Trams and Trolleys

I think I give trams and trolleys the short-end of the stick. I actually enjoy watching them and photographing them. (And riding them.) I am not sure if it is their bright colors or the fact that every city seems to have its own peculiar brand, but I am fascinated by them. I am also always surprised to see where they will turn up.

I had originally decided not to include them in the tally of 20 states and given that I am close to achieving my 20 state goal, I think I will stick by this. However, I have decided to add a sub-category for trams and trolleys and see how many I can photograph. I already have quite a few from the last few years, so I will start with those.

First up is Boston. I took this one a few years back on MBTA's D-Line on its Greenline in Newton, Mass. The right of way here is a former Boston & Albany/New York Central commuter line that was converted to light rail in the 1950s.

This second shot is on the MBTA's Mattapan line, which is an extension of the Red Line into Mattapan Square. I used to ride these trains with my mother in the last century when we went into Boston to have lunch with my father. She would wear gloves and dress my brothers and I in suits sometimes. As the youngest I always had a suit with a cap and sometimes white gloves too. Going to Boston used to be a big deal. The line uses vintage PCC cars painted in the orange that used to grace a lot of Boston trolleys.