Some more trolleys....C&G, CG&W, H&F, and others....

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I'll-advised twaddle removed.

[Roy]

Hi Roy, Does this bus grab your interest (see bottom photo) ?
When I was teaching in Italy, in the late-60's, I got on a bus having only a vague idea of where I was headed (Café Paris, Via Veneto, Roma) and of where I was supposed to disembark. But I figured, what did that matter? IT was ITALY afterall ! Whatthheck where I ended up ! Every single moment and spot was full of adventure and joy.
I ended up at the Via Veneto, where, years later, somebody took the bottom photo while walking toward the Piazza Barberini, capturing a local bus enroute.

Can't see much of the bus, but unless you're working as a travel agent now, I suspect you're trying to make a point. Something about the appearance of buses being meaningless? It can't be that, though - since you brought up the looks of buses, right?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Can't see much of the bus, but unless you're working as a travel agent now, I suspect you're trying to make a point. Something about the appearance of buses being meaningless? It can't be that, though - since you brought up the looks of buses, right?

You're right, Roy, I was silly to bring such a thing up. You win again, always the antagonistic mouth, with the ever-present negative , critical element consistently present.
Thanks again. I'm learning whom to avoid .
Murph

[rogruth]

Can't see much of the bus, but unless you're working as a travel agent now, I suspect you're trying to make a point. Something about the appearance of buses being meaningless? It can't be that, though - since you brought up the looks of buses, right?

You're right, Roy, I was silly to bring such a thing up. You win again, always the antagonistic mouth, with the ever-present negative , critical element consistently present.
Thanks again. I'm learning whom to avoid .
Murph

[webenda]

Can't see much of the bus, but unless you're working as a travel agent now, I suspect you're trying to make a point. Something about the appearance of buses being meaningless? It can't be that, though - since you brought up the looks of buses, right?

You're right, Roy, I was silly to bring such a thing up. You win again, always the antagonistic mouth, with the ever-present negative , critical element consistently present.
Thanks again. I'm learning whom to avoid .
Murph

Roy's comment looked like constructive criticism to me Murph.

Regarding the "not-a-bus" that jumped the track: Nice find for this trolley thread Murph.

Here is a later image of Pittsburg Railways number 1666:


And an even later image (of 1647 I believe):



I notice in the first photo that the bricks are showing through eroded sections of asphalt. Could be a cool modeling detail on your great layout.

It's interesting to me that there is no thread dedicated to buses, solely.
And why might that be?

I'll take a stab at answering your question Murph. This is "Model Train Journal," not "Model Bus Journal."
Reference: https://www.model-bus-federation.org.uk/member-s-area

I do like your photos of model buses on your layout. I think you should start a thread on model buses (not here, this is a trolley thread.) See how much interest it generates.

[J. S. Bach]

Ah, the flying fraction..

[Roy]

Can't see much of the bus, but unless you're working as a travel agent now, I suspect you're trying to make a point. Something about the appearance of buses being meaningless? It can't be that, though - since you brought up the looks of buses, right?

You're right, Roy, I was silly to bring such a thing up. You win again, always the antagonistic mouth, with the ever-present negative , critical element consistently present.
Thanks again. I'm learning whom to avoid .
Murph

I seem to have a bunch of shit on my shoes, again. Murph, I'm re-posting what you said about the difference between streetcars and buses, because I mostly agree:

It's interesting to me that there is no thread dedicated to buses, solely.
And why might that be?
I theorize that buses had nothing of the style and presence of trolleys, and certainly none of the rattle, grind, thud and clank. Now, I'm not even sure what that means, that I just said, but I can feel what I mean. Riding those trolleys for decades, as a boy, we loved everything about them. When the buses came to take their place, it was a big ho-hum, IMO. What do you say?

(Not prejudiced against buses, of course. Some of my best friends were buses, which took me from college to my home during breaks, my entire tenure in undergraduate school. The trip from Ohio to Pittsburgh was comfortable and convenient on those Greyhounds. Even If there were such a thing as a interstate trolley line, it would have been too hard on the spine and keester to take such a ride on a trolley for that many hours! )

As a kid in the 60's, I always wanted a toy of the double-decker type buses Greyhound was using. It's not that they didn't make such toys; there were lots of them. Of course, I never got one. I don't know what that means. I didn't want other bus toys. I don't even remember if there were other bus toys to be had. So, I've always been critical. As far as being antagonistic, particularly about buses and trolleys, I flat don't know what I said.

[webenda]

Ah, the flying fraction..

Do you recognize the location, Dave?

This is the 77/54 that ran from Carrick, through Center City ("Downtown") to Homewood, passing through Bloomfield. Everyone called it "The Flying Fraction" reportedly named by the late Rege Cordic. The Flying Fraction was memorialized by no less than sportswriter Frank Deford in this essay on Pittsburgh boxer Billy "The Pittsburgh Kid" Conn in: "The Boxer and the Blonde".

Quotes from, "The Boxer and the Blonde":

"When Conn fought in Oakland, at the Gardens, the streetcars would disgorge fans from all over the Steel City. Pittsburgh's streetcar lines were almost all laid out east-west, except for one, which ran north from the mills along the river. It was called the Flying Fraction because it was number 77/54—a combination of two east-west lines, the 77 and the 54—and it went right past both the Gardens and Forbes Field. Three rides to a quarter, and if you were getting off for the fights you got a transfer anyhow and sold it for a nickel to the people waiting, so they could save 3¢ on their ride home."

"June 18, 1941 was the night set for the Louis fight at the Polo Grounds, and Uncle Mike Jacobs began to beat the biggest drums for Conn, even as Louis kept trooping the land, beating up on what became known as the Bums-of-the-Month. Incredibly, 27,000 people—most of them coming off the Flying Fraction—showed up at Forbes Field to watch Conn's final tune-up in May, against a nobody named Buddy Knox."

Reference: https://www.si.com/vault/1985/06/17/622 ... he-blonde#

[J. S. Bach]

Ah, the flying fraction..

Do you recognize the location, Dave?

I am thinking Smithfield street outbound. The car has been modified from the first photo with a brighter headlight mounted on the roof over the headsign for service on the suburban lines to Drake or Library. Note that the car may have been on a fan trip, there is at least one person taking a picture of the car.

[rogruth]

Dave,
Enlighten me, please. I thought you were from the Baltimore or eastern PA area
but you know a lot about Pittsburgh. Is this from your trolley interest or what?

[J. S. Bach]

Dave,
Enlighten me, please. I thought you were from the Baltimore or eastern PA area
but you know a lot about Pittsburgh. Is this from your trolley interest or what?

Baltimore. My trolley interest. My first overnight trip by myself (no parents) with a friend was via Greyhound to Pittsburgh to ride and photograph the trolleys. We stayed at the "Y" on or near Smithfield St a few blocks from the bridge.

[Roy]

Another view of The Grove/Farmer's Market car:

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Another view of The Grove/Farmer's Market car

Where does that route run?

[Roy]

Another view of The Grove/Farmer's Market car

Where does that route run?

The west side of L.A.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Another view of The Grove/Farmer's Market car

Where does that route run?

The west side of L.A.

Ok, that narrows it down a bit........