  is  open  daily. 

PACIFIC  STATES 

WASHINGTON 

Puget  Sound  Railway  Histori- 
cal Association,  Seattle,  owns  a 
streetcar,  a  British  Columbia  Electric 
interurban,  and  a  line  car,  in  addi- 
tion to  a  variety  of  steam  railroad 
equipment.  An  operating  museum  is 
under  construction  at  Snoqualmie, 
Wash. 

OREGON 

Glenwood  Electric  Railway, 
Glenwood,  operated  by  the  Oregon 
Electric    Railway    Historical    Society, 


was  founded  in  1957.  Car  owner- 
ship includes  two  former  Australian 
streetcars,  and  a  Key  System  articu- 
lated  Bay  Bridge  unit. 

Located  on  the  site  of  the  yards  of 
an  abandoned  logging  railroad,  the 
museum  has  an  old  depot,  water  tow- 
er, and  other  buildings,  among  them 
former  enginehouses  used  to  store 
equipment.  Cars  will  be  operated 
over  both  standard-gauge  and  3'6"- 
gauge  divisions,  to  be  constructed  on 
abandoned  roadbeds  of  the  logging 
line  and  an  SP&S  branch. 

The  museum  is  open  week  ends 
during  the  summer,  and  may  be 
viewed  by  appointment  at  other 
times. 

Willamette  Valley  Electric 
Railway  Association  Inc.,  Port- 
land, owns  2  streetcars  and  4  in- 
terurbans,  among  them  the  Oregon 
Electric  open-platform  observation 
car  Cbampoeg  and  the  British  Colum- 
bia Electric  Duke  of  Connaught. 
Equipment  is  stored  at  present  and 
may  be  seen  only  by  prior  arrange- 
ment.  Future  plans  call  for  operation. 

CALIFORNIA 

Orange  Empire  Trolley  Mu- 
seum, Perris,  was  founded  in  1956. 
Car  ownership  includes  43  streetcars, 
interurbans,  and  miscellaneous  pieces 
of  work,  freight,  and  steam  road 
equipment,  chiefly  from  the  Pacific 
Electric  Railway  and  the  Los  Angeles 
Railway.  Notable  among  them  are  a 
double-deck  Irish  tram,  one  of  Pa- 
cific Electric's  famous  1000-class 
wooden  interurbans,  an  aluminum 
car  originally  operated  by  the  North- 
western Pacific  Railroad,  and  a  Key 
System  articulated  Bay  Bridge  unit. 
The  first  1000  feet  of  the  museum's 
operating  track  and  overhead  were 
placed  in  operation  during  1960,  and 
ultimate  plans  call  for  construction  of 
about  5  miles  of  track.  All  mainline 
track  will  be  dual-gauge  to  permit  op- 
eration of  3'6"-gauge  Los  Angeles 
Railway  cars. 

The  museum  is  open  daily,  and  cars 
are  operated  for  the  public  on  Sunday 
afternoons. 

Travel  Town,  located  in  Griffith 
Park,  Los  Angeles,  and  owned  by  the 
City  of  Los  Angeles,  has  on  display  2 
city  cars,  a  San  Francisco  cable  car, 
a  Pacific  Electric  box  motor,  and  his- 
toric PE  locomotive  No.  1544,  the 
Electra,  which  was  originally  oper- 
ated by  the  North  Coast  Railroad  and 
was  employed  in  rubbish  removal 
service  following  the  San  Francisco 
earthquake  of   1906. 

The  exhibit  is  open  daily. 

Railway  Historical  Society  of 
San  Diego  owns  a  former  San  Diego 
Electric   Railway    PCC   car   which    is 


428 


located  on  the  grounds  of  the  South- 
ern California  Exposition  and  San 
Diego  County  Fair  at  Del  Mar.  A 
future  operating  museum  is  planned. 

Pacific  Railroad  Society  Inc., 
Los  Angeles,  owns  a  former  Los  An- 
geles Railway  funeral  car,  the  Des- 
canso,  which  is  located  at  Summit,  in 
Cajon  Pass  north  of  San  Bernardino. 

Los  Angeles  County  Fair 
GROUNDS,  Pomona,  has  on  display  the 
Pacific  Electric  Railway's  elegant 
business  car  No.  1299.  It  may  be 
seen  during  the  fair  the  last  two  weeks 
in  September. 

Pacific  Coast  Chapter,  Rail- 
way &  Locomotive  Historical  So- 
ciety, San  Francisco,  owns  a  collec- 
tion of  historical  railroad  equipment, 
including  several  San  Francisco  street- 
cars, a  two-car  train  of  former  New 
York  "El"  cars,  and  a  Key  System 
articulated  Bay  Bridge  unit,  which 
will  be  displayed  at  the  San  Francis- 
co Maritime  Museum. 


