Nostalgia & History > A SEPTA #56 Line Memory from 1985

SEPTA PCC 2185 going under SEPTA on Erie Ave. I am NOT going to put my foot in my mouth except to say the obvious, electric cars of three different era's---the PCC, old Reading Heavyweights, and what I think are called Silverliners.

Anyone want to add some details? Photo taken April 1985

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Drew, that's a nice image of an interesting combination. I believe that is a Budd Silver Liner on the right. I also believe the ex-RDG heavyweights were built by Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding in Chester, PA. They are probably on the Fox Chase line (R8) above Cottman Ave. Gerry

As a side note, I just looked it up and this car, #2185 is now in the trolley museum in East Troy Wisconsin

SEPTA 2185 is part of the collection of the East Troy Electric Railroad. The car is stored indoors, in good operating condition, and has been very reliable in the last few years. I learned a lot about the care and feeding of PCCs from the late Fred Perry, and following his advice the car has run flawlessly. Unfortunately, we have no turning loops or wyes, so the car does not operate in service very often. Interested visitors can see the car almost any Saturday or Sunday from now until the end of October. We are located about 35 miles southwest of downtown Milwaukee, WI, just off I-43. More informatioon about the railroad can be found at http://www.easttroyrr.org/

John DeLamater
PCC Department
East Troy Electric Railroad

Wonderful photo!  Thanks.

SEPTA 2185 was purchased from the East Troy Collection in 2011 and donated to Kenosha Area Transit for operation on the Kenosha Streetcar line.  The car has been in regular service, rotating with other operational PCCS (all ex-TTC), since 2012..Kenosha is located on Lake Michigan just north of the Wisconsin-Illinoiis border.  The streetcar operating schedule can be found here:
http://www.kenoshastreetcarsociety.org/hoursandfares

John DeLamater

drew1946 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SEPTA PCC 2185 going under SEPTA on Erie Ave. I am
> NOT going to put my foot in my mouth except to say
> the obvious, electric cars of three different
> era's---the PCC, old Reading Heavyweights, and
> what I think are called Silverliners.
>
> Anyone want to add some details? Photo taken April
> 1985

Looks like this is looking west near North 20th Street and West Erie Avenue.  August 2014 image from Google Street View:

  https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0105386,-75.1611924,3a,49y,253.58h,88.83t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIj-yFL97PuTaomXwEuegZA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DIj-yFL97PuTaomXwEuegZA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D183.1665%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

Looks like the billboards are gone too.

Brian
 

The car is eastbound on Erie ave at 20th street.  The trains are on the Ninth Street branch.  Just to the right is where the former Nicetown station was located. (demolished)   The parking lot is for an Acme super market that is now a church of some sort.   Directly in front of the photographer about six blocks away hidden behind the foreground stuff is the former Budd Company Hunting Park Plant.