There has been a recent interest in the
1918 Tulsa Aero View thread about trolleys. I have made a list of books I have that will be of general interest to many. Some I have read cover to cover. Some I only use as reference for sections I am particularly interested in. Sorry, I am not a library and do not lend my books out. Most of them are long out of print but can be found on the internet. Some may be in libraries.
“When Oklahoma Took the Trolley”, Allison Chandler and Stephen D Maguire, 1980. This is about the trolley systems around Oklahoma. Lots of pictures and route maps.
“The Sapulpa and Tulsa Trolley Connection”, Charles J. Devilbiss, 2007. The story about what is now the Tulsa Sapulpa Union Railway. With pictures and route map.
“Tri-State Traction The Interurban Trolleys of Southwest Missouri, Southeast Kansas and Northeast Oklahoma”, Edward A Conrad, 2004. Miami, Picher and southeast KS.
“PCC The Car That Fought Back”, Stephen P. Carlson and Fred Schneider III, 1980. The story of the Electric Railway President’s Conference Committee, usually shortened to PCC, development of a somewhat standard (trolley) car to save the trolley lines from the automobile and buses. The PCC cars were smoother and a much nicer ride than the trolleys of the turn of the 20th century. Lots of pictures and technical info.
“The Interurban Era”, William D Middleton, 1961,1965, 1968, 1971, 1975. Pictures and descriptions of Interurbans all over the US.
“The Red Arrow, A History of One of the Most Successful Suburban Transit Companies in the World”, Ronald Degraw, 1972. This is the story of the trolley line I grew up next to. It started long before electric trolleys and lasted as a privately owned company until the late 1960s when it was absorbed by the Southeast Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA). Some of the lines are still in use. Also includes info on buses used. (Transit company, not just trolleys.)
“Red Arrow, The First Hundred Years 1848 - 1948”, Ronald DeGraw, 1985. This is a subset of the book above. It doesn’t cover the PCC type (but not actual PCCs) cars built by St. Louis Car Co but does cover the Brilliners built by Brill in competition to the PCC cars since Brill didn’t want to pay royalties to the PCC patents.
“Pig & Whistle, The Story of the Philadelphia & Western Railway”, Ronald DeGraw, Edited by G. Mac Sebree, 2007. This is the story of the high speed (cars capable of approximately 90 mph in the early 1930s) line to Norristown with a connection to Allentown by the Lehigh Valley line. I never rode one of the Bullet Cars. I wish I had. It was part of the Red Arrow family. This line is still in use to Norristown, the county seat of Montgomery County outside of Phila.
“The Motorman ...and His Duties A Handbook of Theory and Practice for Operating Electric Cars”, Ludwig Gutmann and George R Metcalfe, 1898, 1903. Reprints available but no date is shown. Reprint subtitle, “The Classic Handbook for Electric Trolley, Streetcar and Interurban Motormen”. This is how to operate the early trolleys with manual motor controllers.
http://periscopefilm.com/trolley/“The Electric Interurban Railways in America”, George W Hilton & John F. Due, 1960. Includes: Technology of the Interurbans, Passenger Traffic, Freight Traffic, Government Regulations, Finance. Lots of info but not an easy read.
“Electric Railway Handbook” A Reference Book of Practice, Data, Formulas and Tables for the Use of Operators, Engineers and Students, Albert S. Richey, 1924. Reprints available. Lots and lots of technical data. This book is for trolley geeks.
Reprints:
“The Safety Car”, General Electric Company, 1920. Sales brochure.
“The Safety Car”, Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. Sales brochure
http://periscopefilm.com/trolley/Edit: I forgot to mention that these were the Birney single truck cars. The cars "rescued" from Sand Springs recently were this type of car. There is a cosmetically restored Birney car at the TSU office and maintenance facility at 701 E Dewey in Sapulpa. There is an operating example at the Ft. Smith Trolley Museum. I haven't been there yet.
http://www.fstm.org/index.php?page=fslt-224“The History of the St. Louis Car Company “Quality Shops””, Andrew D Young and Eugene f. Porvenzo Jr., 1978, 1881. The St. Louis Car Company was one of the major manufacturers of trolleys, especially PCC cars.
“History of the J.G. Brill Company”, Debra Brill, 2001. Another major trolley builder. They were based in Phila, PA.
