Streetcars and Railroads crossing each other at grade

[BaltACD]

The South Shore must have had some “pull,” there’s a photo in the “Classic Trains” interurban issue showing a bridge over the PRR’s Pittsburgh- St. Louis main line belonging to the Dayton and Western, an interurban line that ran from Dayton OH to Richmond IN, with one of the cars on it. The PRR would NOT let the D&W cross at grade.

Then again, the South Shore wasn’t exactly the average interurban line, it was more like a full-blown electric railroad. “Interurban on steroids” springs to mind.

The D&W was abandoned in 1937.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_South_Shore_and_South_Bend_Railroad

[daveklepper]

The Indiana Railroad assumed operation of the Dayton and Western in 1936 with through Indianapolis - Dayton service. Previously, one changed from Indiana Railroad cars to D & W cars in Richmond, Indiana. But a strike in 1937 precipitated a business delcine, and thus the D & W’s abandnment started the abandonment of the major Indiana Railroad lines, with the last being the shorter of the two Idianapolis - Fort Wayne line in Jan. 1941. Token service to Seymore lasted some months until a tragic accident, but this was not an Indiana Railroad operation, one by the power company owner. Service beyond Seymore to Louisville ended earlier, but later than 1937.

[train18393]

In the city of Tacoma they recently put in a trolly, 15 or so years ago. They were to cross the BNSF Prarie Line at grade on Pacific Ave. The Prarie Line had little traffic at that point and what traffic could access the line a bit further south. That is the same line that the Amtrak Cascades train met with tragedy several months ago. Anyways the city negotiated with BNSF to abbandon that section of the rail line rather that go through the legal hoops for a street trolly to cross a heavy rail line. I think that some funds exchanged hands and some property concessions were also made.

Paul