Passenger Trains > SEPTA Route 15 PCC Cars Out of Service Starting Sunday

According to the WHYY web site (Philadelphia PBS), SEPTA will be taking the PCC cars on Route 15 (Girard Ave.) out of service on this Sunday, Jan. 26.  The article says that too many of the cars need repairs and that the fleet cannot be relied upon to provide good service.  At this time, It is not clear if the cars will be repaired and placed back in service or not.  If they are eventually put back into service, it would be 18 months or so before that could happen as the city has planned a major street repair project.  Being a trolley buff, I am leaving now to go into the city to take some photos as I am pessimistic (personal opinion) about them ever returning. I hope that I am wrong about that.  To be fair, SEPTA's website says that the PCC cars will be refurbished and eventually put back into service.  Time will tell.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/20 15:13 by birdman.

They'll probably return as soon as someone figures out an ADA compliant trolley car curb stop set up to allow a new order to go forward for Philadelphia.

A NYC transit chatboard had a long discussion on this. They stated they are having too much trouble finding spare parts. 

Would this be a good time to start the conversion to standard gauge.

usmc1401 Wrote:
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> Would this be a good time to start the conversion
> to standard gauge.

Why?  What's the point?

Replica street cars have been built. Maybe someone should build replica PCC cars with up-to-date parts. 

Buy some back from San Francisco - LOL.  Are they having PCC probems there?

Muni still has them running.
Maybe SEPTA should give them to Muni. 
They could use more PCCs



boejoe Wrote:
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> Buy some back from San Francisco - LOL.  Are they
> having PCC probems there?

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

A big THANK YOU, Birdman, for the heads up!  

As a traction fan in New England, I've managed to ride all SEPTA routes except the #15 and the line to West Trenton in the past 3 or 4 years.  I booked a day trip for tomorrow to get both lines!  Thank you again for the heads up!

birdman Wrote:
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 To be fair,
> SEPTA's website says that the PCC cars will be
> refurbished and eventually put back into service.
>  Time will tell.

So how long has 23 - Germantown been "temporarily" bussed, 27 years?

Gordon

abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> usmc1401 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Would this be a good time to start the
> conversion
> > to standard gauge.
>
> Why?  What's the point?

Exactlly.  Whyyyyyyyyy???? (said in the tone of Jerry Seinfeld posing the question why any woman would want to date Newman).

gbmott Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> birdman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>  To be fair,
> > SEPTA's website says that the PCC cars will be
> > refurbished and eventually put back into
> service.
> >  Time will tell.
>
> So how long has 23 - Germantown been "temporarily"
> bussed, 27 years?

Closer to 28 years. I believe it was shutdown in late spring 1992 for trackwork and then never reopened.

The old 23 route also no longer exists, SEPTA has broken it up to enhance reliability.

Maybe one day it will return, who knows? Most of the track and wires are still there north of Temple.  The area of dense ridership is for Gorgas Lane loop to Lehigh Ave.  Almost nobody rode it in or out of Chestnut Hill, and ridership was light southwards from Lehigh where there was a heavy transfer to the 54 as well as origin/destination traffic from the shopping district there.

I keep hoping they'll notice the old Fort Washington Branch right of way and extend a restored trolley up that line to Cheltenham and then along Cheltenham to the Cheltenham Mall.

Well Toronto Ontario Canada is in the long prosess of converting to standard gauge in it's light rail lines. Why don't know but they must have a good reason.

usmc1401 Wrote:
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> Well Toronto Ontario Canada is in the long prosess
> of converting to standard gauge in it's light rail
> lines. Why don't know but they must have a good
> reason.

I tried doing an internet search on what you posted.  The sources I found implied that Toronto will be building two new standard guage light rail lines, but there are no plans to change the gauge of the existing lines.  However, if you know of an internet source (or sources) stating otherwise, feel free to post the link.  Thanks.