[PRCo] Re: "flying streetcars"

[ktjosephson at earthlink.net]

Well, I came up with these thoughts.

It was during the U.S.A.-Soviet Union "space race" when the "Jetsons"
cartoon was so popular. The fantasy was that modernized transportation would
be about flying. As we all know, you also had a local D.J. referring to the
77/54 as the "Flying Fraction."

Some of the cars themselves had wings around their headlights, the PCC PRCo
emblem had wings incorporated in its design, jet travel was being touted as
the modern way to travel between cities, etc. The fantasy about "flying
streetcars" could easily come to a child's mind.

One of my older brothers, when he was ten or eleven, used to get behind the
wheel of the '55 Chevy my dad bought for my mom and pretend he was flying
the plane on the hood.

I suppose one way to look at it is that in a future fantasy world of flying
automobiles, moving sidewalks, commuter rockets to the moon, push button
kitchens and talking computers, flying streetcars would fit right
in.........though the lack of rails and wire may have diminished their
appeal to some fans. ;-)

K.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Barry" <mrb190+ at pitt.edu>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2004 1:54 PM
Subject: [PRCo] "flying streetcars"


> In the early 60's, when it seemed that our Pittsburgh traction system
> was just beginning to be largely abandoned in favor of buses, I would
> frequently espouse to my older siblings that streetcars were far better
> than buses.   They knew I was a big fan of the cars, and so to assure me
> of the continued existance of some kind of "streetcar" transportation,
> both my brother and sister would tell me that we would soon be boarding
> "flying streetcars."    This did not seem like a joke to pull on a
> younger sibling, and I envisioned this as streetcars that rode faster
> and were largely on private rights of way.   At least, that is how it
> was interpreted to me ----I think.
>
> But do any of you recall that phrase:  "flying streetcars?"
>
>
>