Are there any subway/elevated transit system models out there that are close to the equipment once used by the Philadelphia Transportation Co ( PTC ), on either the Frankfort Elevated or the Broad Street Subway ? I'm talking about the cars I grew up with in the '50s.
And don't forget that, "You can't get to Heaven on the Frankford El, 'cause the Frankford El goes straight to Frankford.
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Couldn't resist a shout out for the American Dream!
rickoshay posted:Couldn't resist a shout out for the American Dream!
Rick, enlighten me. Was that the name of the group that sang the Frankford El song ?
One more thing while I am typing. The spell check just won't give into Frankford. It keeps changing it to Frankfort.....LOL
Yep, maybe the best of the local Philly bands. Saw them a couple of times back in the day along with Woody's Truck Stop and Sweet Stavin' Chain. The best was the time they backed up Al Kooper (Super Sessions) to open a multi band rock concert at the Spectrum. The El song is available on youtube.
And for anyone who never heard the song. Also for those of us who remember the area.
...pass the mustard..
(Frankfurter 
)
Inna-gadda-da-vi-go tie dye some sleepers with it now 
( 
kiddin', interested; maybe jealous, thanks gents)
Adriatic, funny you should mention it! 
The other bands at that Spectrum concert were Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Sly & the Family Stone, and the Grateful Dead!
Dan, I hope someone helps out with your original question. I remember going to concerts at the Tower Theater located, I think, at 69th and Market Street. Wasn't this near Frankford?
MTH has good versions of the street trolleys-green and tan stubby and the PCC in green and white. I couldn't find any photos of the elevated trains for your time period.
I passed under the El in Frankfort this summer while driving to an architectural recycling facility. The steel is still the original riveted material.
Rode the PTC from '62 -'66 making the trip from Olney to Center City: Destination: The Palestra! Would be great to see some models! Kudo's Dan for starting the thread! 
Models of the trackless trolley would be great to see!
I lived at 5020 Griscom Street in 1966, right near the last stop on the Frankford L, I frequently took it into Center City as I worked for IBM at 17th and Market. A short walk to the Frankford station and I was on my way.
Moonman posted:MTH has good versions of the street trolleys-green and tan stubby and the PCC in green and white. I couldn't find any photos of the elevated trains for your time period.
I passed under the El in Frankfort this summer while driving to an architectural recycling facility. The steel is still the original riveted material.
Funny you should mention passing under the El. Way, way back, in 1966, my buddy and I were passing under the El at Castor and Kensington Aves. Both being train enthusiasts, we happened to be looking at the support structure of the El. We noticed a rather sizable crack in one of the truss members. This particular member was the last sloping piece that basically is the most important piece of the truss. We called SEPTA and told them about it. The next day there was a forest of heavy timber supports under that truss.
Gee, I was riding that in 66, glad you spotted that and saved me! 
For me, a "trackless trolley" is like hearing an airplane being called a "waterless boat"
With a steering wheel, it's a bus to me; a no-battery electric bus 
..with a really cool cord
I caught the IB refrence in the YT comments. I saw John Kay a few times and IB when some of the old Steppenwolf was playing with them, but not until the 80s and "stadium stuff" not in a "nostalgic" theater setting of any kind. Though I did get my first copy of IGDV from a soon to be Nun as a gift after pushing a car out from under a flooded viaduct ( along with a lot of other music you would not exactly expect a soon to be Nun to be familiar with; like early Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa's "Freak Out" {more sounds than music}... oh, and Black Sabbath 
; She said "If you listen, the songs are just warnings". I like a kind of unusually wide range of music, but "heavy" has really been more my thing since then
Good news: There are Frankford El and Broad Street Subway models out there.
Bad news: They're in HO and out of stock. I do have one of the Adtranz cars in HO; nice bit of kit.
You CAN get a Red Arrow PCC car or Brill Bullet, however...
https://www.shapeways.com/prod...od?optionId=43631199
https://www.shapeways.com/prod...dy?optionId=37848587
Mitch
(who grew up riding the Budd Market Street cars from Center City to Bridge Street to 69th and back just for the hell of it. Also to go to Todd's Hobby Shop at 69th St, Mack's Hobbies at K&A, Center City Hobbies on Chestnut Street...)
Dan Padova posted:Are there any subway/elevated transit system models out there that are close to the equipment once used by the Philadelphia Transportation Co ( PTC ), on either the Frankfort Elevated or the Broad Street Subway ? I'm talking about the cars I grew up with in the '50s.
And don't forget that, "You can't get to Heaven on the Frankford El, 'cause the Frankford El goes straight to Frankford.
The Hooters! What a great band. My wife and I used their newer song, "I'm Alive" as our wedding song.
