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INEPTA: Or, SEPTA: The Early Years - 1968 to 1985; Lets bring up some old memories...
Topic Started: Dec 5 2008, 11:36 PM (9,514 Views)
CACrafter88bk2504
Transit Historian
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ED77KATR
Dec 8 2008, 05:18 PM
When I first started at SEPTA in 1978 the fleet was a horrible mess. at any given time half of it was out of service. The buses were deathtraps!!! Leaking fuel, BALD tires,NO AC, no right side mirrows[i got pics posted here to prove it],no power steering, compartment doors &windows flapping open&swinging out and scraping parked cars. The reverse in most didnt work especially the 60s GM fishbowls. The 71-75 Flexibles ya had to rip open a panel and use a coin or screwdriver and jump a circut[no16] without getting shocked!!!try that in the rain LOL. Ya make a sharp right turn and the battery trays would fly out the side of the chassis[sometimes with ugly or humorous results].The frames were all broken and YES I had a engine fall out on 52nd st in early 1979. Now the brakes were another story, i got real religious everytime i hit the sobs. SLACK [code 83 over radio] was common. it was like driving a rickity cattle truck down the line. Also they were pig sties!! Roaches and YES RATS!! rode on them too.Never was graffitti wiped off, i remember as i drove down 52nd st kids just spray painted away in the back until the fumes were over bearing. The peak years of these disasterous times were 1978 -1982. It took the order of RTS &Neos to start the healing prosess. Then in early 80s some 4000 GMs were rehabbed but they didnt last. SEPTA should be proud of todays fleet as it is modern now and well cared for. But the memories i have!!! i retired 2 weeks ago. Love it! thanks for letting me vent LOL, this is only scrating the surface of how bad it was! Ed
You drove the 52 huh? An old acquaintance of mine who resides a blocka way from the northern terminus made a joke with me about the 52:

evey weekend a fight broke out on this route.

In the late 1970s, it may have been a fight breaking out on this route daily.

This came into my mind.

Did you come to Comly with the old RouteT(Welsh/Darlington) & (Boulevard/Rhawn with peak hour service to Fox Chase)? Wasn't part of this route assigned to Frankford?

For those whoa re interested, the T started from the Church Street stop on the Frankford elevated, running over the current 84 from Bridge & Pratt to Kinghts & Woodhaven, seving Ta, Mayfair, Holmesburg, Morrell Park & Knights Road(Cestmont Farms/Millbrook),with a Fox Chase division during peak hours, a Boulevard & Rhawn division & a Welsh/Darlington division operated on weekldays & Saturdays.
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NeoArtic7101
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rest in peace to all AN440's that ran the Philadelphia area streets
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I would like to know more about the routes that SEPTA used to run, like the 41, P, U, the old 57, etc.

old routes that were eliminated.
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CVPI19
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Allegheny,and Midvale PTV Leader & Correspondent
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In the 1980s as a kid I rode with my mother the GMC RTS-II's and Volvo B-10Ms I was told by alot of people about the Route A Local/Express becoming the current 9, 27 and 32 in 1984. The 48 used to be a trolley run and even other Allegheny routes being trolley routes until buses replaced the trolleys at Allegheny.
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Rail_Guy 8202
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The southern delco northern de reporter
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CVPI19
Dec 19 2008, 02:29 AM
In the 1980s as a kid I rode with my mother the GMC RTS-II's and Volvo B-10Ms I was told by alot of people about the Route A Local/Express becoming the current 9, 27 and 32 in 1984. The 48 used to be a trolley run and even other Allegheny routes being trolley routes until buses replaced the trolleys at Allegheny.
Most of the routes in Philly ran with trolleys at one time.
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Van2006ko
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The Allegheny that you know of today never had trolleys running out of it. The current \structure that exists today was built sometime during the mid-1980s. During the mid-1980s (correct me if I'm wrong), the operations was moved from that location to a site known Midvale-Roberts Yard location today. (Perhaps it was in one of the older factory buildings?). Once reconstruction was completed, their operations moved back onto the location.
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Rail_Guy 8202
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The southern delco northern de reporter
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Van2006ko
Dec 23 2008, 07:09 PM
The Allegheny that you know of today never had trolleys running out of it. The current infrastructure that exists today was built sometime during the mid-1980s. During the mid-1980s (correct me if I'm wrong), the operations was moved from that location to a site known Midvale-Roberts Yard location today. (Perhaps it was in one of the older factory buildings?). Once reconstruction was completed, their operations moved back onto the location.
By the 80s they were all at Luzerne.
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Van2006ko
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Come again?
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Rail_Guy 8202
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The southern delco northern de reporter
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Van2006ko
Dec 23 2008, 07:42 PM
Come again?
I ment trolleys.
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Far Rock Depot
Commuter
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So David L. Gunn ran SEPTA before heading up here to NYC huh? I never knew that. Up here, he's kind of a legend. Turned NYCTA (Now MTA-New York City Transit) around in the 80s. Began buying an all RTS fleet, started maintenance and cleaning schedules to bring fleets up to par, Subways ran and looked better as well as the buses. Now, the RTS is few but new orders for 2012 are coming.
Was he the one who ordered all those Neo's for you?
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Neoei3318
Transit Historian
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Changing Gears, Did and Red Arrow PTC remain as "For Profit" corporations all the way to their takeovers?
Also, any idea of how much of their personnel transitioned over to SEPTA, if allowed?

@ Far Rock Depot:
The AK and BD/BM/BP Neoplans were ordered during the Gunn years. The BD's and BP's were part of the Pennliner order that supplied the State of PA in 1983. The RFP's for the BM and CD series were probably under Gunn's tenure as well. The "EZ" (1989) and possibly the "EI" (1988) series Neoplans came in with Lou Gambaccini.

Whoops! My mistake. Any orders from 1984 - 1987 were oversaw by Joe Mack. Also, it seems like SEPTA really did have a list of "Rotating Resumes" between Mack and Gambaccini, including their main Legal rep. and Bill Stead, who lasted 5 weeks.
Edited by Neoei3318, Aug 6 2012, 05:42 AM.
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