Bay  Area  Electric  Railroad  As- 
sociation, Berkeley,  or  its  members 
own  9  city  cars,  4  interurbans,  and 
5  pieces  of  work  or  freight  equip- 
ment. Among  the  interurban  car 
ownership  are  included  a  Salt  Lake  & 
Utah  observation  trailer  and  a  Sacra- 
mento Northern  combine.  Equipment 
is  presently  in  storage  but  the  organi- 
zation plans  to  establish  an  operating 
museum. 

CANADA 
QUEBEC 

Canadian  Railroad  Historical 
Association  Inc.,  Montreal,  owns 
12  historical  items  of  railway  equip- 
ment, among  them  5  city  streetcars,  a 
suburban  car,  2  interurbans,  and  an 
electric  locomotive,  from  all  parts  of 
Canada. 

The  group  is  participating  in  the 
development  of  a  Canadian  transpor- 
tation museum,  which  will  include 
both  operating  steam  and  electric 
railway  sections.    A   site  was  selected 


at    St.    Constant,    Que.,    and    work 
started  late  in  1960. 

Montreal  Transportation 
Commission  owns  a  collection  of  14 
historical  electric  railway  cars,  most 
of  them  from  the  Montreal  area,  and 
including  the  first  streetcar  to  operate 
in  Montreal.  This  equipment  will 
probably  be  placed  in  the  proposed 
Canadian  transportation  museum 
near   Montreal. 

ONTARIO 

Halton  County  Radial  Rail- 
way, Rockwood,  sponsored  by  the 
Ontario  Electric  Railway  Historical 
Society,  was  founded  in  1953.  Equip- 
ment includes  two  Toronto  streetcars 
and  a  Montreal  &  Southern  Counties 
interurban. 

The  museum  is  located  on  the  road- 
bed of  the  abandoned  Toronto  Sub- 
urban Railway,  and  operating  track 
is  planned  for  future  years.  The  mu- 
seum is  normally  open  on  week  ends 
during  the  summer.    J. 


Bibliography 


1  HE  following  summary  is  derived  largely  from  "The  Literature  of  the  Street 
Railway,"  by  Foster  M.  Palmer,  which  appeared  in  the  Winter  1958  issue  of  the 
Harvard  Library  Bulletin,  and  has  been  extracted  with  the  kind  permission  of  the 
author. 


Modern  Types  of  City  and  In- 
terurban Cars  and  Trucks,  John 
Stephenson  Co.,  1905,  is  an  outstand- 
ing example  of  the  carbuilder's  cata- 
log which  includes  interior  and  ex- 
terior photographs  of  representative 
car  types,  freight  equipment,  car  con- 
struction details,  and  trucks. 


Among  the  most  important  sources 
of  information  concerning  the  history 
of  interurban  railways  are  the  several 
trade  periodicals  which  were  pub- 
lished throughout  the  interurban  era. 

Electric  Railway  Journal  was 
the  leader  among  them.  It  began  in 
1884  as  the  Street  Railway  Journal, 
then  became  Electric  Railway  Jour- 
nal in  1908.  The  title  Transit  Jour- 
nal was  adopted  in  1932  and  con- 
tinued until  publication  ended  in 
1942.  The  Journal  is  a  voluminous 
source  of  technical  and  historical  mat- 
ter concerning  electric  railways.  Of 
particular  interest  are  its  special  is- 
sues which  were  published  on  the 
occasion  of  the  annual  American 
Street  Railway  Association  conven- 
tion and  contained  detailed  articles 
devoted  to  the  street  and  interurban 
railways  of  the  convention  city  or 
special  reports  on  electric  railway 
practices. 

Electric  Traction  was  second  in 
importance  only  to  the  Journal.  First 
published  in  1905  as  the  Interurban 
Railway  Journal,  it  became  the  Elec- 
tric Traction  Weekly  in  1906,  and 
finally  just  ELECTRIC  TRACTION  in 
1912.    During  the  '20's  the  magazine 


sponsored  the  famous  interurban 
speed  competition.  Still  published,  it 
is    now    known    as   Mass   Transporta- 


Street  Railway  Gazette,  later 
the  Electric  Railway  Gazette,  ap- 
peared in  1886  and  was  published 
for  a  decade  before  merging  with 
Electrical   World. 

Street  Railway  Review,  founded 
in  1891,  became  Electric  Railway  Re- 
view in  1906  and  was  merged  with 
the  Electric  Railway  Journal  two 
years  later. 


