As Kenosha Transit streetcars settle into routine operation following celebratory weeks in June and July, fans of the PCC streetcars in Kenosha are finding other websites which extoll success elsewhere and reinforce the frugal KT outlays needed to bring a tourist attraction to Kenosha's Harborpark -- to the benefit of neighboring areas, such as the downtown business district and the budding Harborside recreation district, north of downtown and Harborpark.
Here are several websites which expand our understanding of streetcars in use elsewhere:
http://www.living-room.org/sustain/trolley.htm
San Francisco decided PCC cars were vital to preserving its tourist
appeal while cable cars were halted for major renovation of those
tracks in the 1980s. Read about the imported cars San Francisco
uses with its PCC cars, mostly from Philadelphia.
http://www.webcastro.com/fline.htm
In San Francisco there's little doubt about the appeal of PCC
streetcars. "On September 1st, a long awaited event happened
here in our fabulous city by the bay. A new streetcar line stretching
3 plus miles from the Transbay terminal, up Market, to the Castro.
The 'F' line was dedicated with 17 newly restored PCC trolleys
representing cities from around the country and several antique
trolleys from around the world."
http://www.sfmuni.com/home/home40.htm
Website for San Francisco Municipal Railway, operator of historic
PCC and cable cars.
http://www.goldenstaterails.com/muni.htm
Two weeks before Kenosha Transit began operating PCC streetcars,
San Francisco Muni hosted a "four hour charter using cars
from Muni's historic fleet." Clearly, the charter of KT streetcars
by visitors in July will be followed by other fans visiting Harborpark
and its surrondinjg districts.
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/transit/streetcar/509.htm
"The New Harbourfront Streetcar." An opening phrase
which could be about Kenosha, except it's not. It's about Toronto,
original owner of the five Kenosha streetcars. Toronto has invested
millions in improvements to its Harbourfront line, considerably
more than Kenosha.
http://world.std.com/~mharter/streetcar/trains.htm
While PCC cars dating from Art Deco-era styling earn wide attention
in some quarters, in other transportation policy circles the attention
is forward, toward designs which are best for the 21st century.
This website presents modern and 'virtual' streetcar design images.
http://chemistry.syr.edu/brandt/nol99/nol99.htm
A 1999 survey of New Orleans streetcars, as they emerge from years
of neglect. "New Orleans' streetcars are looking better than
they have in a long time. The recent thorough rebuilding of the
historic cars has restored them nearly to their original appearance."
http://www.trainstation.com/prag.htm
Another city of renown has a modern variant of PCC design operating
along its Route 26. The prospering national capital of Prague,
Hungary, is featured in a videotape sold on the Internet for US$30.
As noted at our KenRail home page, a nearby electric railway museum at East Troy, Wisc., has preserved historic examples of interurban and street railway cars. Visit ...
http://www.easttroyrr.org/pcc.htm
... for a concise account of PCC history, and a bit of insight into its own three PCCs which aren't yet as fit as the Kenosha cars.
