|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
History of the Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway
"Founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1850, Altoona grew to be an important railroad and manufacturing center in the Allegheny Mountains of' Pennsylvania. Horse drawn street railway service began in Altoona on July 4, 1882. The first electric operated streetcar was put into service on July 4, 1891 on a 3.25 mile route. By 1894 the Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway Company and its affiliate the City Passenger Railway Company operated 12 miles of' track in the city of Altoona. In addition, a 6.6 mile trolley:. line was operated from the public square in Hollidaysburg to the 12th street bridge in Altoona. A 6 mile line was under construction from Altoona through Juniata and Blair Furnace to Be1lwood. During 1894, the Altoona & Logan Valley Railway. operated 15 cars, and the City Passenger Railway operated 19 cars. The cars were mounted on Brill # 21 trucks and operated on a track gauge of' 5 ft. 2 inches. The City Passenger Railway established and developed Lakemont Park during 1894 to increase business for the streetcars. The trolley line and park were important factors in the development of South Altoona, Lakemont Terrace, and South Lakemont.
On August 5, 1903 the Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway Company, City Passenger Railway Company of Altoona and Tyrone Electric Railway Company were merged into the Altoona & Logan Valley Company. By 1910 the company had 51 miles of' track and operated 77 tro3~ey cars, 7 trailer cars, 8 work cars, 1 snow plow, 3 sweepers, and 12 miscellaneous cars.
Between 1925 and 1928, the Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway spent more than $1,000,000 for new track and equipment and an additional $65O,000 for maintenance of track and equipment. The system had reached its peak mileage of 56 miles by 1928.
In reconstructing track in paved streets the company had 2 methods. Where streetcars could be diverted to another route during reconstruct ion, steel ties were used. Where it was impossible to reroute the cars, the track was laid on treated pine ties. The wood ties were 6 inches x 8 inches x 7 ft. 3 inches long. Stone ballast was tamped and rammed under and around the ties. Then a 6 to 7 inch layer on concrete was poured:. for a paving base. A 1/2 inch layer of sand was spread over the concrete surface, and then 3 inch thick paving bricks were laid. The modernization program also resulted in the purchase of 13 steel body, light weight, double truck safety cars and 3 Birney safety cars to give better service and meet automobile competition.
During August, 1929, the Osgood Bradley Car Company delivered 5 master unit type cars to the Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway. These cars were almost identical to 10 cars built for Scranton Railway of Scranton, Pennsylvania. The 5 Altoona cars numbered 70 - 74 were one man, double end, double truck cars seating 54 passengers. Car specifications were as follows: weight 34,000 lbs., over all length 42 ft. 6 inches, over all width 8 ft., height-rail to trolley base 11 ft. 621 inches, control- Safety Car Type K 75, all steel body, National Pneumatic folding doors, Westinghouse 510 A motors, "cletan" leather seats, Electric Materials Company trolley wheels, and Osgood Bradley # 5-66 trucks. These cars featured wide vision plate glass widows, upholstered composition leather seats with deep spring cushions and individual form fitting backs. This was the final order for new cars placed by the company.
With the automobile cutting into passenger riding, lines were converted to bus operation. After the Third Avenue and Eighth Avenue car lines in Altoona were converted to bus operation on July 1, 1950, there were only 2 lines left: Hollidaysburg and Juniata-Eldorado.
On Saturday August 7, 1954 the last streetcar runs were made. At 1:15 PM, 5 trolleys decorated with banners proclaiming the end of 63 years of electric trolley service, left downtown Altoona with about 500 farewell riders aboard. The final run was made to Juniata and back through downtown Altoona to Eldorado. Returning to 5th Avenue and Logan Boulevard, the cars made the final run on the Hollidaysburg line. At 3:30 PM the cars arrived at Hollidaysburg and after a ten minute stop headed back for Altoona where the passengers bade farewell to the cars which returned to the car barn. Undoubtedly many Altoona people will be able to recall fond memories of riding the open park cars to and from Lakemont Park. Although Lakemont Park is served by a modern highway today, the passing of the trolley car meant that the transit line lost its identity. Not many people take the bus to Lakemont Park Today." (from Viewing Pennsylvania Trolleys, copyright 1971, by Kenneth C. Springirth, Erie, Pa., 16511; re-printed from a 1986 edition of the "Coal Bucket")
Post Script: One of the treasures of the Horseshoe Curve Chapter is a black and white film make by Howard Wright of the last run of Altoona's streetcars a£id will be one of the first converted into videotape. your editor rode the last run of the trolley as reported in the article above, and yes, I found myself in the crowd waiting to board the trolleys, when we previewed the film. 1985 was another milestone year with the passing of Lakemont Park as we knew it. The park is now under private development as Boyertown USA and will open a new era with Phase I, Memorial Day, 1986.(by David Seidel; re-printed from a 1986 edition of the "Coal Bucket")
Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway
Posted by: kirkleidyassociates
The 1914 Brill Cars, #31-35 Series
We will look at five Logan Valley cars which arrived in Altoona in February, 1920. Before ever riding the rails in Altoona, they ran elsewhere in Pennsylvania and also in another state. They are the 1914 Brill cars of the number 31-35 series and they began their life on the Trenton, Bristol and Philadelphia Street Railway.