Catalogs  and  other  promotional 
literature  published  by  carbuilders 
and  electric  railway  equipment  sup- 
pliers provide  many  details  of  cars 
and  equipment,  as  well  as  a  consider- 
able amount  of  general  information. 
Almost  every  builder  issued  periodic 
catalogs  which  detailed  representa- 
tive cars  in  the  company's  line,  and 
such  major  suppliers  as  General  Elec- 
tric and  Westinghouse  issued  special 
publications  devoted  to  modern  cars 
of  many  builders,  in  addition  to 
catalogs  of  their  own  lines  of  locomo- 
tives and  equipment. 


Electric  Railway  Dictionary, 
Rodney  Hitt,  McGraw  Publishing 
Company,  1911,  is  a  comprehensive 
encyclopedia  of  the  equipment  of 
electric  railways  published  near  the 
peak  of  the  interurban  era.  It  is 
comparable  in  format  to  such  steam 
railroad  publications  as  the  Car 
Builders'  Cyclopedia.  A  reproduc- 
tion of  principal  portions  of  the  DIC- 
TIONARY was  published  in  I960  un- 
der the  title  Street  Cars  and  Inter- 
urbans of  Yesterday  by  Owen  Davies, 
Chicago. 

Development  &  Progress  of  the 
Electric  Railway  Industry,  West- 
inghouse, 1923,  described  modern 
electric  railway  practices  and  offered 
a  brief  outline  of  electric  railway 
history. 

Brill  Magazine,  published  for 
promotional  purposes  from  190"  to 
1927  by  the  leading  carbuilder,  is  a 
rich  source  of  interurban  informa- 
tion. In  addition  to  giving  details  of 
new  Brill  cars  and  equipment,  the 
magazine  regularly  featured  articles 
devoted  to  such  topics  as  leading  in- 
terurban centers  and  systems,  and 
biographies  of  prominent  electric 
railway   officials. 


429 


Throughout  the  several  decades  of 
their  prodigious  growth,  electric  rail- 
ways were  considered  to  have  an  al- 
most limitless  future;  and  their  de- 
sign, construction,  and  operation  were 
the  subject  of  a  number  of  engineer- 
ing texts,  reports,  and  similar  works, 
which  now  constitute  an  excellent 
source  of  information  concerning  the 
technical  details  of  interurban  rail- 
roading. 

Electric  Railway  Transporta- 
tion, Blake  &  Jackson,  McGraw  Hill, 
1917,  was  typical  of  a  number  of  elec- 
tric railway  engineering  and  opera- 
tion textbooks. 

Electric  Traction  for  Railway 
Trains,  Edward  P.  Burch,  McGraw- 
Hill,  1911,  was  another  typical  text- 
book, with  a  particularly  good  sum- 
mary of  electric  railway  history. 

Report  of  the  Electric  Rail- 
way Test  Commission,  1904,  pre- 
sented the  results  and  conclusions  of 
a  group  organized  by  the  officials  of 
the  St.  Louis  Louisiana  Purchase  Ex- 
position, which  conducted  a  series  of 
high-speed  tests  on  the  Union  Trac- 
tion Company  of  Indiana. 

Proceedings  and  other  publica- 
tions of  the  American  Street  Railway 
Association,  organized  in  1882,  are 
an  important  source  of  technical  in- 
formation. The  organization  became 
the  American  Street  and  Interurban 
Railway  Association  in  1905,  the 
American  Electric  Railway  Associa- 
tion in  1910,  and  finally  the  Ameri- 
can Transit  Association  in  1933.  Be- 
ginning in  1923,  a  committee  of  the 
Association  chose  the  recipients  of  the 
Charles  A.  Coffin  prize,  awarded  an- 
nually to  leading  electric  railways, 
and  the  exhibits  submitted  by  the 
candidates  were  the  basis  for  Electric 
Railway  Practices  (1923-30/31). 
These  volumes  constitute  a  valuable 
source  of  information  on  leading  in- 
terurban railways  during  this  period. 

Reports  and  publications  of  the 
Interstate  Commerce  Commission  and 
the  many  state  regulatory  bodies  con- 
tain statistical  and  other  information 
related  to  electric  railways. 

Special  Reports:  Street  and 
Electric  Railways,  issued  by  the 
Bureau  of  the  Census  in  1902  and 
1907,  and  later  similar  publications 
are  a  source  of  economic  and  statis- 
tical information  concerning  inter- 
urban railways. 

Poor's  Manual  of  the  Rail- 
roads of  the  United  States  from 
1868  to  1913  and  Poor's  Manual  of 
Public  Utilities  from  1913  to  1918 
contained  electric  railway  corporate 
and    financial    information. 