I'm not looking to model subways, but I do look at the offerings. I'm surprised that I have not seen more of SEPTA, PTC, etc.
Is this it? Passed under this beautiful structure many times on Amtrak.
MELGAR
Yes , that is the Frankford El , as seen from the Northeast Corridor tracks . You are looking at Kensington Ave. , just northeast of the Venago street station of the EL .
That location is only a stones throw from the curve the Amtrak train was wrecked .
Badge109 posted:
I'm not looking to model subways, but I do look at the offerings. I'm surprised that I have not seen more of SEPTA, PTC, etc.
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Hello !!
Well, I have posted my Philly modeling stuff seen shown on my "O-Scale" traction layout here before -- don't remember it getting a lot of interest -- been in Philly since 1968 and still here in the very far N.E. section where my home and layout is. Here are a few sample photos below -- and for more photos here BELOW is the link to its FLICKR Album of my Philly models and scenes
NOTE: original Link was just removed -- this is the proper WORKING LINK below:
regards - Joe F
The MTH Lo-v subway cars are about as close as they make to the 1907 M1 cars that ran between 1907 and 1961. Hopefully Mikey will someday release a set of Philly subway cars.
The original 1906 and 1922 Philly EL cars (pre almond joy) were the world's slowest subway elevated cars in there day. That's a fact.
Corgi makes a nice O scale (1:50) PTC PCC. Nicholas Smith has one on their site. I have one that was motorized by PA Heritage Models.
But I don't know of any O scale PTC El or Subway cars.
You might be interested in Peter Lerro's print Shifting on Delaware Avenue.
I bought a copy of this print and it just dawned on me that I bought it very close to the vantage point of the artist. At an Atlantic Division meet on Delaware Avenue (now called Columbus Blvd.).
Joseph Frank posted:Badge109 posted:
I'm not looking to model subways, but I do look at the offerings. I'm surprised that I have not seen more of SEPTA, PTC, etc.
============================================================================================================
Hello !!
Well, I have posted my Philly modeling stuff seen shown on my "O-Scale" traction layout here before -- don't remember it getting a lot of interest -- been in Philly since 1968 and still here in the very far N.E. section where my home and layout is. Here are a few sample photos below -- and for more photos here BELOW is the link to its FLICKR Album of my Philly models and scenes
NOTE: original Link was just removed -- this is the proper WORKING LINK below:
regards - Joe F
it does remind me of philly, many years ago. very impressive rendering.
many years ago I remember leaving a center city meeting on vine street extension. raining as I entered and by the time I got to Schuylkill river bridge it was freezing rain. I was in left lane preparing to turn on u turn for Schuylkill expressway south. I was barely moving and slid into center guardrail and lost my front hubcap. (car only few months old). stopped, opened door and picked up hubcap; which was just outside door. I was only car on freeway. I slowly crawled over river bridge and saw to my horror, 3 philly police trucks, parked just off left lane directly in front of me. if I was not crawling I can only imagine what would have happened. (frank Rizzo days). nobody wipes out 3 philly trucks and walks away unscathed. eventually and slowly made it home. trolley tracks in street do not help in ice storm.
Find drawings of the equipment.
Produce them in 3D. Easy...
PRRTrainguy posted:trolley tracks in street do not help in ice storm.
They could be treacherous even in snow. Our family had a newspaper deliver business for many years. In 1968, around 4:30 AM one snowy Sunday morning, my 18 year old brother was driving us down Germantown Avenue to pick up the papers. He was driving a brand new Jeep Wagoneer like an 18 year old, he skidded on the trolley tracks which launched us head on into a trolley catenary support pole. Did a job on the Wagoneer.
LOL
"Can't get to heaven on the Frankford El
You can't get to heaven on the Frankford El
No, you can't get to heaven on the Frankford El
'cause the Frankford El goes straight to Frankford!"
Oh yea..... the Frankford el. Early 70's I'd get on at Bridge st. rode to 69th st. got off and get a returned trip back. If I remember right, $.35 one way and $.05 return ticket.
Oh such confusion. This is the Market-Frankford line. Clearly, those of us who traveled the Market Street portion of it (like going from 69th Street to American Bandstand at 46th Street) never needed to be bothered with the Frankford portion.
Gerry
I still think the PRT missed a bet by not putting in a wye at Front and Arch, extending the Delaware Avenue line to the Navy Base and adding a wyed spur to the Frankford Arsenal. Arsenal to Navy Base service would have been very useful during wartime, and even today in their roles as industrial parks.
Mitch
gmorlitz posted:Oh such confusion. This is the Market-Frankford line. Clearly, those of us who traveled the Market Street portion of it (like going from 69th Street to American Bandstand at 46th Street) never needed to be bothered with the Frankford portion.
Gerry
And vice-versa.
