Trackless Trollies in Philly

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[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

The trackless trolley you rode goes over a very interesting piece of history in Holmesburg! The Frankford Avenue Bridge or the Pennypack Creek Bridge. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Frankford Avenue Bridge was the first stone arch bridge built in the US and is the oldest surviving roadway bridge in the US as well! It was built in 1697 at the request of William Penn to connect his mansion with the then new city of Philadelphia and was an important link on the King's Highway that linked Philly with cities like Trenton, NYC, and Boston. So famous politicians like John Adams and George Washington used the bridge, like Washington when he crossed it on his way to his inauguration in NYC in 1789. Philly was a city of different transportation firsts. The first steam-ferry service in the world was actually in Philly and went to Burlington, NJ. It was created by John Fitch! Basically, he wanted to make his own version of a Watt engine (there were no Watt engines in North America as the British refused to export them) and he got Henry Voigt to help him build a working model and place it on the boat. The first successful trial run of his steamboat Perseverance was made in August 1787, in the presence of delegates from the Constitutional Convention. A bank of oars on either side of the boat propelled it. During the next few years, Fitch and Voigt worked to develop better designs, and in June 1790, launched a 60-foot (18 m) boat powered by a steam engine driving several stern-mounted oars. These oars paddled like the motion of a swimming duck's feet. With this boat, he carried up to 30 paying passengers on numerous round-trip voyages between Philadelphia and Burlington during the summer of 1790. The first hot air balloon flown in the Americas was launched from the former Walnut Street Jail in Philly on January 9, 1793, witnessed by George Washington, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison! It was piloted by the French aeronaut Jean-Pierre Blanchard, who was also the first to cross the English Channel in a hot air balloon with American co-pilot John Jeffries in 1785! It landed in Deptford, NJ. And just outside Philly, the Crum Creek was once home to the Leiper Railroad, the continent's first chartered railway, first operational non-temporary railway, first well-documented railroad, and first constructed railroad also meant to be permanent! It was a 'family business-built' horse drawn railroad of 0.75 miles that was constructed in 1810 after quarry owner, Thomas Leiper, failed to obtain a charter with legal rights-of-way to instead build his desired canal along Crum Creek. It went from Crum Creek to Ridley Creek where quarry stone where it would then be loaded on boats to Chester for market.

[@Thom-TRA]

I was wondering why that bridge appeared as a landmark on Apple Maps!

[@peterfrey6062]

very true, and recently upgraded

[@BeDoHave-so8nr]

Wow, thank you for the info on the bridge and the other interesting things that took place in this area that most people have never heard about. I try to walk the Pennypack Creek trail once a week, and you can get a good view of the underside of the bridge from the trail. What fascinates me is that about a hundred yards or so downstream from the Frankford Ave. bridge the Pennypack changes form non-tidal to tidal. I like to see where the line is on a particular day. The tidal section flows into part of the largest tidal freshwater marsh on the East coast. It's fun to kayak upstream with the tide to see how far you can go, and go back with the outgoing tide. Again, thanks for all the info that you've shared.

[@acarr506]

It's use be trackless trolleys in South Philly Routes 29, 79 now buses

[@NealCMH]

I grew up in East Central Indiana. My family would go over to Dayton to do our Christmas shopping. This was during the 1960's. It was the first time that I saw a trolly bus. As a child I called them "Hanging Buses". I hope you get to visit there soon.

[@Thom-TRA]

Anything you’d recommend if I did go?

[@NealCMH]

@@Thom-TRA The only thing that I can think of is not related to Trains or Buses but is somewhat transportation related. You can spend several hours in the National Museum of the USAF. The admission is free. However, it is not easily accessible via public transportation.

[@joshhorvath4984]

Yes, you should definitely come to Dayton. Not all the trolley bus routes are running trolleys though, due to maintenance being done, but the work is getting done. Trolley bus service has recently returned on the 7 route for example.

[@MilesinTransit]

Just a note that the deadhead wires between Frankford and Arrott have been de-powered and disconnected from Arrott - the E40LFR buses that SEPTA uses are uniquely equipped with a diesel engine that operators use to get through that unpowered segment! Glad you had a good trip on the 66, I adore that route!

[@Thom-TRA]

Interesting, would be good if some of the online resources would be updated to reflect that change

[@Thom-TRA]

Makes sense, probably costs a lot to power a deadhead section with no revenue service

[@MilesinTransit]

@@Thom-TRA Yeah, the wire disconnection was pretty recent...based on street view it happened sometime between 2019 and 2022.

