This time from our northern neighbours, and the Detroit Street Railway.
Car # 223 on Jefferson Avenue, looking west towards Woodward. March 25, 1956.
Car # 217 at the Woodward Car Barns in Highland Park. March 20, 1956.
749
Recent Comments:
- on Chinee Villa: “Was excellent food! Anyone who claims not to have been impressed is just speaking on behalf of an inferior competitor.” Jan 26, 15:35
- on St. Dennis Hall: “Hubby, myself and a bunch of union folk attended that Feb ’80 Harry Chapin concert at St. Dennis Hall. WOSH…” Jan 22, 17:31
- on Hi-Ho: “Paulfortin1212@gmail.com the number of errors in the history of the fast food driv-n inWindsor in Windsor Ontario are to numerous…” Jan 1, 12:44
- on Sprawltastic: “Well, the house on Unicorn Avenue is still up for sale, so the market hasn’t really spoken, has it?” Nov 7, 09:49
- on Sprawltastic: “I’m revisiting this post from the future. I saw a number of comments asking how this subdivision would hold up…” Oct 8, 15:38
Keep ’em coming, Andrew. I can never get enough of these old streetcars.
Was it the same company that made the cars above, make the ones for Toronto’s TTC?
More Streetcars tomorrow too please!! I love Streetcar-Fridays!!!
These look like old TTC types to me too…..
Urbanrat – The cars are the same design called PCC – but I think they were made by a few different factories.
The Toronto ones were made in Montreal (I think) while the Detroit ones came from St. Louis.
I’m sure if I’m wrong (which I might be) someone who knows better will correct me.
Interesting. I’m surprised that the Detroit ones came from St. Louis as one of largest industries in Detroit prior to Henry Ford was locomotive manufacturing like the Buhl Locomotive Works. I just assumed that it would have evolved into something related to Street Car manufacturing and that the city would buy locally made street cars.
I think I’ve got this right. US made Electric Railway (P)residents (C)onference (C)ommission cars came from either Pullman Standard or the St. Louis Car Company. Canadian cars would have come from Canada Car And Foundry in Montreal. CC&F, BTW,, is now part of Hawker Siddeley. The PCC car was the first major improvement to come along since the Peter Witt car of 1928, which was a 2 man car. The PCC car, besides all of its improvements, was a 1 man car.
I wonder sometimes. In the same way we as consumers almost expect too much out of our cars (power everything, 0 to 60 in under 10 sec., a trunk the size of Montana yet with 35 mpg, all for under $20K), I’m concerned we ask too much of public transit. Air conditioning, plush seating, no pollution, really convenient schedules, yet we won’t pay more than a 50 cent fare, then grumble that its a waste of taxpayer money……
They certainly look like they belong to the same family of streetcars that you shot pictures of in Toronto. Interesting.
This link shows Boise, Idaho’s mayor is looking to reinstate their old streetcars! Same population as Windsor, etc… So here’s the question, why isn’t our mayor considering doing the same???? Just setting up a task force as in Boise!! thats all!! …Windsor needs better mass transit! Windsor needs economic development!
It’s almost like the mayor lost a bet and he needs to run this city into the ground!! There are case studies everywhere you look on how to build cities, and, how to make cities better. Yet, Windsor’s leadership fails each and every time!!!
The age of street cars in Windsor, just a fond memory of a few.
The practicle side: where would they run the roads are not wide enough for tracks,where would
they go to Devonshire Mall, from where, and where else? The layout of the city, the life style of today makes ideas of even a study or a taskforce would be a waste of time, and money
that Windsor does not have.
If you want street care build a model railroad and a street car line of your own. Do not mean to throw cold water on your idea, but past its time.
Richard.
Andrew and Doug are right in where the PCCs came from.
Both cities PCCs started out at St. Louis Car Co. in St. Louis Mo.
The Detroit cars were finished and sent to Detroit.
The Toronto cars were shipped as body shells and finished in Canada to save on duites.
The cars were completed in Montreal,Kingston and Thunder Bay.