The Trenton, Bristol and Philadelphia (T,B & P) began when, in January 1896, Colonel Edward Morrell chartered the Philadelphia and Bristol Passenger Railway Company to build a line from the Philadelphia city limits to Bristol, Pennsylvania - about a 12-mile route. There were many disputes over right-of-way, etc., but service finally began in April 1897 over parts of the route, using single truck Brill cars.
In July 1900, Colonel Morrell sold the company to a Boston syndicate which changed the name to Philadelphia and New Jersey Street Railway Company and planned to extend the line from Bristol to Trenton, New Jersey. A year later, the death of the major stockholder resulted in the trolley line being resold to a Baltimore group. By July 1902, the line reached Morrisville, about nine miles north of Bristol. Finally, on May 11, 1905, the first car reached Trenton.
The company was reorganized in 1909 as the Trenton, Bristol and Philadelphia Street Railway once more, and began making improvements to its line and cars. From 1911 to 1914, all the older single truck cars were replaced with new or used larger, double truck cars. Car numbers 31-35 were built by J.G. Brill and delivered in May 1914 as order number 19399. They were 4~foot, all-steel cars of the most "modern" design. Really, they were just steel instead of wood, which had been the practice in building up until then.
During World War 1, a shipyard was built northeast of Bristol and the line was swamped with wartime traffic. The cars were used hard but by 1919, the Ridership was down and the large cars were no longer needed. In February 1920, six new single truck Brill cars were delivered and the larger double truck cars were sold.
Logan Valley purchased the five 1914 Brill cars and brought them to Altoona. Since they were broad gauge like Altoona system cars, they were able to be put right into service. Oddly, these cars were never numbered into the Logan Valley roster but retained their original 31-35 numbers of the T,B & P. Logan Valley paid $6,710 apiece for the cars, which really was not much of a bargain for six-year old cars, but it was several thousand dollars less than what new cars would have cost.
The cars ran Altoona's main routes for about nine years, then were relegated to tripper and PRR shop line work during the 1930s (five new cars were delivered to Logan Valley in 1929). With the advent of World War II, the cars were pressed into hard service - once again hauling many passengers to work - not to a shipyard as before, but to the railroad shops and other businesses in Altoona. Most Logan Valley cars received new paint during the 1 940s to make them look new, even if they were worn out underneath.
Before the war, Logan Valley had begun to replace trolleys with buses, and following WWII after much hard use and deferred maintenance programs, the trolley car era in Altoona was nearing the end. When the first diesel buses arrived in 1947, numbers 31-35 were semi-retired. By 1950, there were enough GM buses in Altoona that 31-35 were considered surplus. They were officially retired on September 25, 1950, removed from the roster, and parked outside the car barn in the yard area. That autumn, the cars met the same fate that awaited all of Altoona's trolleys - the scrapper's torch. It was a rather sad ending for veterans of two world wars. (contributed by member Leonard Alwine; originally published in the 1996, Volume 28, No. 2, "Coal Bucket")
From the files of the Altoona Mirror, April 9, 1925:
"The Pennsylvania Department of Highways was studying the construction of a 6-mile highway called Logan Valley Road, from Altoona to Hollidaysburg, along the existing Logan Valley trolley tracks". Note: This wasn't accomplished until 1955 or 1956 following cessation of Altoona and Logan Valley operations in August 1954. The road was named Logan Boulevard; a 4 lane "boulevard" from 6th Avenue within Altoona City limits to Hollidaysburg borough, the county seat, with a curbed grass median. The median was initially planted with Japanese Cherry trees for most of the distance which never did well, probably due to the use of highway-melt solutions in the winter months. Another species has now been attempted.
Also from April 9, 1925: "The Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway Co. was purchased by E. E. Fitkin and Co., New York, which said that $200,000 in improvements would be made immediately."