[@josephpatrick94]

They removed them since trucks kept hitting them and tearing them down

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Independence Hall was initially called the Pennsylvania State House and was completed in 1753. It served as the first capitol of both the colonial-era of the Province of Pennsylvania and of course, following independence, the nation's first capitol (New York City was the capital from 1789 until the capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790 and finally DC in 1800) and the capital of Pennsylvania (moved from Philadelphia to Lancaster in 1799 and then finally to Harrisburg in 1812). Besides of course being the site of the Second Continental Congress where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 and the Constitutional Convention was signed in 1787, in 1915, former- president William Howard Taft presided over a convention at Independence Hall, which including his formal announcement of the formation of the League to Enforce Peace, which led to the League of Nations in 1920 and the United Nations in 1945. Independence Hall used to have a wooden steeple, but it was removed in 1781 because it had rotted to a dangerous extent by 1773 and replaced by a more elaborate steeple designed by William Strickland in 1828. Strickland was one of the first to advocate the use of steam locomotives on railways. In 1835, the Wilmington and Susquehanna Railroad hired him to survey a route from Wilmington, Delaware, to Charlestown, Maryland. Later that year, he was named chief engineer of the Delaware and Maryland Railroad (this eventually became part of the Northeast Corridor. Strickland also designed and built the Delaware Breakwater, the first breakwater in the Americas and the third in the world. In addition, he worked on a number of buildings in Philly, including Naval Square (now condos), Second Bank of the United States, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, and the Merchants' Exchange Building. Outside PA and DE, he worked on the Tennessee State Capitol. The artwork at 5th Street/Independence Hall was done by Tom Judd and has different historical paintings (which I love he even painted the frames) referencing Philly's history. There are portraits like that of Elizabeth Peel, whose chief contribution to history was being painted by a very young Benjamin West in 1787, next to Frances Watkins Harper, a poet and suffragist who was one of the first Black women in the United States to publish a book. Judd’s guiding concept came from Charles Willson Peale, Philadelphia’s gentleman polymath who created the first museum in the early 19th century, a hodge-podge collection of natural science and art. One of his most famous paintings is of himself lifting a curtain to reveal his collected treasures. Judd was also inspired by Union Pacific station in Salt Lake City and how its vast spaces and murals incorporated in its architecture lent awe to his arrival. He wanted to lend a similar air to the tourists and commuters taking the train into Old City. Yup, as mentioned, Shanghai has the oldest trolleybus network in the world! It opened in November 1914, and for many years, the Shanghai system was also one of the largest in the world, once comprising more than 20 routes and more than 900 vehicles in 1994, accounting for 30 percent of Shanghai's bus ridership. However the system started to decline in scale and service levels in the late 90s and throughout the 2000s with the fleet shrinking to 150 vehicles in 2012. In 2024, the remaining trolleybus lines are Lines 14, 15, 19, 20, 23 and 24, mainly because their routes pass some of the key landmarks, monuments and scenic spots in the city's downtown area. These lines mostly operate in Hongkou, Huangpu, Xuhui and Jing'an districts. For line 20, which uses part of the very first route built in 1914, a total of 22 Sunwin SWB5129 trolleybuses with auxiliary batteries for off-wire use have been delivered. Route 20 was one of the busiest trolleybus lines in the 1980s and it links densely-populated residential quarters and large business locations. The route was originally a tram line, opened by the British Electric Traction Co. in March 1908 to cater to rising travel demand amid expansion that could no longer be met by rickshaws and carriages. Lines 22, 25 and 28 were converted to battery bus operation in August 2023 after the first of the 290 newly-bought YoungMan trolleybuses from 2014 to 2016 were taken out of service, and the overhead partially removed. Although there is another trolleybus line, the Yan'an Road Medium Capacity Bus Transit System, which is its own thing and opened in 2017. Line 71 consists of a main route, a partial route and four branch lines, with the main route running between East Yan'an Road & The Bund in Huangpu District and Shenkun Road Bus Terminal in Minhang District via Yan'an Road. The main route was designed to use trolleybuses, with overhead lines covering 80% of the main line. The main route 71 and the partial route 71 uses articulated Yutong ZK5180A and rigid ZK5120C/ZK5125C trolleybuses respectively. These buses have doors located on the left side of the bus only

[@Thom-TRA]

Any idea why they moved the capital of PA away from Philly?

