ww.RonRailPictures.com PHILADELPHIA MEMORIES
VOLUME TWO SUBWAY AND SURFACE LINES
1 Hour 7 Minutes
Philadelphia SEPTA City Transit: Juniper St to 40th St subway lines through Woodland and Chester Ave surface lines and more. 1970’s PCC Cars through 1980’s Kawasaki. Experimental color
one of a kinds. Includes Routes 10 - 11 - 13 - 34 - 36. ONLY $29.95
PHILADELPHIA MEMORIES Two Discs Set 2 Hrs 23 Min
The Colorfull Years - 1970’s and 1980’s
PHILADELPHIA MEMORIES
VOLUME 1 SURFACE LINES
VOLUME ONE SURFACE LINES
Two Discs Set 2 Hours 23 Minutes
Includes Routes 6 - 15 - 23 53 - 56 - 60
From the lens of Gary Grahl. See Philadelphia PCC’s during the color- ful 1970’ and 1980’s on Routes 6, 15, 23, 53, 56, and 60. ONLY $29.95
NJ LIGHT RAIL LINES
Two Discs Set Approx. 3 Hours Explore the history of light rail in
New Jersey from Newark Subway, thru PCC’s last ride in the Public Service Era, to NJ Transit Light Rail and More! ONLY $29.95
NJ LIGHT RAIL LINES
Two Discs Set Approx. 3 Hours
Explore the history of light rail in New Jersey from Newark Subway, thru PCC’s last ride in the Public Service Era, to NJ Transit Light Rail and More!
Add $4.00 S&H per order (PA add 6% tax) See us on the web at
www.ronrailpictures.com or mail check or M/O to RonRail Pictures, DeptT
5552 Republic Way, Bethlehem, PA 18017
Connecticut Company’s Streetcars
Relive the days of Connecticut Company's big yellow cars... Profusely illustrated, this book covers every division of the Connecticut Company, the trolley empire controlled by the New Haven Railroad. This book features nearly every type of trolley car operated across the Nutmeg State until shutdown in 1948.
CONNECTICUT
STREETCARS SOFTCOVER
$21.95 PLUS S&H - ITEM #C00082 Carstens PUBLICATIONS, INC.
CARSTENSBOOKSTORE.COM (888) 526-5365
50 MARCH 2014 •
RAILFAN.COM schemes and
RonRail w Pictures
San Diego Rail Expansion
A FEASIBILITY STUDY has been delivered on the question of returning streetcar service from downtown San Diego to Balboa Park in California. Looking long range, the study discusses a loop line around the edges of Balboa Park: north to Hillcrest, eastward to North Park, southward to South Park/Gold- en Hill, and westward to Downtown. The San Diego Electric Railway Associa-
tion now has San Diego PCC car No. 531 at its museum in National City. It was donated by San Diego Vintage Trolley, Inc. The car has been kept at the MTS shop in downtown and it needs body work and paint. Thanks to Douglas I. Duncan for the news. He writes “We turned the streetcars out in the mid 1950s now we want them back.”
Pennsylvania and Transportation My native state of Pennsylvania is heavy with deferred maintenance of transportation facilities of all sorts. For a time it appeared that the 2013 legislature would not provide sufficient money to attack the problem. At the last moment the legislators stepped up to the plate and took a swing. In late November 2013 the Pennsylvania House of Representa- tives approved a $2.3 billion transportation funding measure; it had turned the legisla- tion down the day before. There was vituper- ation and fence mending and finally, legisla- tion was approved. In the middle of the fuss was an effort to limit the wages of construc- tion workers. Pennsylvania has almost 4400 structural- ly deficient bridges, more than any other state, and about 8000 miles of state high- ways are in poor condition. A comprehensive legislative act was essential and the legisla- tors provided that. For SEPTA and the Philadelphia region, the law will provide be- tween $476-$497 million, with the greater amount coming in the fifth year. One of the first uses of the new money will be to make important improvements on the Media/El- wyn commuter rail line. Priority will be giv- en to replacement timbers on the bridges over Cobbs Creek, Darby Creek, and Ridley Creek. Thanks to David Harris for the good news.
SEPTA Norristown Line Cars Russ Jackson was kind enough to send me information about the splendid job SEPTA did in handling the crowds at the U.S. Open Golf tournament which was held in June 2013 at the Merion Country Club. He re- minded me that the cars on the Norristown High Speed Line (the Philadelphia & West- ern to those whose memories predate 1970) are approaching 20 years of age. Russ also notes that the Kawasaki cars that serve street car lines in Philadelphia and former Red Arrow Lines in the western suburbs area all over 30 years of age. Come to think of it, the first batch of new commuter cars on the South Shore Line are now 30 years old. Since the renaissance of transit began dur- ing the Kennedy administration, transit systems in the U.S. are on their second or third generation of new rail equipment and
the fourth or fifth generation of bus fleet re- newal.
Shore Line Museum Elevating The Shore Line Trolley Museum (17 River Street, East Haven, CT 06512-2519) had a problem for many years. It was occasionally flooded, which had a serious impact on progress because of a need to make repairs over and over. To solve this costly and dis- turbing problem the museum came up with the idea of elevating the collection of cars to keep it out of reach of the sea. The elevation work is done; however there is a program that could be very beneficial to the museum. Storm damage repair grants are available from FEMA. The catch is the damage first must be repaired with the museum’s own funds and then the federal money will reim- burse 75 per cent of the cost. The museum is seeking donations, including sponsoring the restoration of a car. Thanks to Carl Edd for the news
Reading Terminal Postcard
I received a postcard from the Railroad Mu- seum of Pennsylvania featuring a view of the train shed at Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal in 1966. In the pictures, an origi- nal Reading Company multiple unit car No. 800, Rail Diesel Car No. 40, and a relatively new Silverliner. The view into the train shed from the north is one I haven’t seen in many years. I journeyed by Reading Company trains to the coal region, keeping my Aunt Helen company in visits to friends north of Philadelphia. I recall the old m.u. cars had air-activated pantographs and the cars were stored with pantographs down in the train shed. The first trains out in the morning re- quired the pantographs to be raised to the contact wire by pumping.
World Trade Center Transportation Center The design of the multi-billion dollar Trans- portation Hub at the World Trade Center in New York was inspired by a child releasing a bird. The white steel wings will be separated by a skylight built to open like an eye on each September 11th. The oculus will be aligned so that the direct sunlight will shine through the glass at 10:28 a.m. — the time the second tower collapsed. The facility is a remembrance of the souls of the nearly 3000 persons who died at the spot. The Trans- portation Hub will cost $3.9 billion; its main hall is 150 feet high and will have 100,000 square feet of retail space to meet the needs of the 250,000 people visiting the World
PLEASE SEND light rail, tran- sit and commuter rail news items and correspondence di- rectly to Prof. George M. Smerk, P.O. Box 486, Bloomington, IN 47402.
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