M. Mitchell Marmel posted:I still think the PRT missed a bet by not putting in a wye at Front and Arch, extending the Delaware Avenue line to the Navy Base and adding a wyed spur to the Frankford Arsenal. Arsenal to Navy Base service would have been very useful during wartime, and even today in their roles as industrial parks.
Mitch
The Frankfort El did, at one time have an elevated line over Columbus Blvd ( formally Delaware Ave. ) I am not sure how far down it went.
Was born in Frankford Hospital. Took the el many times as a kid. Lived at 20th and Wingohocking St. right across from Wayne junction. Dad took me down to the tracks many times to watch steam engines. I think we moved out of there in 1956 or so. It was basically one block to the tracks.
Oldmike
OldMike posted:Was born in Frankford Hospital. Took the el many times as a kid. Lived at 20th and Wingohocking St. right across from Wayne junction. Dad took me down to the tracks many times to watch steam engines.
Oldmike
You were a fortunate kid, Mike.
OldMike posted:Was born in Frankford Hospital. Took the el many times as a kid. Lived at 20th and Wingohocking St. right across from Wayne junction. Dad took me down to the tracks many times to watch steam engines. I think we moved out of there in 1956 or so. It was basically one block to the tracks.
Oldmike
Mike -- I lived in G-town in residences variously in the grid between Chelten Ave and Wayne Jct and between Wayne Av north to Magnolia St, from 1971 thu mid 1995 --- and finally got out for good. You would NOT want to live in, nor be around 20th & Wingohocking or Wayne Jct or the entire area in these present times.....
Back in the early 50's is was all post war working class folks. If fact my mother knew the guy who started Mrs. Paul's fish sticks,he lived nearby. Here is the back story. I don't know which guy she knew. http://www.mrspauls.com/Our-Story.aspx
Oldmike
Dan Padova posted:The Frankfort El did, at one time have an elevated line over Columbus Blvd ( formally Delaware Ave. ) I am not sure how far down it went.
At least to Front & Arch:
Took the el to Frankford end of line then jumped on the Trackless trolley up the Boulevard dance.
The original (1907) Market Street El went from 69th Street to South Street, servicing the various Delaware River ferries via stops at Market-Chestnut Streets and the terminal at South Street. The Frankford El was opened in 1922 from Front and Arch to Bridge and Pratt Streets.
What I would have liked to see is the Delaware Avenue El extended to the Navy Base, with stops at, say, Washington Av, Tasker, Snyder, Oregon, Pattison and the Base.
The spur to the Frankford Arsenal could have branched off around the Church St. station with stops at Torresdale, Aramingo, Bridge and the Arsenal.
Mitch
Dan Padova posted:Are there any subway/elevated transit system models out there that are close to the equipment once used by the Philadelphia Transportation Co ( PTC ), on either the Frankfort Elevated or the Broad Street Subway ? I'm talking about the cars I grew up with in the '50s.
And don't forget that, "You can't get to Heaven on the Frankford El, 'cause the Frankford El goes straight to Frankford.
ISLAND MODEL WORKS (aka Owner Joe Ogden) has NOW released info and photos on his new O SCALE Market-Frankford (1960 built) BUDD Almond Joy EL car -- available as a body shell and with all parts including trucks to complete the shell to full finished detailed model. Here is the link to his Page for the car with photos --- I reserved on car for myself.... I saw the finished Pilot Model Body at our NYCMTA Assn Mass Transit Modelers Meet Nov. 3 at Parsippany, N.J. The car is fantastic !! Page Link below:
http://islandmodelworks.com/OPA.html
regards - Joe F
John Pignatelli JR. posted:Took the el to Frankford end of line then jumped on the Trackless trolley up the Boulevard dance.
Sorry , I'm confused . There never was a trackless trolley on Roosevelt Blvd. Which is where the Boulevard dance was located . Maybe you took the Route 66 trolley ,which was trackless , from the Frankford /Pratt station up to Cottman Ave . and then transfered to the route that went from Cottman/Frankford to Cottman /Boulevard then walked the two blocks to the dance ? Sorry , I do not remember just what route number that is .
Summerdale Junction posted:John Pignatelli JR. posted:Took the el to Frankford end of line then jumped on the Trackless trolley up the Boulevard dance.
Sorry , I'm confused . There never was a trackless trolley on Roosevelt Blvd. Which is where the Boulevard dance was located . Maybe you took the Route 66 trolley ,which was trackless , from the Frankford /Pratt station up to Cottman Ave . and then transfered to the route that went from Cottman/Frankford to Cottman /Boulevard then walked the two blocks to the dance ? Sorry , I do not remember just what route number that is .
I think that was the Y route, now called 70. I could be wrong, years since I took that bus to school
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