Philadelphia -- Route 6 Streetcar Scenes

[@gabrielchiodo285]

Awesome pictures

[@tassiebaz]

Hi Gabriel, Thanks for watching and for your kind words. I'm glad you liked the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Cheers, tassiebaz.

[@scottthorn6858]

Good video, got to see what West Oak lane look liked in the 1960s/70s, today its called the 6 bus.

[@tassiebaz]

Hi Scott, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. In many of these pictures, the streetscapes have become just as interesting as the vehicles. Regards, tassiebaz.

[@RRansomSmith]

*1958 Prior to that, it served Willow Grove Park taking over for the former Route 49.

[@tassiebaz]

Hi Rick, Thanks for watching and for your informative comments. You obviously know the line like that back of your hand. Regards, tassiebaz.

[@ThomRealEstate-k1y]

The 6 was accompanied by the 55 that ran on Old York road to Willow Grove park. The 55 was converted to bus in 1955,The 6 was cut back in 1968, and the park closed in 1975. I remember the last ride to Willow Grove Labor Day weekend,I was 9 years old summer of 1968. Alot of the books say 1958 but the cars and trucks are much later in the photos,often shown.

[@johnwoa]

Excellent video and very well researched! I'm sure a lot of work went in to producing this video with the detailed descriptions of the different streetcars shown. The PCC (2314) near the end of the video looks very familiar and I had the luck to regularly ride this type of streetcar when they were still running on a few of Toronto's streetcar routes in the early-1990's (e.g., Harbourfront) before the switch was made completely over to the CLRV streetcars. I believe that the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) still has two of those PCC streetcars that they kept and rebuilt and are used for special events and charters. You might have noticed the small thin windows that are immediately above the side windows on this particular streetcar. Those thin rectangular windows are called "standing passenger windows".

[@tassiebaz]

Hi johnwoa, Thanks for your comment. I try to add information to the presentations where I can to, hopefully, make them more interesting for the viewers. As you probably know, Philadelphia acquired some streetcars from Toronto, 2314 being one of them. They operated out of Luzerne Depot (Routes 6, 50, 53, 56, and 60) and I was lucky enough to get some photographs on a few of those routes.

[@kevinhoward9593]

Actually the 6 went to Willow Grove Park.

[@tassiebaz]

Hi Kevin, That is correct, it ran to WIllow Grove until 1958, when it was terminated at Ogontz & City Line (Cheltenham). Regards, tassiebaz.

[@RRansomSmith]

3:41 Park Ave approaching Olney Ave SB trolley

[@RRansomSmith]

ERROR 4:05 Ogontz & Godfrey Aves, not Stenton. Stenton is 2 blocks north behind the foreground trolley and the next stop for the background trolley.

[@kevingantt9295]

Damn i miss the 6 trolley why did they remove all the street car lines

[@tassiebaz]

Hi kevin, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Philadelphia has had a "bus culture" for a long time, with massive streetcar conversions in the 1950s, after which only a handful of streetcar lines remained. Theories include a conspiracy between General Motors, Firestone Tires, and a few oil companies to sell more buses and supporting products. Somehow, the remaining street running streetcars survived into the 1980 and 1990s when they were finally abandoned. The subway-surface lines (10, 11,13, 34, 36) appear safe and the 15 is questionable with the cars being "temporarily" withdrawn for rehabilitation. Stay well and all the best for 2021. Cheers, tassiebaz.

[@Poisson4147]

@@tassiebaz You're correct. In the early 1950s National City Lines took over the PTC. Within a few years they'd replaced two dozen trolley lines with buses and tore up three more completely. Reportedly they wanted to convert the subway-surface lines too but couldn't figure out how to run buses underground. Sadly SEPTA inherited a lot of the PTC/NCL's anti-trolley mindset.

[@tassiebaz]

@@Poisson4147 Hi, It was sad and still is. Same people, they just changed the sign on the door from PTC to SEPTA. Cheers, tassiebaz.

[@Poisson4147]

@@tassiebaz So true. However I'm starting to see a bit of a cultural shift under Richards. E.g. extensions and common stations with RRD lines have been blue-sky ideas for decades; those items are now showing up as formal proposals. So maybe there's hope - ??

[@tassiebaz]

@@Poisson4147 Hi, We all hope that it has changed directions after decades of talk and no action. We'll have to wait and see what actually happens. Cheers, tassiebaz.

[@RRansomSmith]

2:57 Old York Rd & Champlost Ave Trolley and bus are SB

[@RRansomSmith]

3:36 Park & Chew Aves Trolley / bus are SB

[@RRansomSmith]

1:38 Ogontz and Medary Aves Trolley is southbound

[@RRansomSmith]

3:28 Park Ave approaching Grange Ave Trolley is SB

[@RRansomSmith]

2:15 Champlost Ave at 16th St / Limekiln Pk