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The recent development of light rail transit in the Twin Cities has been an undeniable success. Plans for additional lines progress, and our ways of shopping, dining, and commuting are changing dramatically. As we embrace riding the new Hiawatha light rail line, an older era comes to mind—the age when everyone rode the more than 500 miles of track that crisscrossed the Twin Cities.
In Twin Cities by Trolley, John Diers and Aaron Isaacs offer a rolling snapshot of Minneapolis and St. Paul from the 1880s to the 1950s, when the streetcar system shaped the growth and character of the entire metropolitan area. More than 400 photographs and 70 maps let the reader follow the tracks from Stillwater to University Avenue to Lake Minnetonka, through Uptown to downtown Minneapolis. The illustrations show nearly every neighborhood in Minneapolis and St. Paul as it was during the streetcar era.
At its peak in the 1920s and early 1930s, the Twin City Rapid Transit Company (TCRT) operated over 900 streetcars, owned 523 miles of track, and carried more than 200 million passengers annually. Recounting the rise and fall of the TCRT, Twin Cities by Trolley explores the history, organization, and operations of the streetcar system, including life as a streetcar operator and the technology, design, and construction of the cars.
Inspiring fond memories for anyone who grew up in the Twin Cities, Twin Cities by Trolley leads readers on a fascinating and enlightening tour of this bygone era in the neighborhood and the city they call home.
John W. Diers has worked in the transit industry for thirty-five years, including twenty-five years at the Twin Cities Metropolitan Transit Commission. He has written for Trains, and has served on the board of the Minnesota Transportation Museum.
Aaron Isaacs worked with Metro Transit for thirty-three years. He is the author of Twin City Lines—The 1940s and The Como-Harriet Streetcar Line. He is also the editor of Railway Museum Quarterly.
| Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
| $99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub |
Jean Robert
reviewed Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul on February 13, 2012
Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul
A book about the street car era in the Twin Cities (from late 1800s to mid 1950s). Everything you might want to know about street cars and the TCRT (Twin City Rapid Transit) that ran them (and also a lot of stuff you probably don't want to know). Chock full of old photos of the area, too.
The private car is what really killed the street car system. A private company that was in charge of building and maintaining its own infrastructure could not compete with private cars whose owners demanded municipalities build and maintain the infrastructure for their vehicles. It's strange, but the political climate, especially after WWII when the street car was in serious decline, was such that public subsidies could never be used for public transportation, but no-one blinked when private transportation was (and still is) heavily subsidized by the state and local governments.
Maybe it had something to do with the cold climate of the Twin cities, or maybe something with how large and spread out the metro is, but car ownership for the Twin City area, according to this book, was above the national average starting back in 1928.
Anyway, a fascinating look at a bygone era that won't ever be back (although, the Twin Cities are building a large light rail system--so maybe it will return...)
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Add Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul, The recent development of light rail transit in the Twin Cities has been an undeniable success. Plans for additional lines progress, and our ways of shopping, dining, and commuting are changing dramatically. As we embrace riding the new Hiawatha light rai, Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul to the inventory that you are selling on WonderClubX
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Add Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul, The recent development of light rail transit in the Twin Cities has been an undeniable success. Plans for additional lines progress, and our ways of shopping, dining, and commuting are changing dramatically. As we embrace riding the new Hiawatha light rai, Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul to your collection on WonderClub |