Subway, Elevated, Trolley & Traction Lines photos

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Maybe the guy holding the sign is named Simon?

[healey36]

Could be...the thought had crossed my mind.

Here's a shot of a Washington DC trolley, 1890, most likely in the summer time:



Geez, seems like a lot of destinations listed on the side and front of that thing...wondering if that is a contiguous route description or some sort of variable list of destinations.

Healey

[J. S. Bach]

Before the advent of destination signs. The long one on the roof was a flip-over type on some cars/systems.

[healey36]

I tried mapping a route for the #7 car based on the signage...doesn't seem to line up for a complete route, but then I'm not that familiar with DC.

[robert.]

Early forum of not getting what is advertised. People stand street side and say "wow this train goes so many places. When is fact it only goes to 2 locations. Similar to a MCie D's menu. Look at the burger photo and what they give you.

[healey36]

Could be, although I would think that would be counterproductive.

What's that two-rail contraption on the underside jutting out toward the front? Looks like some sort of pick-up, perhaps for signals or turnouts?

Here's a May 19, 1908 shot of of a car on its first run for the Vallejo, Benicia & Napa Valley Railroad Company:



The automobile with the six guys in it is impressive as well, a Pierce-Arrow perhaps.

Healey

[J. S. Bach]

...snip... What's that two-rail contraption on the underside jutting out toward the front? Looks like some sort of pick-up, perhaps for signals or turnouts? ...snip... Healey

Notice that there is no overhead wire present. If you look on the ground in front of the car, you will see a square in the ground. Those are part of the power pickup system; some form of stud-contact system. I believe that the contact rails are live on the stud under the car and when the rails contact the next stud it is activated and as the car advances, the one under the car de-activates as the rails go forward.

[healey36]

So those "stud-contacts" must be positioned every ten feet or so to maintain constant power. Wow, seems not the most efficient method for distribution...perhaps done for safety reasons? Pretty interesting...

[robert.]

Did they allow women to ride? D.C banned overhead wires on street cars.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Did they allow women to ride? D.C banned overhead wires on street cars.

Women are allowed to ride the streetcar in DC and it also has overhead wire.

[robert.]

In the early part of 1880's D.C. banned overhead wire for street cars.
Washington, D.C. had a large network of conduit lines, to avoid wires. Some lines used overhead wires when they approached rural or suburban areas. The last such line ran to Cabin John, Maryland. The current collector "plow" was mounted underneath the car on a fitting just forward of the rear truck on PCC streetcars. It had two cables with female connectors on cables to attach to matching cables of the car's electrical system. A "plowman" was assigned at each changeover point from overhead trolley wire to conduit to remove the cable attachments to the car and stow the plow, which did not remain with the car and was reattached in an incoming car running on overhead wire. The lower section of the plow "board" was drawn by the moving car within the cavity of the conduit. Because of this usage, many of Washington's streetcars carried trolley poles, which were lowered while operating in the central part of the city; when the cars reached a point where they switched to overhead operation, they stopped over a plow pit where the conduit plows were detached and the trolley poles raised, the reverse operation taking place on inbound runs. The 'pit' here has the meaning analogous to racing circuit pits rather than a depression in the road.

[rogruth]

Robert,
That is new and interesting info to me but not much surprises me anymore.

[healey36]

Thanks for that, Robert...interesting stuff. I've seen tons of photos of DC trolleys, but nearly always with their poles stowed. The only DC regional trolley I've seen a photo of with its pole deployed is motoring into Glen Echo Park (photo way back on page 1). The system in Baltimore, which had cooked down into the Baltimore Transit Company by the time I had any familiarity with it, ran on overhead wires everywhere (my recollection). I don't remember seeing anything run on a third-rail, but then I never saw the entire system.

Interestingly, there was a cable-car system up on the north side of Baltimore, probably late 19th-century vintage, which ran between Druid Hill and Patterson Parks (roughly five miles, north to south). That operation was all gone by the time I arrived on this earth. The power house sat on the corner of Druid Hill Avenue and Retreat Street. When I first got out of school, I worked for Maryland Cup Corp. Always short of adequate storage capacity, they rented warehouse space all over the city. One of the storage sites they used was the old power station. I remember going up there at some point, probably in 1980, to inventory packing materials they had stored there, and the old guy who was the warehouse manager gave me the low-down on the building's history. A lot of the cable equipment, including the two big Corliss engines, were still there. I should ride down there and see if it's still there.

[robert.]

https://books.google.com/books?id=eKZpC ... re&f=false

A little bit about D.C. electric

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Current DC surface lines are under the wire again.