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The st Louis Streetcar Story
Fascinating and comprehensive study of the evolution of public transportation in St. Louis, MO from the very earliest days of horse drawn omnibuses to the end of streetcar service in 1966 and the use of modern diesel buses. This is the story of the growth of an enormously complex the cars, the power stations, shops, car barns, routes, services, early and later technological developments. And it covers the whole spectrum of the horse drawn buses, cable cars, electric street railways, the special intramural street railway for the St. Louis's World Fair, early buses, PCC cars, and diesel buses. And the people who built they system -- the politicians, engineers, system employees -- are also covered along with the franchise finagling, boodle and bribery that accompanied the use and misuse of the municipal franchise. Illustrated throughout with black and white photos. With maps, including two on the end papers. 229 pages with index.
229 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1987
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February 16, 2017
“The St. Louis Street Car Story,” by Andrew W. Young, Interurban Press, Glendale, CA, 1988. This 229-page hardback tells of street cars in St. Louis. The story begins with the first horse-bus service in 1838, through horse drawn rail cars beginning in 1855, cable cars beginning in 1884, and finally electric streetcars, initially battery powered (1887). Frank Sprague demonstrated the first successful electric streetcars powered by overhead wires in 1888, in Richmond, VA. Electrification of horse railways in St. Louis began in the summer of 1889. Independent lines eventually consolidated. Ridership peaked in 1922-3. The last of St. Louis streetcars was discontinued in 1964.
David Nye’s, “Electrifying America: Social Meanings of a New Technology, 1880-1940” (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1990) describes streetcars as agents of urban change. Before streetcars, workers had to live within about three miles of their job. In St. Louis that meant a band along the riverfront and East of Grand Ave. The result was high population density. That contributed to the usual city problems: noise, odors, sanitation, and disease. Electric street cars increased the distance to six miles allowing people to live in a wider area. Greater mobility also made downtown department stores possible. Shoppers could reach them by streetcar and enjoy a wider selection of merchandise.
Nye points out that electric streetcars became of interest after the Great Epizootic in 1872, an equine flu that killed thousands of animals. In this era railroads brought people and freight to stations, but the last miles depended on horses. Animals were essential to commerce of the day. Thomas Edison investigated electric streetcars at Menlo Park, NJ in 1880-82, with the support of Henry Villard. Frank Sprague worked for Edison for a while, but moved on to perfect his improved electric motor design.
As noted above, cable cars preceded electric streetcars. Cars where equipped with grips that clamped onto a moving steel cable (actually wire rope) that moved continuously powered by a steam engine driving a winding machine. Wire rope was invented in Germany in the 1830s for use in mining. John Roebling began producing wire rope at Saxonburg, PA, in 1841, and later moved his company to Trenton, NJ. He used wire rope for suspension bridges, especially the Brooklyn Bridge. The San Francisco Cable Car was the first successful cable car. It began operation in 1873.
In St. Louis, the first cable cars arrived in 1884. They allowed longer routes including the first extensions west of Grand. The limitations were noted. They worked best in long straight lines. Curves were difficult to navigate. They were faster (8 to 14 mph) than horse pulled cars and hence extended the range. Nye noted the development of “street car” suburbs. Once transportation became available, buyers were readily available for new developments. In St. Louis, land prices tripled when cable service ran west of Grand.
Reliability of cable cars was a problem. The winding machines seemed to break down easily and repairs could take weeks. In winter, ice and snow could block cable slots. Some cables were noisy–especially in curves–keeping neighbors awake.
As electric streetcars arrived, the city resisted installation of overhead wires. The wires were considered unsightly–especially compared to cable systems. Plus telegraph and telephones brought numerous unsightly telephone poles and a tangle of wires. Moreover the hazards of electrocution from fallen wires was well known. Initially electrification was not permitted in the downtown area. Only extensions of the existing systems were permitted. Eventually the greater reliability of electric streetcars won out and electric streetcars became universal.
Young includes many details from the days of the horse railways. In St. Louis mules were preferred for their ability to work in extremes of weather. The typical horse car ran at six to seven mph. Mules soon learned the bells: one for stop and two for go. Mules could usually go 20 miles per day, while horses were limited to 14 miles per day. The service life of an animal was usually three to four years. Once retired, most were sold through Southern trading agents to black sharecroppers or plantation workers. Mules were bought from farms in North Missouri or Texas and broken in on the job, usually by being teamed with an experienced mule.
