Steel and Ice
The Trolley Days of Winter
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The success of the electric trolley car at the beginning of the twentieth century was due in no small part to its dependability, even in bad weather. Trolley companies bought snow sweepers and plows to keep the tracks clear in winter.
Over a half-century later, many of these same sweepers were still in service - often the oldest cars in the fleet. Here Pittsburgh rolls out its sweepers to remove the night's snowfall.
Pittsburgh - Overbrook
Pittsburgh - Drake
Ice buildup on the trolley wire could cause a spectacular display of sparks.
Washington, DC had a fleet of 41 single-truck sweepers. Almost all lasted to the end of service in 1962. Most of these scenes were photographed by Dick Kehm.
Some sweepers were equipped with bristled black and yellow wing plows to sweep snow off safety islands.
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Route 82, also known as the Maryland Line, was one of two Washington lines with substantial stretches of private right-of-way. These scenes were photographed by Ken Helsel during the blizzard of 1958, from the collection of Larry Glick.
Route 20 to Glen Echo and Cabin John was the other line with lots of private right-of-way.
Route 20
Ottawa's Britannia line featured long stretches of private right-of-way, photographed by Russ Jackson in 1959.
Ottawa
Ottawa
Quebec Railway Light & Power's single-ended interurbans were turned at terminals on wyes or turntables. These scenes on the line from Quebec City to Sainte Anne were photographed by Russ Jackson on the last day of service in 1959.
Quebec
Quebec
Quebec
The Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee interurban had to cope with a blizzard on its last day of service in 1963, when most of these scenes were photographed.
The North Shore owned two articulated Electroliners, delivered in 1941. These superb 1000 horsepower cars regularly achieved 80 miles per hour in Chicago-Milwaukee express service; they were capable of over 100.
North Shore
North Shore
New York City's Myrtle Avenue elevated was still served by open-platform wooden cars when Russ Jackson shot these scenes in 1958.
New York City - Myrtle Avenue
New York City - Myrtle Avenue
New York City - BMT
New York City - BMT
New York City - IRT Flushing line
Ice buildup on the third rail could cause even more spectacular arcing than ice on a trolley wire.
The Lackawanna electric commuter lines in north Jersey were caught after a snowfall by Russ Jackson.
Lackawanna electric
Also in north Jersey, the Newark City Subway's standard cars were in their last winter of service, caught on film by Bob Wasche in 1953.
Newark City Subway
In 1965, Russ Jackson caught the PCCs that replaced the older cars.
Shot during the winters of 1959 through 1961, Boston's orange PCCs are on the outer branches of the central subway, now known as the Green Line. Some scenes are on the now-abandoned Watertown route.
Boston - Riverside line
Boston - Riverside line
Boston - Riverside line
Boston - Riverside line
Philadelphia bought a fleet of heavy double-truck sweepers during the 1920s. They served until the mid-1970s. Russ Jackson and Henry Elsner caught them on film.
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Russ Jackson and Henry Elsner also caught the yellow sweepers of the Philadelphia Suburban, or Red Arrow lines.
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Sharon Hill line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Ardmore Junction between the PST Ardmore line, and the P&W Norristown line.
The former Philadelphia & Western and its famous bullet cars.
Taken over by the Philadelphia Suburban in 1954, the P&W bought the North Shore's two Electroliners in 1963. Refurbished as Libertyliners, they ran until the early 1980s. Both are now preserved at museums.
By the blizzard of 1983, the new Kawasaki cars had taken over Philadelphia's Subway-Surface routes.
Philadelphia Subway-Surface
Baltimore's light rail cars are heavy enough not to be bothered much by snow, but trouble with ice coating the overhead wires has led to the addition of a second pantograph to each car since these scenes were photographed.
Baltimore Light Rail
Baltimore Light Rail
Baltimore Light Rail
Baltimore (BTC)
Baltimore (BTC)
PATCO Lindenwold line
Philadelphia City (PTC)
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Over a half-century later, many of these same sweepers were still in service - often the oldest cars in the fleet. Here Pittsburgh rolls out its sweepers to remove the night's snowfall.
Pittsburgh - Overbrook
Pittsburgh - Drake
Ice buildup on the trolley wire could cause a spectacular display of sparks.
Washington, DC had a fleet of 41 single-truck sweepers. Almost all lasted to the end of service in 1962. Most of these scenes were photographed by Dick Kehm.
Some sweepers were equipped with bristled black and yellow wing plows to sweep snow off safety islands.
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Route 82, also known as the Maryland Line, was one of two Washington lines with substantial stretches of private right-of-way. These scenes were photographed by Ken Helsel during the blizzard of 1958, from the collection of Larry Glick.
Route 20 to Glen Echo and Cabin John was the other line with lots of private right-of-way.
Route 20
Ottawa's Britannia line featured long stretches of private right-of-way, photographed by Russ Jackson in 1959.
Ottawa
Ottawa
Quebec Railway Light & Power's single-ended interurbans were turned at terminals on wyes or turntables. These scenes on the line from Quebec City to Sainte Anne were photographed by Russ Jackson on the last day of service in 1959.
Quebec
Quebec
Quebec
The Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee interurban had to cope with a blizzard on its last day of service in 1963, when most of these scenes were photographed.
The North Shore owned two articulated Electroliners, delivered in 1941. These superb 1000 horsepower cars regularly achieved 80 miles per hour in Chicago-Milwaukee express service; they were capable of over 100.
North Shore
North Shore
New York City's Myrtle Avenue elevated was still served by open-platform wooden cars when Russ Jackson shot these scenes in 1958.
New York City - Myrtle Avenue
New York City - Myrtle Avenue
New York City - BMT
New York City - BMT
New York City - IRT Flushing line
Ice buildup on the third rail could cause even more spectacular arcing than ice on a trolley wire.
The Lackawanna electric commuter lines in north Jersey were caught after a snowfall by Russ Jackson.
Lackawanna electric
Also in north Jersey, the Newark City Subway's standard cars were in their last winter of service, caught on film by Bob Wasche in 1953.
Newark City Subway
In 1965, Russ Jackson caught the PCCs that replaced the older cars.
Shot during the winters of 1959 through 1961, Boston's orange PCCs are on the outer branches of the central subway, now known as the Green Line. Some scenes are on the now-abandoned Watertown route.
Boston - Riverside line
Boston - Riverside line
Boston - Riverside line
Boston - Riverside line
Philadelphia bought a fleet of heavy double-truck sweepers during the 1920s. They served until the mid-1970s. Russ Jackson and Henry Elsner caught them on film.
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Philadelphia City (PTC)
Russ Jackson and Henry Elsner also caught the yellow sweepers of the Philadelphia Suburban, or Red Arrow lines.
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Sharon Hill line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST)
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Media line
Philadelphia Suburban (PST) - Ardmore Junction between the PST Ardmore line, and the P&W Norristown line.
The former Philadelphia & Western and its famous bullet cars.
Taken over by the Philadelphia Suburban in 1954, the P&W bought the North Shore's two Electroliners in 1963. Refurbished as Libertyliners, they ran until the early 1980s. Both are now preserved at museums.
By the blizzard of 1983, the new Kawasaki cars had taken over Philadelphia's Subway-Surface routes.
Philadelphia Subway-Surface
Baltimore's light rail cars are heavy enough not to be bothered much by snow, but trouble with ice coating the overhead wires has led to the addition of a second pantograph to each car since these scenes were photographed.
Baltimore Light Rail
Baltimore Light Rail
Baltimore Light Rail
Baltimore (BTC)
Baltimore (BTC)
PATCO Lindenwold line
Philadelphia City (PTC)