Moody's  Manual  included  similar 
information  from  1901  until  1924, 
when  it  was  succeeded  by  Poor's, 
which  was  merged  in  1940  with  the 
Standard   Corporation    Records. 

Moody's  Analysis  of  Invest- 
ments, which  became  Moody's  Man- 
ual of  Investments  in  1926,  is  still 
another   source   of   such    information. 

McGraw  Transit  Directory, 
originally  a  section  of  the  Street  Rail- 
way Journal,  listed  every  street  rail- 
way in  the  U.  S.,  its  officers,  and  other 
basic   information. 

Rand  McNally's  Commercial 
Atlas,  published  annually  from  1911 
to  date,  is  an  excellent  source  of  de- 
tailed information  on  interurban 
routes. 

The  Century  Dictionary  and 
CYCLOPEDIA,  forming  The  Century 
Atlas,  in  its  1911  edition  included 
maps  of  electric  railways  in  the  New 
England,  Middle  Atlantic,  and  Cen- 
tral states. 

Timetables  and  other  promotional 
literature  published  by  individual  in- 
terurban companies  often  provide  de- 
tails of  their  operations.  The  elab- 
orate timetable  folders  issued  by 
some  of  the  larger  systems  often  con- 
tained considerable  material  about 
the  various  services  and  equipment 
offered,  as  well  as  schedules.  In  the 
early  years  of  the  century,  many  in- 
terurbans  issued  lithographed  fold- 
ers containing  handsomely  colored 
panoramic  maps,  in  addition  to  de- 
scriptions of  recreational,  scenic,  and 
historical  attractions  along  the  way, 
designed  to  stimulate  traffic.  Booklets 
detailing  the  attractions  available  on 
electric  lines  were  another  variation. 
Among  typical  examples  were: 

Wayside  Scenes,  published  by  the 
Philadelphia  &  Easton  Electric  Rail- 
way; 

A  Little  Trip  Through  History, 
issued  by  the  Lehigh  Valley  Traction 
Company; 

Summer  Boarding  &  Tent  Life 
on  the  Butler  Short  Line,  offered 
by  the  Pittsburgh  &  Butler  Street 
Railway;  and 

Seeing  Lancaster  County  from 
a  Trolley  Window,  which  stimu- 
lated tourist  travel  over  Pennsyl- 
vania's Conestoga  Traction  Company. 

In  areas  where  interconnected  elec 
trie  networks  existed,  many  trolley 
touring  guide  books  were  published 
More  of  them  appeared  in  New  Eng 
land,  perhaps,  than  in  any  other  lo 
cation. 


Official  Street  Railway  Guide 
for  New  England  was  one  of  a 
number  of  such  guides  published  by 
Robert  H.  Derrah  of  Boston. 

Trolley  Trips  on  a  Bay  State 
Triangle  was  typical  of  the  series 
of  guides  published  by  Katherine  M. 
Abbott  of  Lowell,  Mass. 

Trolley  Wayfinder,  the  "Of- 
ficial Street  Railway  Guide  of  New 
England,"  was  issued  by  the  New 
England  Street  Railway  Club. 

Trolley  Trips  Through  New 
England,  an  offering  of  the  Trolley 
Press  at  Hartford,  was  one  of  still  an- 
other New  England  series. 

The  Eagle  Trolley  Exploring 
Guide,  which  described  many  trolley 
outings  in  the  New  York  area,  as  well 
as  surrounding  states,  was  published 
annually  for  a  number  of  years  by 
the  Brooklyn  Eagle. 

Interurban  Trolley  Guide, 
published  at  Chicago,  outlined  pos- 
sible tours  on  Midwestern  interurban 
lines. 


In  recent  years  several  books  of 
considerable  interest  concerning  elec- 
tric railways  have  appeared. 

Fares,  Please!,  John  A.  Miller,  D. 
Appleton-Century  Co.,  1941,  covered 
all  forms  of  local  transportation.  A 
paperback  reprint  was  published  in 
I960  by  Dover  Publications,  Inc. 

Trolley  Car  Treasury,  Frank 
Rowsome  Jr.  and  Stephen  D.  Maguire, 
McGraw-Hill,  1956,  is  a  well-illus- 
trated popular  history  of  street  and 
interurban  railways. 

The  Electric  Interurban  Rail- 
ways in  America,  George  W.  Hilton 
and  John  F.  Due,  Stanford  University 
Press,  1960,  is  a  history  of  the  in 
terurbans  with  particularly  good  cov 
erage  of  their  economics,  which  in 
eludes  a  complete  set  of  maps  of  U.  S 
and  Canadian  interurbans  and  ind 
vidual  histories  of  over  300  com- 
panies. 


