This presentation includes video of Route 23 Trolley in downtown Philadelphia and a slideshow with photos taken over the entire route. Trolley operation on Route 23 was discontinued in 1992, and replaced by buses.
Hi taxicab1365, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. That was a nice long trip you had to enjoy what's not there now (just not the same on a bus). Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi Raymond, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'll never forget riding from one end to the other on Route 23. Glad I brought something eat with me. Regards, tassiebaz.
I lived with my aunt on Wayne ave in the early to mid 1980's. It was right off Germantown ave. I lived off Broad and Olney too. I remember the 6 trolley to Cheltenham mall. Those were the days of great living.
Hi Prayerman2009, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Yes, the good old days were great. If you were a bit older, you might remember that the 6 trolley used to go all the way to Willow Grove. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz Really. I lived in Willow Grove with the same aunt in the late 1980's. I remember the early days of Comcast cable too. The push button box. I see you do videos of other city's trolleys. Do you travel around and film them?
Hi @@Prayerman2009, I used to travel around quite a bit in my younger days and photograph and video transport systems around the world. I like the older equipment and there isn't much of that left now. I still travel a bit and when I see something interesting, I try to record it and then share it on RU-vid with those who might be interested. Regards, tassiebaz.
8:54 Car 2800, in addition to the different paint scheme as seen on it and a few others such as 2728, was the highest numbered PCC car on the roster. It was destroyed in 1975, when it and 59 other PCCs burned in the Woodland car barn fire.
Hi RyansColoradoRailPro-ductions, Thanks for watching and for your informative comment. I remember that fire and the unfortunate disastrous results. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😄
I remember that fire, if i recall it was shortly thereafter that they bought some pccs from Toronto, and kept them in the ttc colors. I think that they were numbered 2300 to 2318, though it's been so long I'm no sure anymore. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed.
@@algol1382 Hi, Thanks for your comment. There were actually two batches they bought from Toronto: ex-Toronto/ex-Kansas City, 11 cars, SEPTA numbers 2240-2250, built by St. Louis in 1946, acquired 1976, out-of-service 1983, and ex-Toronto/ex-Birmingham, 19 cars, SEPTA numbers 2300-2318, built by Pullman in 1946, acquired in 1976, out-of-service in 1982. They ran on the Luzerne routes :6, 50, 53, 56, and 60. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😃
Hi Kathie, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'm glad I was able to share these memories with you, especially the clean streets. The good old days were great. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Hi James, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to let me know you enjoy my videos. I am glad to have a way to share these memories with those who are interested. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Hi King Rush Productions, Thanks for watching and for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. I'm happy to have been able to share these memories of the good old days. Cheers, tassiebaz.
When I came home from the nam I took a cab from the airport to center city then rode the 23 all the way to walnut lane !! With just an awol bag just like I had dreamed for a Year
Hi stanley, Thanks for watching and for your comment. The ride on the 23 probably felt like it took as long as the plane ride (ha ha1!). Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Hi Jackson, Thanks for watching and for your comment. Have a look at my "Philadelphia - Red Arrow Trolley Scenes - Part 1 of 4: 69th Street Terminal Area" at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rgQNiA1nufs.html 1:39 and 3:44 for a glimpse of the White Tower at West Chester Pike and Garrett Road. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
@@JacksonBetz Hi, Yeah, I actually ate there a few times. I read that in its peak in the 1950s there were 230 White Tower USA locations. The last location, in Toledo, Ohio, is still open and operational. Just a ghost from the past good old days. Cheers, tassiebaz.
I rode 23 to s philly to vidit grandparents. 1957 it wss route 20 that ran down 12th st and north on 13thst. 23 ran on 10thst Every street in mid 50s had trolley cars. All good memories.
Hi Steve, Yes, your recollections are correct and are from the good old days, which are long gone. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Stay well. Cheers, tassiebaz.
Making that left hand turn onto Bigler Street from 12th was always a crapshoot as someone always parked in the turning zone and you could be stuck for a looong time.