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

@@Thom-TRA Harrisburg's central location is why. It was a good location accessible by land and water (the Susquehanna River). It being central made the trip by horse/horse-drawn carriage easier for those travelling to the state capital. Harrisburg was originally settled as a trading post, it assumed importance as a provisioning stop at the point where westward bound pioneers transitioned from river travel to overland travel.

[@mikeherr8427]

I was born in Baltimore, MD in 1944. As a child, I rode several of the still existing “trackless trolley” routes. I likes the smooth (relatively) ride, their quiet propulsion, and the sounds of the motors and the whine of the transmission. I remember that the number 1 route ran to Ft. McHenry, and the number2 and 3 were trackless trolleys as well. There were a number of streetcars still running in Baltimore in those days but were slowly being phased out to GM buses, some of which had been manufactured the year I was born. Lines 8 and 15 were the last tracked trolleys to be phased out. If you look around, you can find books on the tracked and trackless trolleys of Baltimore.

[@Thom-TRA]

I feel like I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to exploring Baltimore

[@peterfrey6062]

wow, a real blast from the past. I grew up along Frankford ave and rode the 66 a bazillion times to and from work and school. The origin of the term "trackless trolleys" resulted from their being substituted for real trolleys before Septa's "busification" of the late 50s. I don't know how much longer they will remain before being fully converted to buses. As a kid I used to enjoy riding the 66 when it was the real deal. But thanks for another great video, Thom

[@peterfrey6062]

this is what Frankford terminal looked like in the 50s. The original 66 is the 3rd trolley on the right, about to pull out for a run up to Holmesburg

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks for the explanation! Glad to provide you some nostalgia in return

[@leanderhartl9504]

In Switzerland we have like 11 Trolleybus Networks.

[@michaelb9629]

I didn’t remember the fact that there are still trackless trolleys in Philadelphia and I also didn’t know it was one of the oldest ones in the US that still currently exists. I hope I can go on one anywhere that still has it such as San Francisco if I were to go there first.

[@Thom-TRA]

San Francisco has the most!

[@michaelb9629]

@ I know they do!

[@novastorm2]

The most modern models of trolleybuses use combined electrical systems: Cables/Battery. When the vehicle needs to leave the wired route, it uses the battery. For example when you have to go to the workshop, or when you have to go cover another route, also when the route is obstructed for any reason. They are also useful when there are power outages, they can continue working until reaching a charging point. Charging is done through cables.

[@realquadmoo]

Most trolleybuses can only go around 5 miles off-wire. Though here in Seattle we’re gonna be upgrading the batteries to let them go off-wire for longer distances which can help with detours.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

@@realquadmoo According to Wikipedia, the SEPTA trackless trolleybuses have diesel auxiliary power units, so in principle this could enable quite a long range, depending upon how big the fuel tank is.

[@realquadmoo]

@ Wow that’s wild

[@97nelsn]

I remember this day, it was warm and sunny. Definitely worth taking a day trip to Philly to try and save my existing Amtrak points which ended up expiring but I got an adventure out of this.

[@Thom-TRA]

It was a particularly nice March day

[@devinpaul9026]

The old GM New Looks had a great sound before they killed em. Not just the engines, either-- EVERYTHING sounded better. The fare boxes, the analog cord bell, even how it would all shake and rattle over bumps and potholes. The green "robot eye" lights over the rear exit doors, the cool, soothing blue the front overheads would glow as people boarded. The cushy, padded seats. Even the warbling noise the doors would make as the driver manually cranked em open. Let me tell you, I may have been no older than seven at the time, but I was PISSED they got rid of em!

[@magesnz]

Vancouver BC has trolley buses mostly in the cbd area of the city

[@fredlendzian7082]

Here in port huron in the summer time there is we have our bus company has a diesel trolly and our local museum has a gas powered trolly but they aren't available in the winter time they are only available from the start of summer and the end of summer and amtrack has a port huron station they leave really early and get in really late and there only one chance to get the train in or out a day

[@fredlendzian7082]

It only cost a dime to ride it

[@johnfriel-uj2zs]

Outstanding Video As Usual 😊😊 Thanks Thom

[@jasperyapping]

I like the trolley name, ik san diego and philly use it and it's nicer sounding to me than light rail. Also you should totally go to Dayton, it's really interesting how a smaller city can have that and i'd love to see a video on that!

