Assorted Vintage Traction Pics

Here are some of the traction variety of the old prints given to me a long time ago. If you know the locations, lines, etc. let us know. Most are just a guess to me.

Part II

The second shot is indeed taken at the Indianapolis Traction Terminal, and is of an Indiana Railroad highspeed car. Judging by the automobile, I'd put it as not long before services ceased in 1941.

Cheers,
Matt

Thanks, Matt. Here's another.

Hmmm. That car is a Brill Master Unit, and it looks like it was taken some time after the late 30s. I can't make out the lettering on the side. PTC? The number looks to be 55. Time for some detective work.

The Philadelphia & West Chester (PWC) operated fifteen Master Units, known as '80 cars'. If the lettering is PWC not PTC then it could be one of these. I'm not sure of the numbering of these cars, but 78, 80 and 85 survive today. If the car is numbered 88 rather than 55, it could be the one. One of these cars in later years is shown below;



Cheers,
Matt

Thanks, Matt ! It looks like "RNC" to me as the thing on the R looks more like a leg than something coming from the middle letter. The front rollsign looks to me that it could be "Jefferson St." or something similiar (?) (You kind of have to look at it sideways !) Was there such a destination down there ? Definitely #55, I believe.

G;day 3rdrail,

I'd agree with the 55 and the first letter looking like an R. I'm looking to see if I can find another image of a P&WC logo to compare.

Here is a photo of a Master Unit in post-merger colours;

Matt Master Units aren't my strong point so I don't have a list of companies which operated them.

The mystery continues!

Cheers,

Skyline Lumber Company is a company based in Eugene, Oregon, according to their website. Could this be Eugene ?

Hmm, interesting. Eugene did have a streetcar system which closed in 1927. The early closure date would seem to rule out Master Units. Here is some good info;

http://pedshed.net/?p=61

It could be that the ad for Skyline was elsewhere. Portland, Oregon operated Master Units, although they appeared to be numbered in the 800 series. One survives, and this page has images;

http://myweb.msoe.edu/~westr/transit.htm

It appears that Master Units also operated in Lynchburg VA, Youngstown OH and Yakima WA. More leads to chase if the Eugene trail goes cold.

Cheers,
Matt

We found it. It's Roanoke, Virginia. Leo Sullivan found an identical car numbered in the 50 series.

Ah, good to see. I wonder what the next mystery will be?

Cheers,
Matt

Here's one for you Matt. What is the significance of this car and what was it's nickname ? (Anybody living in Mass. is excluded from this quiz !)

Nice pic. Without Googling, I'd have to say that I don't know. Interestingly enough, I do have quite a few Boston Elevated Railway tickets in my ticket/transfer/pass collection.

Looking at the car, it's a pre-war PCC and I'm guessing that with 01 as the last two digits, it could be the first or a one-off.

Cheers,
Matt

I've gone and Googled it to find that it was known as the "Queen Mary", and was Boston's first PCC and their only St Louis PCC car. I should have remembered this, having 'From Horsecars to Streaminers", a history of St Louis Car Co.

So, I was partially there in that I guessed it was the first of...something!

Cheers,
Matt

Thanks for making me feel old. I remember most of those trolley cars. Rode in some of them. Not very comfortable.