Trolley sign at P&LE station

[Carl Zager]

Bob,

I can't answer you questions, but the photo evoked quite a memory for me.

I think it was Christmas season 1962. I was home from college. Mom was
working late at the Hilton desk, so I hitched some rides from Greentree to
try and meet her to do some shopping at Hornes, Kaufmann's and Gimbel's.
It was a miserable night.

Somehow I ended up at the P&LE station, cold and wet. I decided enough was
enough and would catch a streetcar into Downtown. The first car that came
out of the tunnel was an old low-floor running with no destination
sign. He stopped for me -- probably out of sympathy -- and put his hand
over the coin box. "I'm deadheading in to get ready for the rush when the
stores close."

I'll always remember the sights of Downtown all lit up for Christmas. I'll
always remember the smile and greeting of the motorman. It was a miserable
night.

But I am now doubting my memory of whether it really was an old low-floor.
Maybe I just want it to be. 


On Mon, 20 Nov 2000, Bob Rathke wrote:

> Derick uploaded one of my photos to the website.  Go to:
> 
> <http://trolley.dementia.org/brathke>, and scroll down to "PLEsign.JPG".
> 
> This is a photo that I took on 10/10/65 under the canopy at the P&LE
> station.  It shows the trolley route sign on the east - city bound -
> side of the canopy.  The light reflection obliterates a few words:
> "PENNSYLVANIA STATION" in the first line, and "DRAKE" in the second
> line.
> 
> Some questions:
> 
> 1. I don't recall an "Outbound Cars" sign on the west side of the
> canopy.  Does anyone know if such a sign was there too?
> 
> 2. Was there a trolley route sign at the old B&O station at the north
> end of the Smithfield St. Bridge?  I have numerous interior and exterior
> photos of the B&O station, and many signs are visible, but no trolley
> route sign.
> 
> 3. There was a trolley route sign (much like the P&LE sign) at the
> waiting canopy at the PRR station on Liberty Ave.  Does anyone know what
> happened to this sign - and the P&LE sign?
> 
> 
> Bob 11/20
> 
> 
> 

 Carl Zager						KB9RVB
 czager at bloomington.in.us         http://www.mccsc.edu/~czager