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"Whatever happened to all those trolley cars?" "When
the Union Street Railway went out of business, they had to get the cars
off the property at the Popes Island Car Houses' in Fairhaven where they
were stored." Says Keevy.
While there are only a few operating electric railways left, for many trolley enthusiasts it is far from dead. These people, men and women, work to keep the memories of the old trolleys alive and are actively involved in present railway systems. People like John Keevy were virtually in love with "trolleys". He even had a model railway system which he built himself. The Boston Street Railway Association printed at least one booklet yearly filled with fascinating facts about and photos of trolleys. They also volunteered for certain trial runs on new trolley cars. "Otherwise they used sandbags," said Keevy. Some of the trolley lines which still survive are in Boston and San Francisco. And of course, there's the daughter of the trolley, the electric bus. "Electric busses came before regular busses in many areas because the trolley companies already had all the electrical equipment. They wanted to get their money's worth out of their equipment", said Keevy. He added, "There are quite a few of these systems still in operation. When asked if he saw a comeback for the trolley, Mr. Keevy shrugged and said, "Not really, but I can see them used more, like in Boston (to get to and from the city)". But modern day trolleys are just plain different. They are made by the same people who built jet airliners and they streak down the track while passengers recline on cushioned seats. There is a word for this sort of thing - progress. No one could ever bring back the mood created by a Dartmouth and Westport Street Railway open car, bumping down Route 6, toward Lincoln Park, packed with anxious passengers on rattan seats, watching Westport roll by. |
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"And
you know what happened a lot to those trolleys?" Keevy asked. "Someone
went through them with a can of kerosene and put a match to them", He
answered disgustedly. After 1947, nearly all of the trolleys had been
destroyed, but for a few saved by interest groups such as the Boston Street
Railway Association, or individuals like Mr. Atwood of Edaville. The Boston
Street Railway Association was formed in 1963 by a group of people interested
in preserving old trolleys. Mr. Keevy was been the director of the association
for about six years.