JeffK wrote:
Walt, perhaps you have a better memory but I vaguely recall that there was some kind of non-binding referendum on retention of the trolleys. I think that the vote was about 4-1 or 5-1 in favor of keeping the line but the Highway Department already had its plans in place.
There was--- it was apparently conducted by a civic group which had formed to oppose bustitution of that line. How accurate a reflection it was of actual public sentiment at that time, is probably questionable given the nature of the times.
In retrospect, that line was doomed anyway. There had been an increasing number of grade crossing accidents involving the trolleys and automobiles,
and the line had more traffic than the 13.5 mile single track segment could handle. In addition, even with the purchase of the 14 St. Louis Cars in 1949, Red Arrow couldn't schedule enough one man trolleys during peak periods to allow them to eliminate the use of the two- man Center Door Cars which cost twice as much to operate. Once West Chester was abandoned (bustituted) Red Arrow, rather quickly, scrapped most of the Center Door Cars. This may be the only example of a trolley line being abandoned because ( in part) it had more traffic than it could handle.