[@Thom-TRA]

Trolley is cute, you’re right

[@mike_keim_video]

fyi the trackless trolley bus. Has a APU on it. i don't remember if its a gas or diesel generator. i seen the buses drive with out the trolley poles up.

[@Thom-TRA]

Most do just in case

[@Thommygun-qv7um]

Still can't get over the fact that Boston shutdown the trolleybus network. Did they at least replqce them with (inferior) battery powered buses or did they went straight to diesel power? Awesome move imo in the face of climate change...

[@Thom-TRA]

The silver line is battery I think, maybe hybrid. The Cambridge lines are diesel I believe.

[@elefante8572]

Plan is to replace the Cambridge routes with battery buses but they’re running diesel in the interim. They’re working on a new battery charging facility on the trolleybus yard site, hopefully it opens soon. Truly terrible decision

[@kevanhubbard9673]

The last time i went on one of those electric trolly buses was in Cishnev,Moldova about 12 years ago.

[@Skip6235]

You need to come and try out Vancouver’s trolley busses! We have such an extensive network of them!

[@realquadmoo]

Yes you should definitely go to Dayton, their trolleys are Gilligs! It’s the only place where you can find a Gillig trolley. Seattle used to have Gillig Phantom Trolleys but they’re long gone.

[@rehabmax]

Trolleys have a single electrical pick-up, metal wheels and course run on a track. Being from Philadelphia we always called them trackless trolleys because, no track, but similar to the trolley system. There are still trolley lines in center city where streets are narrow and it is flat, making it easier for the trolley wheels. The gap in the Market- Frankford line is from 15th to 30th streets. If you need to get to the streets in between you take a "Subway-Surface" car. Take the "EL" to the other end at 69th street and you get the Red Arrow lines out there. The city is pretty interconnected with trains, trolleys, trackless trolleys, and buses .

[@tonyb92681]

I live just out side of Philly and my family lived there so I’m familiar. The trackless trolleys are called that because they USED to be tracked. 20-30 Years ago, the tracks were removed, but the aerials remained. Since they aren’t busses, and they aren’t trolleys, they kind of started being referred to trackless trolleys as a result.

[@davetour07]

Boston called them trackless trolleys also

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s an east coast thing

[@Mars-ev7qg]

Track less trolleys should be everywhere. It's such a brilliant idea. I think the fact that they are associated with the Soviet Union is part of the reason why they are rare in North America. The Soviet Union built an incredible number of track less trolleys after World War Two when steel for rails was scarce. Although track less trolleys were common in the Soviet Union and its satellites there association with the Stalin and the USSR is a little unfair. Track less trolley technology existed before the October revolution in Russia even happened. Regardless of who invented them let's start building track less trolleys everywhere before the next oil crisis sidelines all of our bus services.

[@Thom-TRA]

Oh that is an interesting theory!

[@DanTheCaptain]

Trolleybuses are goated and I vastly prefer them to today’s new fangled battery buses. What I never understood though, is the slow adaptation of battery technology into trolleybuses here in North America. Most trolleybus manufacturers in Europe have started developing trolleybuses with batteries instead of a diesel engine making them even more efficient and environmentally friendly! It really is a shame trolleybuses have had the same fate as trams in North America. It’s understandable that many historical systems like Toronto had challenges replacing old buses but I wish they had stuck it out a bit longer.

[@Thom-TRA]

Especially when you see how fancy and cool the modern trolleybuses in Europe look!

[@gregorylparks7304]

Great Video! Yes, Dayton, Ohio also have trolley busses as well. 😊

[@DaBigColinTheRailfanman]

Nice vid I like the trolley busses

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks!

[@user-nc5gt5ut2d]

Nice. I like the new intro!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks! A little temporary new intro to spice things up

[@nicholasthompson7690]

rode this in Philadephia several yrs ago. its awesome

[@Cupertinorail]

I still call SF wired buses trackless trolleys on some occasions. It's the first English I learned when arriving in the US before the word "Trolleybus". Don't forget 604 (Vancouver) trolleybuses. It's not US but west coast too. The history of trolleybuses in Canada is rather sad.

[@artb4867]

Congrats on 10 years. Having grown up in the Philly area, I know that they were always called trackless trolleys. I love your conversational tone of voice. I'm sure that's why you are so popular. Cotinue your good work please. If near Atlantic City, please let me know as I would love to meet you.

