Up until 1974 I was a railfan who didn't do that much real railfanning. I certainly didn't get out and ride trains just to ride trains. But being stalled on writing a Ph.D. thesis can change a fellow. 🙂 In April of 1974 the May issue of Trains Magazine showed up in my mailbox and it contained this ad:
May 25-26: Pittsburgh Traction Weekend is sponsored by the Central Electric Railfans' Association. The itinerary features a Saturday chartered bus tour to the Arden Trolley Museum with vintage equipment operations, and a Sunday day-long tour of the Port Authority of Allegheny County rail system using three sequentially operated, distinctively painted PCC cars with photo stops for work equipment. The cost is $10 for both days. For tickets, information, and schedules, contact the Trip Coordinator CERA, P.O. Box 503, Chicago, IL 60690.
I'd already been to the museum a few times but had never actually gone out and ridden the trolley system -- even though I'd been going to school in Pittsburgh since September of 1966 (which is a shame because the system was drastically cut back in January 1967). This seemed like a good chance to do the whole public system and perhaps a bit more...and the price was right so I signed up for the Sunday ride.
I took a bunch of photos that day, but the big change in my life came when I walked over to Bill & Walt's Hobby Shop at the corner of the Blvd of the Allies and Smithfield St. during the lunch break. There was a long skinny flier posted in the window about the Roanoke Chapter NRHS's 2nd Independence Limited, a four day steam excursion. I can't find the flier online but here's the Trains ad:
July 4-7, 1974: The Independence Limited runs again! Southern steam locomotive 4501 will head special through Ohio, W.Va. and Va. July 4: Cincinnati to Williamson via N&W mainline. July 5: Williamson to Roanoke via former Virginian trackage. July 6: round trip between Roanoke and Buena Vista on N&W Shenandoah Division. July 7: Roanoke to Alexandria via Southern mainline. Intermediate stops. Overnight accommodations. Return transportation from most points.
The price in the first class for all four days including 3 nights of hotels at the intermediate points was all of $120. (Something over $800 today but two of the nights included the Hotel Roanoke which would be at least $280 and maybe as much as $320 a night.)
In any event, I took the bait and thereafter became an inveterate train rider.
Here are some of my trolley photos form that fateful day.
