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  3. History of Public Transportation In 1915, the Morrellville line was extended into Oakhurst and an underpass was built on Fai

History of Public Transportation In 1915, the Morrellville line was extended into Oakhurst and an underpass was built on Fai

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问题                       History of Public Transportation
    In 1915, the Morrellville line was extended into Oakhurst and an underpass was built on Fairfield  Avenue at the PRR tracks. Twenty additional cars were delivered in 1916 and 1917, replacing many of the older single truck cars.
    By 1918, the traction company reported that they operated 108 cars over 35.7 miles of track. It should be noted that the number of cars seems high for the size of the city, but at that time the company  kept summer cars, winter cars and trailers. Moving along with transportation improvements, the traction company formed a subsidiary, the Traction Bus Co. , to operate motorbus lines that would connect with the streetcar routes. This new company received its charter on Nov. 15, 1922. The first bus began its run seven days later from the Dale trolley loop to Windber, via Geistown.
    By 1920, the traction company wanted to retire its aging single truck cars. Over the next six years, it purchased 45 double truck cars. A number of these were second-hand, coming from Cleveland  and Somerset. They also obtained three new cars for the Windber line in 1924 and 20 new ears for other routes in 1926.
    With the acquisition of the second-hand cars, the company began to paint the cars and buses Omaha  Orange and Panama Sand, with medium gray roof, black undercarriage and striping. In 1929, the company expanded its bus routes with the acquisition of the Southern Cambria and the Beaverdale and South Fork bus lines after the Southern Cambria Railway folded.
    During 1930, the bridge over the Stonycreek at Point Stadium was completed, and the city required  the traction company to relocate its Coopersdale and Morrellville car lines from tile north side of the river. The first car operated along Point Boulevard (Roosevelt Boulevard) on Oct. 19, 1930. In November 1931, the company was placed in receivership for failure to pay interest on its bonds. The receivers ran the system for a year, while refinancing and reorganizing the company on Dec. 3, 1932, retaining the same title.
    The traction company was hardly out of one trouble when it was hit by another. Rain combined with melting snows caused flooding on March 17, 1936, closing all of the streetcar lines.  The Stonycreek washed out much of the Windber line; the Coopersdale car house was under five feet of water; and 10 cars were trapped on the city streets.
    By the end of March, the company had four of its lines operating. However, after surveying the damaged Windber line, it declared that the damage was too extensive to repair, and the cars were terminated on the Benscreek side of the Stonycreek. Buses were substituted over Route 56.
    With more and more bus routes being added, the traction company, in 1936, saw the need for closer control. On Jan.  1, 1937, the bus companies were merged into the parent firm. In 1938, Westmont residents requested improved service. Tile Inclined Plane, which carried vehicles for many years, was rebuilt to handle heavier loads, and bus service was initiated via the Inclined Plane to Westmont on an hourly basis.
    Loss in patronage in the late 1930’s caused the company to look toward buses to reduce costs on lightly traveled car lines. Dale was motorized on Aug. 2, 1940, but wartime shortages and increased patronage postponed further conversions.
    World War II caused a transit boom. During 1941 and 1942, the company was able to purchase 14 used streetcars and 11 new diesel buses. It rebuilt much of the Southmont line, using rail from the old Somerset line, and replaced rail on the Franklin line.     The Office of Defense Transportation ordered bus service cut 20 percent and bus and streetcar lines combined to save gasoline and tires. In August 1942, women began training to operate the buses.
    The American Federation of Labor organized the operators and shop and maintenance employees in 1941. They struck twice in 1943, for one day each, against the War Labor Board’s reduction in wages.
    For three successive years, 1942-1944, the company paid a dividend, the first since several years before the company’s 1932 reorganization. The year 1943 marked the all-time highest record for riders, with 17,047,406.
    The citizens of Johnstown had wondered about the advisability of purchasing additional used cars in 1941 and 1942, but soon they were glad to find space aboard them, as wartime shortages caused all time  high-riding records. Beginning in 1945, the company bought all its power from the Pennsylvania Electric Co.. The out power plant was changed into a substation and two new rectifiers were installed.
    After several profitable years, the company decided that the streetcars should remain, and it did not resume conversions. Instead, the company surprised the transportation industry when it ignored the second-hand market in March 1945 and placed an order for 17 new trolleys known as PCCs.
    Financing was arranged for the new cars, as well as 14 buses, loops at Ferndale and Roxbury and two miles of new track for the Franklin line.
    On Jan. 25, 1947, the first of the new cars arrived. They represented the latest work in public conveyances. These new cars were the first "all electric" St. Louis cars, and Johnstown was the smallest city in the country to operate them.
    In September 1951, tile company began to convert Homer Street to trackless trolley operations. The first trackless coaches ran on Nov. 20. Service on the line was provided by six 48-seat coaches of St. Louis Car Co..
    The mid 1950’s brought an industrial slowdown, which reduced service to five PCCs on 30-40 minute headways. The Franklin line was temporarily cut back, in 1956, to the west end of the Franklin Borough Bridge while a new bridge was being erected. A crossover was installed to allow ears to be cut back, and again the old double-end cars saw service on the line. Surprisingly, at this late date, new rail was installed on the new bridge, and the PCCs had resumed service.
    Buses were substituted on the Benscreek line during 1957, and overhead work was begun on the Roxbury-Morrellville trackage in preparation for conversion to trackless trolley service. In June of the same year, the company purchased 10 second-hand trolley coaches from Wilmington, DE, and 11
    from Covington, KY. These were reconditioned and painted in the company shops. Ferndale and Coopersdale were converted to bus operation on Nov. 25, 1959. During 1959, the last full year of trolley service, the company had 38 cars (16 PCCs, 18 Light-weights, 4 work), 27 trolley coaches and 45 buses. It operated 27.04 miles of streetcar lines and 7.7 miles of trackless trolley route.
    All rail operations were halted on June 11, 1960, and buses we e substituted. This conversion, prompted by the city’s institution of a one-way street system, occurred before the Roxbury-Morrellville line could be completely converted to use by the trackless trolley coaches. This service began on Sept. 26, 1960, after the city paved the center of Roxbury Avenue. Trackless trolley operations were terminated and converted to bus service in November 1967.
On March 17, 136, rain combined with melting snows caused flooding, closing all of the streetcar lines. The Stonycreek washed out much of the Windber line; the Coopersdale car house was under five feet of water; 10 cars were trapped on the city streets;an
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B、N
C、NG
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