This file covers what I call the 'First Period', from roughly 1940 to about 1950.
Two unidentified Twin Coaches on 23rd Ave. and E. Madison
St. Both trolleys are on route 4: 4 Montlake and 4 E. Queen Anne. The trolley
on the right is going to 45th & University via Montlake coming from the
E. Queen Anne terminus. The trolley on the left is doing the reverse. It will
turn right onto Madison St. For me, this photo is a classic showing the early
phase of trolleys in Seattle and the streetware such as the traffic light
and the stop sign. There had been a shuttle streetcar, route O. As far as
I know, this shuttle was abandonned and no bus replaced it until the 60s when
route 48 was created. Today 23rd Ave. is wider than in the photo. The wires
continuing down E. Madison was for the 11 Madison. This line was dieselized
in circa 1965. Today, route 4 Montlake has been replaced with trolley route
43 which uses E, John St. and E. Thomas St., which is about a block from where
this photo was taken. Route 43 terminates downtown and at 12th and E. 45th
St. On nights and Sundays it is through-routed with route 44. Photographer
unknown. Date is unknown, but is was circa 1940, not long after trolleys started
running on route 4. Courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pictures. and the Steve
Scalzo collection.
An unidentified Brill at Jefferson Garage. The trolley on
the far right is a Twin Coach. Jefferson Garage was closed in the early 80s
and the trolleys were moved to Atlantic Metro Base (garage). Photographer
and date unknown. Courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pictures and the Steve Scalzo
collection.
An unidentified Twin Coach travelling eastbound on E. Pike St. It will turn
northeast at E. Madison St., which runs at an angle in the centre of the picture
behind the trolley. The trolley either on route 4 Montlake or on route 11
Madison. It could have also run on route 5 Madrona in the earlier part of
the first period. Route 2 was later shifted from E. Pike St. via Pike St.
downtown, southeast on 7th Ave. and north on Madison St. sharing the wires
with 11 Madison. Though the for the shift is not known, it probable that ridership
demand was higher in the Madison catchment area than anticipated. The turning
wires in the photo turn onto 14th Ave., leading to the garage. Photographer
and date unknown. Courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pictures and the Steve Scalzo
collection.
An unknown Twin Coach, a Yellow Canary, is heading south to the Rainier Ally
on Route 7 Rainier. The destination loop is unknown. Behind the trolley there
is another trolley heading north. Only its poles and ropes are visible. Route
7 was dieselized in 1963. In 1981 route 7 Rainier was reelectrified and hooked
up with the Broadway line, whose was changed from to 7 for this event. In
the 90s the Eastlake portion of the old route 7 15th Ave. NE was reelectrified
as route 70. Thus trolleys can be seen again at this location, Galer St. and
East lake Ave. Everything in this photo is gone except, perhaps, for a few
trees. Photographer and date unknown. It would to be 1943 or later. The people
in the photo appear to dressed circa 1943. Photographer and date unknown.
Courtesy of Tom's Trolley Bus Pictures and the Steve Scalzo collection.
Twin Coach 800 is the first Twin Coach in Seattle Transit System's fleet.
Because of its clean and fresh appearance and the lack of side destination
sign, 800 is probably being photographed for company records. Location of
the trolley is unknown. Photographer unknown. 1940. Courtesy of Tom's
Trolley Bus Pictures and the Steve Scalzo collection.
Twin
Coach 935 at Jefferson Garage. Photographer and date unknown. Courtesy of
Tom's Trolley Bus Pictures and
the Testagrose collection.
The original Seattle Transit livery is approximated
in this postcard of two Twin Coaches westbound on Union Street at 4th Avenue,
with rails still in the street. The trolley wires on Pike St. were miraculously
invisible! The bus behind #802 would most likely be serving route 11 Madison.
The view was probably shot
between the opening of the Montlake line on 2 May 1940, and 8 Sept. 1940,
after which date 802 would have been signed "East Queen Anne".
Or rather, not 802: Route 4 became the territory of the 700-series Brills,
delivered in August of 1940. Photographer unknown. 1940. From the collection of Don
Galt.
Twin Coach 935 in Vancouver on loan for a demonstration. BCHydro was satisfied
with the demonstration and ordered over 300 CCF Brills. Photographer unknown.
DEC 1945.
Photographer and date unknown.
Courtesy of Tom's Trolleybus photos
and the Collection of Steve Scalzo.
Two unidentified Twin Coaches going north on Third Avenue just north of Union St. Circa 1940. From the collection of Jeff Marinoff.
PCF Brill 741 on 4 E. Queen Anne on North Taylor Ave N. Circa 1940. Courtesy of Tom's Trolleybus photos. From the collection Steve Scalzo
An unidentified Twin Coach somewhere in Seattle. I suspect that this trolley was not in service. Circa 1940. From the collection of Jeff Marinoff.
Another shot of Twin Coach 935 being tested in Vancouver. DEC 1945. Courtesy of BC Archives collections.
This page last updated 1 MAR 2011