[@Thom-TRA]

I appreciate it! I was actually planning to maybe go to Atlantic City the day I filmed this, but decided against it as there were some Philly things I had wanted to do first. I’m sure I’ll find my way over there soon!

[@CraigCorby]

As a Sydneysider looking forward to the Down Under videos!

[@Thom-TRA]

First one will be a brief ride on the new metro!

[@history_leisure]

This year kind of special with all the Australia content in my feed. Airtime Thrills (okay, coaster related) brought a young Australian coaster creator mainstream called That So Mid (even for a coaster enthusiast account, its weird as it feels like its supposed to be coaster related but not, although anything can be considered mid, not just coasters...or bikes for that matter) back in January; Jetlag: The Game Season 10 shortly after; Planes, Trains, Everything (Scott Manson ft. son Blair) back in October; and now Bear going down under I guess in their winter/our summer

[@alk61695]

If I am not mistaken, I think those buses can also run on diesel if need be. Also I hope you were able to ride the Girard Avenue trolly. They just put them back into service recently.

[@Thom-TRA]

Unfortunately it was not yet up and running back then

[@alk61695]

@Thom-TRA ah okay. Well hopefully you can get back to Philly to ride it.

[@Cupertinorail]

Any UK people here remember trolleybuses in London? I only heard of them through Jay Foreman.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Bear certainly gets around doesn't he haha. Dayton has a big place in Aviation history and at a minimum the National Museum of the US Air Force is worth a visit if you're in Dayton, it's the 2nd largest air & space museum in the world (second only to the Smithsonian) and it's free to visit.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’d tell Bear to settle down but then where would I get my content? Haha

[@mrvwbug4423]

@@Thom-TRA He needs to take you along haha.

[@d8meister]

Yest another informative video. I I can;t wait for Bear Down Under

[@brianhubert8418]

I’ll have to check this out if I find myself in Philly. I wish we did more trolleybus routes with so many advantages over diesel and battery buses, especially for high frequency lines. And really hoping the Roosevelt Blvd. Subway can get built.

[@qiaowani]

The fact that the trolley on the bus chassis was the disappointment was crazy 😭

[@Thom-TRA]

Freak of nature

[@vongodric]

I visited Philly some years ago and had no idea the city even had trolleybuses...

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah they’re pretty far out there!

[@MarcP5267]

There used to be more trolley bus routes in south Philly, Tasker Morris and more around the city

[@Hoolopy_01]

Vancouver has a network of these trolly busses

[@magesnz]

@Hoolopy_01 Edmonton also used to have one but was replaced years ago

[@kevinb8881]

Thom, Translink in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada also have trackless trolley buses!!

[@29downtheline]

I need to ride the trackless trolleys on my next visit to Philadelphia! They seem pretty cool! Thanks for making the trip all the way up to Frankford TC to showcase them!

[@Thom-TRA]

‘T was a long journey

[@nashleysk8er]

I drive trolley coaches 🚎 here in Vancouver. Same make and model as shown here. Love how they quietly and quickly move through the city. Definitely a city to check out.

[@Thom-TRA]

I believe Philly and Vancouver might have ordered their buses together

[@DanHominem]

Trams? Without tracks? What's next, rubber tire metros? 😂 Imagine something like that in Mexico City or Paris, ridiculous!

[@Thom-TRA]

Next they’ll be making trains that just hover above the tracks with magnets or some dark magic like that

[@goatgamer001]

In Greek trolley means trolleybus, the tram is referred to as tram. Although the only currently open tram in the country is basically a failed metro* which uses tram vehicles and is slower than busses. *as it has a large off-road portion which could be used for heavier rail and it only has two lines

[@goatgamer001]

in the country of Greece

[@ZebadiahCoombs275]

Hey thanks for the video! I’m a Philly native and was really hoping you’d come back to talk about the trolley busses (I call them that because I think that trackless trolley sounds kinda lame tbh). If you ever come back, could you do a video on the Norristown High Speed line potentially?

[@LMHPhilly]

Keep up the good work. Did you know the PATCO high street line opened its newest station at Franklin Square, 7th & Race. It's beautiful and is located close to the Ben Franklin Bridge. It is located where a prior station opened in 1936 and closed 40 years ago. I drove by and it is spectacular

[@Thom-TRA]

Is it finally open? Might have to go check it out

[@LMHPhilly]

@. It looked open when I drove by. I'll let you know.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

@@Thom-TRA As of today, PATCO hasn't stated the station is open. No date yet

[@Gryphonisle]

Is Philly too poor to paint their buses with a proper livery? It reminds me of Muni’s simplified Landor livery, which was as white as Philly but with an orange stripe, not red. Since you’re there, what is/was the actual Market for which Philly Market street is named? SF Market st is named for Phillys Market St.