Hi Troy and Tahmir Moore, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Many of us share your wishes for the 23 and 56, and now we include the 15 in our hopes too. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi Joe, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Sound like a great trolley trip with something special at the end. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi Alberto, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Unfortunately, except for West Philly, only the memories are left. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi Ted, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. I'll bet there were times when your brother thought he'd never get to the end of the line. Cheers, tassiebaz. 😃
Hi TapiocaTundra, Thanks for watching and for your astute observation. Civilization hadn't progressed that far when these pictures were taken in the good old days, when the charm of the neighborhoods still existed. All the best for 2023. Cheers, tassiebaz.😄
I’ve never been to Philadelphia, but I find these windows into the past enjoyable and evocative, the snowy (even dreary) days included. Time travel from the comfort of my southern easy chair. Thanks for posting.
@@MarcKevinSmith Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. It gives me great satisfaction to share some memories of the good old days with you. When I took these pictures, never in my wildest imagination did I think I could share them in this manner. Cheers, tassiebaz.
The photos at 4:44 are 2800 S. Marvine St and Marvine & Bigler Streets in South Philadelphia. I rode the 23 Route many time from there to center city and back.
Yet 90% pf the track is still in place. Actually in some places NEW track was put in place along Germantown Ave. 3:54 Wow even as late as 1992 Reading Terminal was still in an abandoned state. I thought SEPTA straight sold it to the City when they left? It sat abandoned for that long?
Hi Kevin, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Reading Terminal was another example that things move slowly in Philadelphia or not at all. I'm not holding my breath waiting for streetcars to be running again on Route 23 either, (now bus routes 23 and 45). Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi Richard, Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. Yes, there are still a few trolley routes in Philadelphia, but you'll have to go to West Philadelphia to see them. There are still the 5 subway-surface routes from City Hall: Route 10 on Lancaster / Lansdowne Aves; Route 11 on Woodland Ave; Route 13 on Chester Ave; Route 34 on Baltimore Ave; and Route 36 on Elmwood Ave. In addition there are two routes out of 69th Street Terminal; one to Sharon Hill and one to Media. There was a route on Girard Ave., the 15, but that is temporarily bus. Stay well. Regards, tassiebaz.
Hi francie18, The demise of trolleys was a long, sad story. Please have a look at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_City_Lines for a description of what happened. Philadelphia was actually a bit behind the times. After the big push of abandonments in the 1950s, several North Philadelphia lines survived into the 1980s and 1990s, and Route 15 is still running as is the subway-surface lines in West Philadelphia (whose tunnel operation saved them). SEPTA sold a bunch of PCCs to San Francisco where they still happily and successfully operate to Fisherman's Wharf. Also, have a look at www.phillytrolley.org/index.html for an interesting website about Philadelphia trolleys, including old transit maps which show just how big the system once was. Regards, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz Thank you! I will check out those sites. I am so happy you have all of this history up here. I rode the 23 trolley with my friends when I was very young.
Hi francie18, I'm sure you'll find the sites interesting and informative. I particularly like the old maps showing all the trolley lines. Regards, tassiebaz.
If something would have expansion subway service trolley route connect the broad Street Subway the best with all trolley routes local Surface On The Street One For The Express Peak Rush Hours Same For Tourtis And One Service At The Same Time
The 23 trolley ran behind my house on 12th street between Jefferson and Master. I believe it was the longest transit route in the city. I attended Spring Garden College in the early 1980's. The school was located in Chestnut Hill. I could catch that trolley at Germantown and Mermaid Lane, and take it back to 12th and Jefferson (home). I couldn't be in a hurry though! LOL!!! It wasn't the most time-efficient way of getting home.
Hi 7fixsfj3, Thanks for watching and for your comment. You must have had lots of patience for that ride on Route 23. I remember in the good old days I rode the 47 or the 50 trolley from 5th and Wyoming into the city. Once every now and then was enough for me. Regards, tassiebaz.
@@tassiebaz I too, (BARELY) remember the 50-Olney line... I was only 6-yrs, when they discontinued it :-( The 50, 47, 23 lines were nick-named the "Marathon Lines", and it stood to reason! I vaguely remember the abandoned rail on the S. Philly segment of the 47-Godfrey line, but NO overhead :-(
Hi Gavin, To my knowledge, Kawasaki cars were never used on Route 23 in regular service. They have been used exclusively on Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, 36, except for an occasional one that used to slip out on Route 15 after it started operating again in in 2005. Regards, tassiebaz.