Recollections
Mon, 21 Aug 2000
To: "Dave Seidel"
From: Philip Margush
Subject: Re: Fairview TrolleySince my parents only moved to Llyswen in 1954, Franklin Lamca had already by then "owned" both the South Altoona and the Baker Mansion. He was just over the peak of the hill from Baker School and so could operate in both blue collar and white collar modes. He was a keen childhood chum, wasn't afraid to get into a full blown fist fight over principle, could catch and roast a rabbit in the wild; while at a different moment present himself as a respectable and polite young man to any parent suspicious of his autonomy. Frank already new the ropes so to speak of the neighborhood by the fourth grade -- I was only a newcomer just adapting my limited street skill from 6th Ave and 5th Street and trying to get up to speed in this menagerie. I remembered the trolleys on Logan Boulevard when we used to visit Bro. (Elder/pastor) Long between 49 and 54. There was lots of activity back and forth upon the weed grass of the Logan Boulevard center railway. But when we to my delight all of a sudden moved out there in the summer of 54, alas, it was just in time to see the "last car". Of course up until then you thought the trolleys immortal not realizing indeed how very fragile.
Frank had already been exploring the area of the trolley bridge between 6th Avenue and the railroad, but Hershey and I, and Dave my older brother by two years, only examined this section perhaps 1954-57. By that time the cars had stopped but the bridge and the danger sign was there, and it was still forboding to cross over. We became familiar with the hobo camps and the bums that cooked a stew at a small clearing aside the PRR roadbed. There were old abandoned buildings back there with huge prehistoric trucks in them. Some were chain-drive and fascinating with respect to their uncommon shapes and drab features. There was a sweet aroma of old crankcase oil, mildew from old leather seats, lots of small parts and gadgets a laying around -- endless novelty for aspiring motor boys. You could find those after market turn signal control fixtures with the two tiny lights in them and the brown lever -- the one that the dump truck driver never remembered to return to center after signaling his turn. In those days the turn signals were on more than they were off and their only relevance was when you saw them momentarily go off and then back on again perhaps for the opposite direction this time. I think all the Logan Valley busses had this steering wheel post attachment. In those days and prior there were families living in the old passenger cars at Logan Boulevard and 6th Avenue. The dirt road going back to the railroad passed parallel to a small enclave of shacks and sheds and old cars with chain hoists attached to their motors from tree limbs.
Who these people were who lived in the passenger car community was unknown, but if you messed around in there you were sure to find out. A fascinating feature of the trolley and bus was the transfer. It was like a free ticket which you could ask for even if you didn't intend to use it. It kind of made you feel important, like a world traveler or something, like someone of extended passage who went beyond customary boundaries. It was fun to either alone or with your buddies request a transfer. Along with that the names in the marquee were fascinating, especially at night when a bus would display "Garage". Wouldn't it be fun to get off at the "Garage" one time or take the trolley all the way to the "Car Barn"? Does anybody have a list of the routes and destinations which the operator or motorman could crank into the window? I remember when our church purchased an old stick shift Logan Valley bus, we were constantly messing with the marquee much to being yelled at by Art Ross who was the chief driver. "Youins keep your hands off of that crank!" he would yell. Sometimes it would say "Chartered" other times "Special" and if we boys got into it it would say: "Fairview" (wherever that was) or 58th Street (just as mystical).
Regards, Phil
1954 Chartered Railfan Trip
Railfan tour of the Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway with Osgood Bradley car # 70. Chartered fan trip of the Lehigh Valley Chapter, NRHS on July 25, 1954; arranged by Mr. Gerhard Salomon, presently 2nd VP, Lehigh Valley Chapter NRHS who provided the identifying information on this photograph. The trip also utilized A&LVERY Car # 51.
Kneeling, left to right: Thomas Ruddell, Richard Pearson, Larry Fisher, Andrew Maginnis, Gerard Deily, Kenneth Bogert, Walter Ensley, unknown, Lloyd Allen, Ernest Kovacs, Elwood McEllroy.
Standing from left to right: Motorman-name unknown, Charles Kleivman, unknown, Albert Remaley (in front), unknown, (behind) unknown, Charles Houser, Charles Houser's son, Randolph Kulp, unknown, unknown, William Coe, unknown, Edward Miller, Woodrow Eckert, Alma Eckert, unknown, unknown, Irene Kovacs, Elaine McEllroy, unknown, unknown, (two fellows behind) unknown, Margaret McEllroy, unknown, Dolores Rautter (later Dolores Salomon) Gary Dillon, Emma Salomon, Gerhard Salomon, George Basch. (The Motorman's name is WILBUR LIBOLD per info received from his grandson, Bob Blair, who lives in Kentucky. )
Particular thanks to Mr. Salomon for furnishing this information on a photograph (purchased at a train meet in Allentown two years prior by David Seidel).
Additional Information may be found at the following locations:
AMCAP - Logan Valley Bus Company
For a further history of the A/LVERy, visit the Altoona Metro Transit (AMTRAN) Authority website.
For a personal / historical perspective, visit "Altoona Street Cars" by Phil Margush
|
|
|