[@Thom-TRA]

William Penn assigned the street as the place for street markets to be held

[@jurgisstalma7201]

in kaunas lithuania we call those grasshoppers, they are also green besides also having those antenna

[@Thom-TRA]

I love that name!

[@respect411]

always thought it was such a shame the 2 south philly routes were discontinued in the early 2000s. they bought proterras to replace them but they ended up being defective and were scrapped so we're stuck with diesels

[@Thom-TRA]

Ooh a proterra in septa colors

[@fredlendzian7082]

But in the summer you can hop abroad the huron lady 2 witch is a cruise ship and mid july is boat week port huron to mackinaw yhat race

[@paulcastillo1310]

Great video

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks!

[@paulcastillo1310]

@@Thom-TRA your welcome

[@obus7800]

It is, perhaps, an unfortunate association but Stalin was a big fan and that explains the numerous routes in the former USSR. I was a trolley operator in Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) and drove on all 3 routes at one time or another. Unfortunately, all 3 routes are now gone and light rail will soon restore sections of the old streetcar network that had been replaced by the trolleybuses begining in 1951. The more things change the more they stay the same, eh?

[@Thom-TRA]

You’re right about that!

[@ck4426]

Thank you for another awesome explanation and demonstration of this amazing transit system! Thanks for showing every aspect of the ride and experience. Awesome!

[@Razorgeist]

Oh nice I take the 66 to and from work. Ok as a matter of fact 5:20 thats my street corner you're at!

[@Thom-TRA]

Awesome! I would have waved had I known

[@Razorgeist]

@@Thom-TRA I was honestly trying to spot myself.

[@Giustiziappenanata]

Is a trolleybus. In Europe we have a lot, as you defined it in the title it looks lokr a mega technology improvement. Btw thanks for continuing with bus videos, appreciate ot

[@teecefamilykent]

Brilliant video...did your brother get his....uhhhh upside-down issue sorted?

[@Cupertinorail]

Can you explain the photo at 0:03 I don't get it.

[@AddieDirectsTV]

No one needs to go to Dayton lol

[@Thom-TRA]

See that’s what I thought

[@AddieDirectsTV]

@ I’ve driven through it before…

[@Ponchoed]

There's interesting history there. Can also tie into a trip to Columbus OH and Indianapolis.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

Dayton's is interesting for its own reasons. No rail, oldest electric, and custom Gilligs even.

[@antoniodemunari3335]

There are a lot of trolleybuses in the czech republic. I hope you will come visit czechia in the future, there is a lot of public transport to talk about.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s been much too long since I was last there!

[@jamesclark7266]

YaY, can't wait to see what Bear got upto Dowunder visiting my Hometown Sydney.

[@TheJeff0569]

When you go to Layton make sure to check out the Us air force museum it is really cool

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks for the tip!

[@JJRol.]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE YEAHHHHH!!! AUSTRALIA TRIP AS WELL!!! awesome... I can't wait to see what you and bear think of my home city, Melbourne! (Now would be the best time to do early video releases on Patreon I would pay to watch that lol)

[@Thom-TRA]

Unfortunately didn’t have time to get enough footage for a whole video in Melbourne 😭😭😭 so sorry!!!! Did get a few tram clips though

[@JJRol.]

@Thom-TRA Ah, it's fine, trams should be enough! There's just not enough to really travel to using our trains... especially considering we still don't have any Airport link!

[@NorthernTransit-t2e]

Tom you should’ve did route 75 from arrott transportation center to broad and Wyoming where could’ve connect to the Broad Street line to head back to theCenter City

[@Thom-TRA]

But I already did the BSL earlier that day. Had no desire to go back.

[@NorthernTransit-t2e]

Ok but Tom will you do a video on septa 101 and 102 trolleys

[@Thom-TRA]

@ yes

[@dfirth224]

San Francisco has lots of them. They can go up steep hills the the diesel buses can't.

[@Ponchoed]

I don't believe that's true anymore. Temporary bustitution on trolley bus lines is common. Certainly in Seattle, buses run weekends on trolley bus routes. SF has had diesels recently on the steep #1 line when there was a big storm that damaged the lines.