During  the  past  quarter  century,  as 
the  electric  railway  has  all  but  van- 
ished from  North  America,  a  number 
of  railroad  fan  organizations  have 
been  formed,  which  have  helped  to 
assemble  and  preserve  much  of  the 
history  of  the  electric  railway,  and 
their  great  variety  of  periodicals  and 
historical  publications  have  assumed 
increasing  importance. 

Headlights,  a  monthly  publica- 
tion of  the  Electric  Railroaders'  As- 
sociation   at    New    York    since    1939, 


430 


although  devoted  largely  to  news, 
often  contains  much  in  the  way  of 
historical  matter. 

Trolley  Sparks  has  been  pub- 
lished since  1944  by  the  Central  Elec- 
tric Railfans'  Association  at  Chicago. 
In  recent  years  it  has  taken  the  form 
of  a  profusely  illustrated  annual  al- 
bum devoted  to  electric  railways  of 
a   particular   Midwestern   state. 

INTERURBANS,  published  at  Los 
Angeles  as  a  periodical  from  1943  to 
1948,  has  also  issued  an  intermittent 
series  of  Specials  from  1944  to  date 
which  are  largely  devoted  to  West 
Coast  electric  lines  but  have  occasion- 
ally ventured  as  far  afield  as  the 
Midwest  and  Canada,  and  which  rep- 
resent some  of  the  best  of  the  rail- 
road fan  publications.  Of  particular 
interest  is  the  column  "Tapping  the 
Field,"  by  Felix  E.  Reifschneider, 
which  appeared  in  the  monthly  /«- 
terurbans  and  discussed  many  of  the 
details  of  electric  railway  equipment. 


Bulletins,  published  at  Chicago 
by  the  Electric  Railway  Historical  So- 
ciety, have  included  many  excellent 
histories  of  individual  traction  lines, 
as  well  as  reproductions  of  important 
articles  from  Brill  Magazine  and  cata- 
logs of  a  number  of  car  and  equip- 
ment manufacturers  which  are  other- 
wise almost  unobtainable. 

Pacific  Railway  Journal,  San 
Marino,  Calif.,  has  published  in  re- 
cent years  several  issues  devoted  to 
interurban  railways,  notable  among 
them  a  beautifully  reproduced  Pacific 
Electric  album  by  Donald  Duke  in 
1958. 

The  Western  Railroader,  San 
Mateo,  Calif.,  has  published  a  num- 
ber of  articles  or  special  issues  de- 
voted to  the  electric  interurbans  of  the 
West. 


A    great    many    other    individuals, 
regional    fan    groups,    and    chapters 


of  such  organizations  as  the  National 
Railway  Historical  Society  have  is- 
sued many  publications  devoted  to  lo- 
cal electric  railways. 


Transportation,  issued  since 
1946  by  the  Connecticut  Valley  Chap- 
ter of  the  NRHS  at  Warehouse  Point, 
Conn.,  which  has  covered  in  great 
detail  the  histories  of  many  New  Eng- 
land traction  properties,  is  notable 
among   such   publications. 

Railroad  Magazine,  published  at 
New  York,  has  contained  occasional 
electric  railway  news  and  feature  arti- 
cles since  the  late  '30's,  and  has  car- 
ried a  regular  Electric  Lines  Depart- 
ment, edited  by  Stephen  D.  Maguire, 
since  the  early  1940's. 

Trains  Magazine,  published  at 
Milwaukee,  has  also  carried  occasion- 
al electric  railway  features  since  its 
inception   in    1940.    i 


431 


KALMBACH    PUBLISHING    CO. 

book  editor   /    DAVID  P.  MORGAN 

continuity   /    ROSEMARY   ENTRINGER 

design    /    DAVID  A.   STRASSMAN 

layout   /    LA  VERNE   F.   BLEIFUSS 

sketches   /    GEORGE  A.   GLOFF 

printing   and    binding    /    RAND  MC   NALLY  &  CO. 


432 


The  interurban  era  is  past  but  some  of  the  more  resourceful  aficiona- 
dos have  acquired  their  own  rolling  stock.  The  Iowa  Railway  His- 
torical Museum  operates  a  former  Waterloo,  Cedar  Falls  &  Northern 
combine  on  tracks  of  the  Southern  Iowa  Railway  out  of  Centerville. 
Camera  stops  are  one  of  the  most  popular  features  of  fan  excursions. 

William  D.  Middleton. 


*    * 


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>^j 


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