[:$] I meant to include SF - in the late 1970’s I had a small supporting role in Boeing-Vertol’s construction of Light Rail Vehicles to operate there, esp. the complex geometry and grades at 15th & Taraval Sts. intersection - see: http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/p/203115/2221217.aspx#2221217
Philadelphia was the privately-owned Philadelphia Transit Company or “PTC” until it was taken over by a governmental authority - SEPTA - in the mid-1960’s, as I recall. Pittsburgh was also privately owned, something like the Pittsburgh Street Railway Company, until it was taken over by the Port Authority of Allegheny County (or similar). I don’t about the history of Boston’s lines before the MBTA or “T” was created to run them - a bunch of the Boeing-Vertol LRV’s went there, too.
I too am familiar with the St. Charles St. line in New Orleans - in late August 1969, I rode it several times a few days after Hurricane Camille came ashore further east. The box of slides I have from then are among my best (which isn’t saying much), but they are illustrative of a typical day on the line, the location in the grassy median, some trackwork, and multiple tracks in the middle of Canal Street. Someday when I figure out how to (or buy) a slide scanner, I’ll post the best of them here.
- Paul North.