[@ThomRealEstate-k1y]

The Route 66 is a great ride. The 2 routes in south Philadelphia were discontinued and and replaced with battery electric vehicles,how dumb

[@BeniRoseMusic]

Wait the silver line closed in Boston? Or is that not considered trackless trolley cause only portions of it use overhead lines?

[@Thom-TRA]

They replaced the trolleybuses with battery buses a while back

[@Ponchoed]

Silver Line had dual mode articulated buses that ran in the tunnel. I know they were going to be replaced, dunno if they actually were

[@trainglen22]

Have you tried the Trolley buses in Vancouver BC, Thom?

[@Thom-TRA]

I have yet to visit Vancouver…

[@JorgeSoto-iv2hn]

I like trolley buses in Philly but why still exist and not in Boston.

[@BeDoHave-so8nr]

Yes, trackless trollies, not trolley buses. Philly had trolleys long before it had buses, so trackless trolley is more logical. I guess if a city never had trolleys, trolley bus might be logical. I rode the 66 for many years, from NE Philly to the Frankford terminal. It ran even during the worst blizzards, when the regular buses and even automobiles were left immobile. It also runs 24/7/365, so no matter how late or early, never more than a 30 minute wait, even at 2:00 am on a Sunday morning.

[@Thom-TRA]

I don’t fully understand the logic here. Even if a city already had trollies I don’t understand why trolleybus is not logical. It’s a bus that uses the trolley wires.

[@BeDoHave-so8nr]

@@Thom-TRA "logical "was a poor choice of words on my part, as trolleybus is very logical, as you've said. I was trying to explain why Philly has always said trackless trolley. I found a 1947 PTC map at the flea market, and just about every major street had a trolley, and Philly still has 6 trolley routes, 8 if you count the suburban trolleys. (The locals call the suburban routes trolleys.) If you were to ask a random person on the street if they've ever been on a trolleybus, they'd say "what's that?" After you told them what it was, they'd say "Oh, you mean a trackless trolley." It's like if someone in Philly asked where you could get a good sub, you'd get a quizzical look. A sub? Oh, you mean a hoagie. Honestly, if you'd grown up in Philly during the fifties or sixties, you would never be comfortable with trolleybus. And I think that the alliterative nature of trackless trolley makes it more pleasing to the ear, but that's just me. 😀Anyway, I really enjoy your videos.

[@filanfyretracker]

I am surprised these are not more popular, Not even for the green operations issues that tend to cause idiotic unwarranted political debates. I would imagine that while building such a system has high CapEx they must be cheaper to operate than regular buses. electric motors are lower upkeep and you are not buying tens of thousands of gallons of diesel every month.

[@Ponchoed]

I recall they were seriously looked at 25 years ago when planning the Cleveland HealthLine BRT.

[@spaceandtrains-1441]

you ready for ato to come back on sunday yay

[@Thom-TRA]

Very excited!

[@toonynelson3103]

FIRST YAYYYYYYYUY

[@Thom-TRA]

Congrats!

[@davidpinckney8868]

Those buses are a waste they can move without the electric wire I don't know what the point of having them even septa said it itself

[@Thom-TRA]

You can walk without shoes but isn’t it nicer to have a tool that makes it easier?

[@davidyegiazaryan3417]

They're electric, my guy

[@BDavinci06]

Another good video, Thom!! Years ago, I rode the SEPTA trackless trolleys on the #66 line when they had the older AM General trackless trolleybuses ( Hope that doesn't sound too redundant!!) And they were pretty quiet, sped up by fast, and it was like a regular bus, but it feels like a golf cart!! It took a while for SEPTA to replace those older trolleybuses for the new ones that you were currently riding and that was more than fifteen years ago. In the meanwhile, many of the trackless trolley routes were running the older Neoplan AN440 bus. If you ever looks for them, you be excited to hear the engines from them.🫨🫨🫨 That was the bus of Philadelphia at the time in the 80's and 90s! You were right that there were about 3 routes that were trackless. Trolley, mainly in North and Northeast Philly. There was that they took away the #29 bus. That was the only trackless trolley route in South Philly. Like you said, they were renovating the bus depot there and decided to take down the wires and run regular buses. A transit fan that I know personally that lives in the Philly area, she took a video of the #29 bus using Proterra electric buses. In some way, it brings it full circle from trolley buses to using electric buses.