Trolley Tuesday 1/17/21 - The Toronto Transit Commission (Part 2)

On last Thursday's trolleypost, we took you through the privatised history of the Toronto Railways, back when it was just a gaggle of independent companies providing a variety of quality services across the Queen City. Today, we're taking you through the modern history of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) that you know and love so much. From its beginnings in the 1920s all the way through to the "Lean Years" of the 80s and 90s, the history of the TTC is as engaging, as varied, and as beautiful as the Peter Witts, PCCs, and CLRVs we all love so much. Now climb aboard, let's get rolling, and please stand clear of the doors!

Trolley Thursday 1/13/22 - The Toronto Railways (Part 1)

What more can be said about the city of Toronto? It's the capital of Ontario, it's Canada's most populous city, and it's the one place everyone thinks of when they imagine the big cities of the Great White North. But among the canyons and crags of Toronto's skyscrapers lie another large and iconic transit system: the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). This modern municipal railway may seem so old and permanent like its contemporaries such as the San Francisco Municipal Railway and the Chicago Transit Authority, but not so. Out of the ashes of several different private street railways, the TTC rose like a phoenix to become the iconic home of Peter Witts, PCCs, and CLRVs we know today, and on today's (belated) Trolley Thursday, we see how the TTC first got formed in the Queen City where "diversity is strength".

Trolley Thursday 1/6/22 - Montreal Street Railway

Bienvenue, mes amies, dans un autre "Trolley Thursday" post! As one of Quebec's largest and most-populous cities, Montreal holds a special place in the realm of French Canada as the home of the most successful ice hockey team in the NHL, the "Canadiens", and that wonderful savoury delicacy, poutine. Prior to 1959, however, Montreal also laid claim to having one of the largest, most iconic and sophisticated transit networks in the Dominion, with well over 500 kilometers of track at its peak and boasting such cars as the famous Peter Witt and PCC cars in its roster. On today's Trolley Thursday, climb aboard this Golden Chariot and tip your hat to old Notre-Dame du Montreal, as we try to avoid being caught speaking English aboard the Montreal Street Railway! 

Trolley Tuesday 3/23/21 - The Los Angeles Railway's Low-Floor Experimental Cars

The Los Angeles Railway (LARy) always set itself apart from its contemporary street railways by depending on its own shop-designed streetcars.  Prior to 1936, the only "national standard" streetcars purchased by the LARy were 70 Birney Safety Cars between 1920 and 1921 (designated LARy Type "G"). However, as the mid-1920s rolled on, the company came under pressure to show the city that they were on the cutting edge of streetcar technology. Completely against their own standards of streetcar construction, LARy and the St. Louis Car Company created two oddball classes of cars that were the last gasps of originality within the Yellow Car fleet. On today's Trolley Tuesday, hike up your fares and follow us as we talk about the LARy Type "L" and Type "M" streetcars!

Trolley Thursday 8/27/20 - The Peter Witt Streetcar

Before the introduction of the PCC car, there were a couple of honest attempts at a standard for street railway equipment. In 1918, the J.G. Brill company produced the Birney Car, a cheap little single-truck box that aimed at being economical for street railways big and small. However, the Birney was quite bare and uncomfortable, and never quite had the national spread that another streetcar did. It never claimed to be a "standard" national streetcar, but its innovative and adaptable design made it not only widespread in America, but across North America and even the world. Though it may appear antiquated compared to the sleek, stylish curves of a PCC, there is no denying the impact and influence of the Peter Witt streetcar, a Cleveland original.