1933, 5:54pm, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Long Beach. Imagine what the result of that catastrophe would be today in LA rush hour?

for a photo gallery, or to read about it: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-longbeach_1933earthquake-pg,0,3546233.photogallery

Streetcars, were good for more than just public transportation... did you know they were used to plow snow along their route?

read about plowing snow with street cars: http://cincystreetcar.wordpress.com/2009/01/

I like that many were made into little diners. See the inside of one at the Henry Ford museum https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1UQZO7sd3MMJuj-Ui8fz5C2QaJZEf2NCdtyprxzNRWrGulsY1bllM2FEH0G7iJ_2alkbXY2CV4s52KikERLjJj7RdsCD7rB6CZvEEhzp9tW-VuNCzqlRP_ZkO6dmJZ0mtbmRPOk7wK8/s1600/Henry%2520Ford%2520Diner%5B1%5D.jpg it is the nicest I've seen, most are far more simple and less ornamental

Some were made into houses: http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/09/street-cars-getting-second-life-as-home.html

And in San Diego I found one diner street car, and two homes made from street cars http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/06/survivors-of-era-i-doubt-anyone-else.html

photos from http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428585&page=925

National City Train Depot's retired electric train from the Boston Elevated Railway

Wouldn't city transportation be more appealing with the original streetcars?

Above image via: http://hooniverse.com

but the shortsighted greedy bastards sold out to gross polluting diesel bussses, and trashed all the cool looking and electric streetcars. Morons. I was reading recently about all the cities that went to electric streetcars as a pollution reducing measure, and to increase the effective public transit systems. Here in San Diego when huge events like major league ballgames, national football league games, or an event like Comic-Con happen, the go to device for getting there and back is usually the trolley system. Nothing as aesthetic as the old street cars, but serviceable

Street cars getting a second life as a home, very cool

Via: http://www.shorpy.com/

and if you also find this cool, take a look at the ones that Randy showed me here in San Diego http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2008/06/survivors-of-era-i-doubt-anyone-else.html

The "Track" in Road and Track was street car railroad tracks... evidenced by exhibit A...... Click on each page for the full size version

April 1962 "Road and Track" magazine

Weekly dose of train photos

From Pixdaus