[PRCo] Re: Last car on 6/14

[Boris Cefer]

Thanks for sharing these sad photos, Bob.

Have you any clue who was taking moving pictures of Fineview cars from an
automobile (?Beetle?) during the last day? The automobile is on several
shots in the Steel City Traction video.

Boris

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> April 30, 1966 was a busy day - the last day for trolleys on the North =
> Side.  I was out early that Saturday morning driving back anf forth =
> among photographic locations on 21-Fineview and 6/14 Avalon.  By =
> afternoon it was raining, but fans were appearing everywhere, especially =
> on Finevew.
>
> Later in the afternoon the rain stopped, and after sunset I started to =
> take photos using a tripod and #5 flashbuls.  Then I rode the last =
> scheduled car - 1678 - on 21-Fineview.  When the last trolley returned =
> downtown (it then went to Tunnel Car House), I got off and ran to catch =
> the last trolley on 6/14-Avalon outbound from Penn Avenue.  The car - =
> 1799 - was jammed, but there was an even larger crowd waiting for us at =
> the Avalon loop.  By that time it was near Midnight, and the Mayor =
> (Burgess?) of Avalon and other dignitaries made brief speeches.  Then =
> the riders re-boarded the trolley for the silent ride back downtown.  It =
> was now May 1, and trolleys were gone from the Northside.
>
> I am attaching low-res scans of a couple of the B&W photos that I took =
> of 1799 that evening:
>
> The first shot was taken as I ran to board 1799 downtown.  It was =
> already SRO.  Note the black flag, and the two photographers running in =
> front of me.
>
> The crowd photo was taken at the Avalon loop as we reboarded the car.  I =
> believe that the man in the black suit and hat, talking to the motorman, =
> is John Dameron.
>
> Bob 10/11/04