[PRCo] Re: More Theories I Have Heard & Read

[John Swindler]

To approach it from another direction, Ken,

So how would the transit industry history been any different if NCL had 
never existed??  Can anyone name one rail transit property or even one rail 
line that would not have been conveted to bus?  (I'll have to ask Ed 
Tennyson about route 42 in west Philly.)

On the other hand, having read the CERA book on Cincy, Newport and 
Covington, I wouldn't be surprised if NCL didn't bring better, more 
efficient management to several properties.  Perhaps all NCL, ATE, and some 
of these other transit owner/management groups really did was slow the slide 
into public ownership by a couple years.

Just a suspicion.

Someday I want to plod through the court documents to see exactly what the 
court record shows for the NCL case.

John

p.s.  to add one more to your list item #6:  George Krambles commented 
during a 4000 series charter in early 1970s that cost of operation for 
diesel buses and trackless trolleys was almost identical.  But the cost of 
maintaining the overhead infrastructure was the deciding factor.   Not sure 
if operating subsidies had become available to CTA at that time, which means 
that CTA may have been struggling to still operate out of the farebox.





>From: Ken & Tracie <kjosephson at sprintmail.com>
>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>Subject: [PRCo] More Theories I Have Heard & Read
>Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 19:56:11 -0800
>
>
>Below are some interesting opinions and theories. I do not admit to either 
>agreeing
>nor disagreeing with them. I just wish to illustrate the NCL-conspiracy 
>crowd isn't
>the only group out there.
>
>1.) The Cold War killed the streetcar in D.C...the capitol of the leading 
>world super
>power could not have "obsolete trolleys" and tracks in their 
>streets....(yes, we all
>know about Georgetown.)
>
>2.) Milwaukee killed some profitable inner sections of their interurban 
>system due to
>both anti-trust actions by the Feds (probably quietly welcomed by 
>management) and the
>fact that the parent power company wanted the rails and transit operations 
>off their
>rights of way.
>
>3.) Chicago was going to keep ten to fifteen heavily traveled routes until 
>the PCCs
>were life expired, but became discouraged by increased street congestion.
>
>4.) The TTC streetcar system was doomed to gradual replacement until the 
>late 1970s,
>when the decision to retain the majority of the rail system was made. The 
>trolley
>coach network was lost only because one particular manager didn't like them 
>and he was
>the boss when the fleet became life expired.
>
>5.) Houston, Texas gave up streetcars because it looked bad for a major 
>city in an oil
>producing state to have electric transit (I have to admit, I do snicker 
>about this
>one!)
>
>6.) Chicago gave up trolley coaches because (take your pick) a.) the money 
>wasn't
>there to renew the fleet, b.) the money wasn't there to renew the 
>infrastructure, or
>c.) George Krambles got tired of having to suspend service or substitute 
>diesels on
>routes with frequently flooded railroad underpasses.
>
>7.) Many smaller and medium size Canadian cities abandoned trolley coaches 
>because a.)
>they couldn't afford renewal because there was not a big Chicago order to 
>"coat tail"
>on, or b.) there was a deadline to abandon or comply with new environmental
>regulations forcing remaining systems to remain indefinitely. Notice that 
>Hamilton and
>Toronto motorized during the 1990s and that Edmonton's system may be 
>replaced with CNG
>or diesels after 2007.
>
>8.) Detroit was pressured to abandon streetcars and trolley coaches because 
>the "auto
>capitol of the world" shouldn't have electric transit (see Houston....hee, 
>hee!)
>
>9.) SEPTA continued to abandon lines so they would have money to meet union 
>pay and
>benefit demands.
>
>10.) MBTA was pressured to abandon the Watertown line permanently by the 
>same
>community that is siding with Cambridge to keep trackless trolleys in the 
>same area
>(figure that one out!) Other line segments MBTA is trying to abandon is due 
>to
>sinister reasons withheld  from the riding public.
>
>11.) Anti-streetcar sentiment made a good political issue for local office 
>seekers,
>conditioning Pittsburgh citizens to hate streetcars. (Ah, back on topic!)
>
>As noted at the beginning of the above listing, these are things I have 
>heard and
>read. I do not necessarily believe some of them, but they are rather 
>interesting, to
>say the least! :-)
>
>K.


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