The book includes extensive details of the various street railways and takes us through their decline, consolidation, and eventual replacement usually by buses. Much information comes from records of the St. Louis Public Service Company stored at the National Museum of Transport in St. Louis. Inventories from the receivership of the United Railways company in 1920 were an important resource as were street railway magazines. The book includes maps of the lines and many photographs of St. Louis Streetcars. A dozen pages list streetcars by number and summarize what is known of them: design, builder, power, controls, and fate. The list includes armored “money cars” presumably used to pay employees, snow sweepers, sand and cinder cars, sprinkler cars, and at least one funeral car. Several private cars are also listed.
This is a valuable resource for those who want to know more about streetcars in St. Louis. Photos, maps, bibliography, index.
David Nye’s, “Electrifying America: Social Meanings of a New Technology, 1880-1940” (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1990) describes streetcars as agents of urban change. Before streetcars, workers had to live within about three miles of their job. In St. Louis that meant a band along the riverfront and East of Grand Ave. The result was high population density. That contributed to the usual city problems: noise, odors, sanitation, and disease. Electric street cars increased the distance to six miles allowing people to live in a wider area. Greater mobility also made downtown department stores possible. Shoppers could reach them by streetcar and enjoy a wider selection of merchandise.
Nye points out that electric streetcars became of interest after the Great Epizootic in 1872, an equine flu that killed thousands of animals. In this era railroads brought people and freight to stations, but the last miles depended on horses. Animals were essential to commerce of the day. Thomas Edison investigated electric streetcars at Menlo Park, NJ in 1880-82, with the support of Henry Villard. Frank Sprague worked for Edison for a while, but moved on to perfect his improved electric motor design.
As noted above, cable cars preceded electric streetcars. Cars where equipped with grips that clamped onto a moving steel cable (actually wire rope) that moved continuously powered by a steam engine driving a winding machine. Wire rope was invented in Germany in the 1830s for use in mining. John Roebling began producing wire rope at Saxonburg, PA, in 1841, and later moved his company to Trenton, NJ. He used wire rope for suspension bridges, especially the Brooklyn Bridge. The San Francisco Cable Car was the first successful cable car. It began operation in 1873.
In St. Louis, the first cable cars arrived in 1884. They allowed longer routes including the first extensions west of Grand. The limitations were noted. They worked best in long straight lines. Curves were difficult to navigate. They were faster (8 to 14 mph) than horse pulled cars and hence extended the range. Nye noted the development of “street car” suburbs. Once transportation became available, buyers were readily available for new developments. In St. Louis, land prices tripled when cable service ran west of Grand.
Reliability of cable cars was a problem. The winding machines seemed to break down easily and repairs could take weeks. In winter, ice and snow could block cable slots. Some cables were noisy–especially in curves–keeping neighbors awake.
As electric streetcars arrived, the city resisted installation of overhead wires. The wires were considered unsightly–especially compared to cable systems. Plus telegraph and telephones brought numerous unsightly telephone poles and a tangle of wires. Moreover the hazards of electrocution from fallen wires was well known. Initially electrification was not permitted in the downtown area. Only extensions of the existing systems were permitted. Eventually the greater reliability of electric streetcars won out and electric streetcars became universal.
Young includes many details from the days of the horse railways. In St. Louis mules were preferred for their ability to work in extremes of weather. The typical horse car ran at six to seven mph. Mules soon learned the bells: one for stop and two for go. Mules could usually go 20 miles per day, while horses were limited to 14 miles per day. The service life of an animal was usually three to four years. Once retired, most were sold through Southern trading agents to black sharecroppers or plantation workers. Mules were bought from farms in North Missouri or Texas and broken in on the job, usually by being teamed with an experienced mule.
The book includes extensive details of the various street railways and takes us through their decline, consolidation, and eventual replacement usually by buses. Much information comes from records of the St. Louis Public Service Company stored at the National Museum of Transport in St. Louis. Inventories from the receivership of the United Railways company in 1920 were an important resource as were street railway magazines. The book includes maps of the lines and many photographs of St. Louis Streetcars. A dozen pages list streetcars by number and summarize what is known of them: design, builder, power, controls, and fate. The list includes armored “money cars” presumably used to pay employees, snow sweepers, sand and cinder cars, sprinkler cars, and at least one funeral car. Several private cars are also listed.
This is a valuable resource for those who want to know more about streetcars in St. Louis. Photos, maps, bibliography, index.
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