Kirjahaku

Street Cars of Washington D.C. is a photographic essay of the history of the well-kept modern street car system that provided frequent transit service to much of our nation's capital up to its closure in January, 1962. Washington D.C. was the first North American city to operate its entire base service by President's Conference Committee (PCC) cars. Washington D.C. had the fifth largest PCC car fleet in North America. While these cars had poles for overhead wire operation, they were the only PCC cars in the world equipped with plows for conduit operation. Washington D.C. PCC cars, all built by St. Louis Car Company, were about two foot shorter in length or one less window than other PCC cars, because of short clearances in car house transfer tables. The Silver Sightseer in Washington D.C. was the world's first air conditioned street car. Fifty four years later in February 2016, street cars returned to Washington D.C. All of this has been included in Street Cars of Washington D.C.

The Toronto Beaches Lions Club Easter Parade of April 8, 2012 leading off with Toronto Transit Commission historic Presidents' Conference Committee car No. 4500, vintage Peter Witt car No. 2766, and Canadian Light Rail Vehicle No. 4074 in this view on Queen Street at Woodbine Avenue was witnessed by thousands of people. Kenneth Springirth, with a lifelong interest in rail transportation, has made numerous trips to Toronto to ride, research, walk, and photograph the streetcar lines. Born and raised in the United States, he commuted to the Drexel Institute of Technology (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia by streetcar, subway, and sometimes commuter train. His father was a streetcar motorman in Philadelphia and his grandfather was a streetcar motorman in Washington D.C. This book is a photographic essay documenting Toronto's extensive streetcar system that during 2012 on an average Monday to Friday work day carried an average of 285,000 passengers with its 11 routes, 671 stops, and 247 cars. From the urban residential area of Kingston Road to the commercial district of Spadina Avenue where between King and Bloor Streets there is a streetcar in peak periods every 2 to 3 minutes, this book provides an insight to an amazing streetcar system.

Reading Railroad Heritage is a photographic essay of the history of a well-run system up to its acquisition by the Consolidated Rail Corporation in 1976, and its legacy that includes the Reading & Northern Railroad, certain electrified commuter lines operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in the Philadelphia area, and a sampling of a number of short line railroads that were initiated to preserve rail service. The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad opened its first line from Philadelphia to Reading in 1839. Within a few years, it constructed railroad lines throughout the coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania and in 1893 became the Reading Company. The railroad was noted for its design and building of steam locomotives, which culminated in the fabulous T1 class of steam locomotives placed in service in 1945-1946. Some of these freight locomotives, with their classic arched cab windows, powered the Iron Horse Rambles of the 1960s. Circumstances beyond its control, including the decline in the hauling of anthracite coal and passenger business, ended in the bankruptcy of the railroad.