placed in a rubber boot to reduce vibration and produce a smoother ride. In St. Louis, the construction of the Loop
Trolley Project was scheduled to be finished before the end of 2015. The line is 2.2 miles long and connects the Delmar Loop with For- est Park. Renovated cars will be used in the service, including two Council Crest-style cars purchased from Portland, Ore., with power being taken from an overhead wire. The oper- ation will be supported by a one percent sales tax that will be levied in the University Park area and it is expected to generate $500,000 annually. Other revenue will be derived from fares, advertising, and sponsorships from institutional organizations. Many thanks to Whistle Talk of the St. Louis Railway Enthu- siasts and its editor, David Neubauer.
Washington D.C. Subway Fleet
I believe I am similar to other observers of rail transit in feeling that the Washington Metrorail system is relatively new. However, at present, more than 57 percent of the 1114- car subway fleet was put into service between 1976 and 1988. The 1000 series was deployed in 1976 and 1978, and 280 members of the se- ries are still in use. There are 358 members of the 2000 and 3000 series that are still in service, and they were first used between 1983 and 1988. The 4000 series of cars, put in service between 1983 and 1988, has over 100 cars remaining in use. Series 5000 cars were placed in service between 2001 and 2009 and 192 remain in service. Between 2006 and 2008, the 6000 series cars were deployed; 184 remain in service. Please recall that the eco- nomic life of electric rail cars is 25-35 years and many Metrorail cars are coming close to
the end of their useful economic life. Thanks to Peter Perrault for the information.
Dayton Trolley Buses
There are five transit properties in the U.S. that continue to operate trolley buses. The remaining cities and the patronage are from data supplied by the American Public Trans- portation Association: San Francisco has 67.5 million riders; Seattle has 19 million; Philadelphia (SEPTA) has 7 million; Boston (MBTA) has 3.3 million; and Dayton (RTA) has 2.5 million riders. Richard Bierau has been kind enough to
send interesting information about the small- est of the remaining properties in Dayton, Ohio. Over the years, it has not been easy to continue trolley bus operations. In spring 2015, an experiment was conducted in Day- ton to determine if the trolley buses would continue to serve the city. The current fleet of electric buses is 17 years old and has had problems from the very beginning. Now, the Dayton Transit property is evaluating new buses that can operate under the wire as regular trolley buses, or put the trolley poles down and operate from batteries. Electric bus service is to continue, but the old trolley bus- es must be replaced; the new battery buses are the product of Next Icon. The dual-mode buses cost $1.4 million each; only a very small number of such vehicles are to be made, so there are few economies of scale. The Dayton Regional Transportation Au-
thority runs seven trolley bus routes under 124 miles of overhead wire in Montgomery County, Ohio. So far, the result of the exper- iment has not been definitive. However, elec- tric buses have many advantages that are not
Connecticut Company’s Streetcars
Profusely illustrated, this book covers every line of the Connecticut Company,
the trolley empire controlled by the New Haven Railroad. Great vintage photography from classic Connecticut cities like Hartford, Stamford, Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Haven, and more.
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WhiteRiverProductions.com Coming Soon: A Fascinating New Book About Freight Cars!
American Car & Foundry Box Cars, 1960–1981, Edward S. Kaminski
Te last period of AC&F manufacturing of box cars was the years 1960–1981, and this volume provides both the history and extensive color photography, along with details of car design and construction in this period. Many colorful paint schemes were in use by railroads and lessors, large and small, and they are shown here. A complete production roster of the box cars built is also provided. Author Kaminski is an acknowledged authority on freight car history. No mod- eler of the 1960s and 1970s, or freight car fan, should be without this book.
256 pages, 466 photos, 41 drawings and graphics, roster, index. Price: $75 Another of our fine rail history titles:
Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops (reprinted), Robert A. Pecotich
One of the greatest and most productive railroad shops in North America, SP’s Sacra- mento Shops built and rebuilt locomotives and freight cars, from 1868 to 1990. 496 pages, over 600 photos, 21 maps and drawings, bibliography, index. Price: $85
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