Kansas City Trolley Lines

[Eisenbahner]

I was looking at some aerial photos of Kansas City recently and decided to follow the path of the former 56 - Country Club line. I could easily indicate the route as it went from southeast KC to Wornall, through the Plaza and up to Westport. After Westport, however, I lost the line as it disappeared in a mix of parking lots and big-box stores. As far as I can tell, it must have jumped off the ROW and onto a city street (maybe Broadway or Southwest Trafficway). However, I noticed something very unusual: If you draw a straight line from the end of the visible route, the line matches up with some of the freight spurs in the industrial district above Southwest Boulevard less than a mile away. I've heard that there were storage caves under that neighborhood related to the industrial area generally between 30th Street, Southwest Boulevard and Southwest Trafficway. (I forgot the name of the neighborhood around here but it's where Thomas Hart Benton once lived).

My question is, if there are "caves" under there, did the 56 route cut underground from Westport and come out above Southwest Boulevard? If not, does anyone know of a website or have a good map of former trolley lines in the city? Any other anecdotes about the great KC Streetcar system of yesteryear?

[walt]

I don't have any anecdotes about the Kansas City System ( having never set foot in KC in my life) however, the Philadelphia Transportation Company purchased 40 of Kansas City's 1946 all-electric PCC cars in 1954. These cars were mechanically and electrically identical to the standard post-war all-electric PCC's except for the fact that they do not have the standee windows standard on the post-war PCC body. ( I understand that the President of the KC streetcar company didn't like the standee windows, so the KC cars were built with larger side windows and no standee windows). These 40 cars were operated by the PTC and later SEPTA until 1985. A few survive in several museums in varying states of repair.

[russp]

The #56 Country Club line ran on prw to 43rd and Main (no tunnels, all at ground level) then north on Main to downtown where it looped on Main, 3rd St., Delaware, 9th to Main and return. In the final years, this loop might have been modified. A good book (if you can find it) is "Kansas City Streetcars Remembered" by Henry Elsner published in 1991 by New Jersey International (80 pgs with route maps / info from 1939 to the end). A more recent publication is " A Splendid Ride, The Streetcars of Kansas City 1870-1957" by Monroe Dodd and published by Kansas City Star Books. This is a hardback book and deals with KC trolleys and interurbans in terms of the growth and development of KC. I believe it's still in print....check the newspaper's website. I have some KCPS-issued route guides from the late '30s and 1940s that I can copy for you. Contact me off line if interested.