Ridin' the Hodiamont
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- čas přidán 7. 08. 2016
- This short video features streetcars operating out of Wellston Station and through the City of St. Louis shortly before streetcar service ended in the 1960s. Historic footage is courtesy of Mark D. Goldfeder, President of The St. Louis Railway Enthusiasts, Inc. (SLRE).
This video was first presented at the Wellston Loop Family Reunion on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 5930 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, St. Louis, Missouri.
Produced and edited by Andrew Raimist.
Music: "Green Onions" performed by Bill Doggett, composed by Booker T & the MG's.
If you're interested in the Wellston Loop neighborhood, its history, memories and/or future, join:
/ wellstonloop - Auta a dopravní prostředky
My brother would love these so much!
great stuff! the day after Thanksgiving our whole family would take the streetcar down to see the opening of the store Christmas windows (Styx, May, etc). the 50s was a great time to be a kid!
Great video brother and great music. This is when the city of St.Louis used to be awesome and was originally Missouri's largest City.
Nice video, I was born in 1962 a few blocks east of Wellston on Blackstone, 2 blocks east of Goodfellow. I remember the tracks in the street before they were removed. We used to walk to Wellston to shop every weekend.
Yep, born in 63. I don't remember riding them the way my entire family does, but I sure do remember playing/following the tracks long after they were no longer in use. I still get a kick when I discover a remnant of an old track popping out of the asphault or weeds in some long unnoticed place.
Can't remember riding them but one time we went downtown to see the window display Remember the streets being done up in lights I remember the most window i saw was the train display Trains were going ever where Miss those days
I wish I had the chance to see them. I was born in '64 and think they were gone by the time I was old enough to remember them. I do remember seeing them in Chicago in the early 70s, but not St. Louis. My Grandfather used to tell me stories about riding the street car. He told me they used to take it all of the way to Creve Coeur park and make a day of it. I'm really not sure, but it sounds there might have been an amusement park or something. I know there was some attraction that drew a crowd, but I can't remember exactly what he said it was. Thanks for the wonderful video!
There is on the internet a long story on both the park and the streetcar line that I wrote.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) discontinued using PCC (President Conference Committee) streamlined electric streetcars, like the St Louis ones seen here, in June 1958. The CTA did, however, continue to use rubber tire electric trolleybuses (two overhead poles versus one as on an electric streetcar) until April, 1973.
I was born in 1961. I remember them, as one went right by my home.
📻🙂
I'm a little too young (1963) to remember the street cars, though I remember the lines along the streets after they stopped, and everyone else in my family remembers riding them.
It looks like this line went everywhere a person wanted to go, or just a couple streets away. Too bad they stopped them because there is nothing like that now to get around town because Bi-State can't cover the ground the way those fixed lines could.
What's amazing and is sorely missing, is all the development along the entire route of the line. Those stores and shops are gone for many reasons, but street car service is one that is never mentioned.
Born in 1940, I grew up on Roosevelt Place just east of Hamilton. The City Limits streetcar ran two blocks away across a pasture, the Hodiamont loop was another two blocks away at Hodiamont and Kennerly, down a large stairway to the right-of-way which originated with the West End Narrow Gauge Railway and what had been Suburban Gardens amusement park. My dad was a streetcar motorman so I and my younger brother traveled all over the system (and onward to Granite City and Alton). The streetcars not only ran on streets, but on private rights-of-way, in alleys, and some lines, such as the Clayton, had surrealistic layouts. My favorite was the Creve Coeur Lake line which became eventually Midland Boulevard. What a wonderland it was.
I was already a working journalist by the age of 9, on radio, making records, acting. I had no other abilities but those were enough! I was kidnapped in 1964 to Chicago to teach journalism but I still come back home often and am proud to produce the Normandy HIgh School alumni publication. Which, as you might imagine, has always been packed with St. Louis streetcar lore.
Wayne Brasler I could have written your comment. I’m two years older than you. My dad and grandpa were both motormen; at one time or another, I’m pretty sure I rode every route in the system! Sad to see the cars go.
Damn good video! I had completely forgotten about the White Mill and still believe the trolley system is great option not being used.
Booker T & the MG's?
Rock on!
I like the '59 Cadillac.
I grew up on Grand and Chippewa. My dad spoke of it often. Then speaking about how happy to see buses with air conditioning LOL
Good timing to get the arch and streetcars in the same shot; not much overlap there!
Thanks for putting these videos up! One of the others I recognized the back of my cousins head in the shot downtown at the large old loop. ( I think that was the one), This video has him in the last few seconds of the film reaching around toward the woman who is giving out souvenirs of the ride.. Cool.. I am on there somewhere but didn't have time to check it again yet. I sure miss those big red cars. I have a number of photos of them here too.
Wow! Great footage. I Google viewed the Wellston Loop, it looks like it was hit by a bomb and the neighbourhood seems abandoned. Too bad.
Did you know there was a restroom in the basement at the Wellston loop? For bus drivers and motormen only, not general public. Visited there a few times with my dad, a motorman who often worked City Limits, Hodiamont, or one of the other lines that used that station.
i never ever got to live in st louis but i did visit it way back in the 1960's and can recall seeing those street car buses driving all around! pity they are having so mmuch trouble revining this i guess noone really cares anymore about strret cars!
Those were the days when many people were well behaved. Back then, entertainment was much, much cleaner than it is nowdays. Leave it to Beaver was on the network TV stations which I forgot what channel it aired on in St. Louis back then. Back then, sex was not allowed on television at all. A cup of coffee was about a dime back then. When my folks took me for a ride on public transit, sadly all the streetcars were all gone. Those were the days when getting around was a piece of cake. I think that Mid American Coaches ran a commuter service to bring in workers that lived far out west. Bi-State did have some buses left where the bus driver still had to shift. I think that what St. Louis did in the 1950s was a very stupid thing. Taking down the streetcar started the demolition of a good transit system. Mayor Tucker was no help in keeping the streetcars running. He wanted all the streetcars off the streets east of what was back then 12th Street.
Not to mention that the automobiles back then looked beautiful as well compared to automobiles today.
My Grandmother would take me to Cherokee St ... It was all happening there ... I was 4 years old in 1952. Thanks this is great. 🖕
Hey Rick. I went Cheroker as a young girl. Born 1934. Used shop. A.nd always on Sun went to Cinderella. For latest movie. On Cherokee. J.C. PENNY. Was there I remember well I lived on bdwy. Where Miami cuts in. Blessed memories. Went Holy Cross.
Nice video, too bad no shots from South Side on Chippewa, or Broadway, or Virginia and Meremac turn around.
I grew up on Grand and Chippewa. My dad spoke of it often. Then speaking about how happy to see buses with air conditioning LOL
Hi Andrew. I am producing a documentary about the streetcar and what it was to America, and also about the Connecticut Trolley Museum and how we preserve that part of history. Aside from the CTM, I am looking for photos or videos of streetcars cars in their hay day. This video seems like I would like to use if possible. Full credit would be given to whoever contributes, and I do not intend to make money off the production.
I hope your documentary goes forward well. Let me know what we can do to help.
I would like to use some parts of this video if that is ok.
0:00 0:03 The takes from the stupid orange