Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-27
Hi-tor, Of our strect-Car-.

! Nfes "lhl iE 'tfF iAhH' ~ b.i+HAttr 'Nt'"
tract dated August 9th.
Ui-tory Of Our strect-Cars.
Richmond has made great progress In
the matter Of her street-car service within
the past thirty years. The ~ at era OK
her advancement IN this respect h-s. OK
course. been since l,sl, when she hrst
accepted the trolley. Is fore "a" war there
was only one line Of s:rcet-cars here. II
extended from ninth To Twrnty-eighth
streets. on Main. and the sluggish muiv
was used as thc mOtiVe-power. This SIM
r!e track proved unsuccs ssful. and during
the war was removed. shortly after the
l.tile unplearantness 81 lShl-'65 IN Rich
mond Ranway Company was forinei.
and u built "A road Oh Main street HI0iD
Tweniy-eichth t. Ninth street, ana one
On Hroa0. and Eighth and Ninth streets.
10 Adams. ON broad street only single
track Wa used. The far charged was
DO cents. and these lines proved unsuc-
ccssiul "a that price.
The company IAN few cars, and these
were not run in very bad weather in
wlnt-r. The tracks were graz -aily ey-
tended 10 Fulton. 10 the sew reservoir.
and e. Hollywood. on the Reservoir o.
tension stcam-cars were used, but the
-elY.ce was always poor. and TN com
p4ny never was able t0 derive 0ny profit
IRON TO- This was the case. when in
lsl. " ssrs Barry, Flynn, ana others
came and built the electfic-roaI on
Franklin and clay streets. NV lie was
then injected into the enterprise ~ Rich
mona. and in short time the Main ana
l.roAa-btitet lines. which had been run
down TO mere shells, We're absorbed.
ABOUT WORN OUT
1t that time the Main AMI Broad-strcet
car-luts were ah0u; worn out The car
wheels ran in many PLACES on wooden
s;Tingers. and The whole ~Iu.Ym NJ was
subject Of riiiculc AMI reproach. Soon
the new company rebuilt the Msin-strcet
line. doubled its tracks in Fulton and on
the Reservoir branch. ana would have
equipped its Broad-strcet lire with cleo
trcity. but iJr the fact that one OF =
rails was being used for hauling ears
10 the new city HAIL which WAS then
being built, and 1t was deferred until
late.
In the few intervening years the com
ytny has built the First-stre-t line. ana
the Manchester lines. R,yerview tXten-
sious. and Chestnut iii roads have been
absorbed.
SIXTY MILES or TRACKAGE.
IN lNs7 Richmond only possessed about
eight miles of strcet-Car tracks. II had
no suburban connections. saw one track
20 tie New Reservoir. The company bad
then only about thirty-tw0 "b9b-tal ~
mule-clr-. Now II has about sl%ty nii-S
of trachage. including the suburban lines
and lD cars OF al kinds. Tie resent
owners came into possession o. the pro
pcrties boz ls,4. after the originatOrs ana
nrst owners OF el,ctr.c-cars nai paid tn
penalty OF being pioneers.
..f..r..IT tho 90 car
lines ~ this city 4nI the general velop-
mcnt Of the system have certainly been
potent elements IN the up-huIding or
what is 90 bee th- Greater EichNond.'
With lrst-cllss road ON Broad street.
the city viii ho.i lofty head among her
rivals in beauty, comfort dDl commercial
Importance.
Compliment 10 Nr. Johnston.
Tie street Railway Gazette. published
10 Ncw York city. in a recent ISSUE prints
picture end most complimentary and
interesting sketch of SIR =. Llngstan
Johnston. Of this city IN the article
lau4ltory aliusious are made 20 CAPTAIN
,. ". BI0oi.e. AMI the late Matthew Maui
re-, whose scientific writnes ire known
The world over. The writer says:
Mr.. Johnston has been a prominent
str c;-.oi.way engineer ever since the
p'act'cabiiity Of applying electricity as d
motive power was -onclusivciy demon
Grated by the successful operation ~
the Richmond Union Passenger Rail-
way in ~ Before that time the street
railway field presented few opportunities
for the exercise of the engineers skill.
When The Richmond installation was UNI
dcrtaken ~ Nr Frank j. SuraeGo. clei-
nccliuc ski and ingenuity Il Il high order
We're urgently lemardci. IN entirely
now st q conditions was encountered in
the equipment ~ this first commercially
successful electric railway. and no prccc-
dent, could D. followed In solving the
various problems. The work Of drawing
up the plans II the Ill. cult track work.
etc. was entrusted 20 Mr.. Johnston. ard
his reputation as a succe sful str"et-rail-
WY engineer has dated from The success
ful completion az that '0-.- railway
installation"