jack1953
19 posts
May 11, 2013
2:32 PM
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Remember when the downtown buses worked from the trolley wires?
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Forgiven, forgotten, set free!!
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luv my dayton
288 posts
May 12, 2013
10:48 AM
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Sure do and also remember when the wire left the line the driver had to get out and hitch it back up. Don't remember when they discontinued using them but do know that I could sit on my porch and watch them go up and down street and see the wires still leaving the lines and at times sparking and that was well into 2000. Anyone out there know for sure?
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hunt69
445 posts
May 12, 2013
11:36 AM
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I didn't know the electric buses had ceased using the lines. I too recall the drivers putting the contact pole back onto the line. I don't think downtown is visited like it used to be. I recall my mom preparing foe,Downtown Dayton Day,bus rides were free on that day.
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Mark1984
103 posts
May 12, 2013
3:28 PM
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They haven't ceased using them. At least not in the east end of Dayton. During the week, the buses in this end of town still use the overhead trolley lines.
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cilla46
168 posts
May 13, 2013
7:22 AM
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This post made me very curious.I took many rides to downtown on the number 4 Wayne Avenue buses from the stop at Wayne and Edgar Aves. in east Dayton.
I rode every morning to my first job at Rike's and often went downtown on weekends to shop or see a movie with friends.
I did some checking and this is what I found as of this year.
The 4 is trolley every day (as it has been for about the last year or so)
The 7 is mostly trolley every day
The 8 is mostly trolley every day
The 5 is all trolley for it's two runs a day.
Dayton's trolley bus system is the second-oldest in the Western Hemisphere which totals 18 systems, exceeded in longevity only by the Philadelphia trolley bus system, which opened on October 14, 1923
I loved riding the bus to town when I was a young girl.It was a different time when it cost a nickle each way for the bus,a quarter bought an order of french fries and a coke at McCrory's and another quarter paid for a movie at Lowe's or Keith's.This was a normal Saturday adventure for me and several of my friends in the mid 50's.
I can't imagine any parents who would allow their 11 or 12 year old daughters to have such freedom today!
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oldrndirt
40 posts
May 14, 2013
7:21 PM
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I started riding them alone at age 13 to go to high school at Patterson in the fall of '69.
Loved watching the electrical arcs when there was ice on the lines!
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jack1953
27 posts
May 15, 2013
6:04 AM
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Oldrndirt,
I rode the gas bus from Huber to Patterson same year!! What is your real name?? Jack Brown here, I was in the Medical Arts program, graduated in 1971.
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Forgiven, forgotten, set free!!
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oldrndirt
41 posts
May 15, 2013
4:25 PM
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Mike Kier - Electrical, '73, was also a school cafeteria worker in 69/70 and 70/71 and reserve wrestler those same two years.
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Billd1952
64 posts
May 16, 2013
4:49 PM
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I rode the trollie by myself at age 9. I rode every route, from loop to loop, just to see where the buses went. The "gas" bus routes at that time were 6 and 12. The trollies were 1 Third St., 2 Home Ave 3, Hearthstone 4 Webster Keowee area, 5 Salem/Hillcrest
6 Far Hills 7 Ewalt/Shiloh 8 North Dayton, 9, 10, 11, I forget 12 Patterson Park. Please feel free to correct me, my memeoy is sometimes chaalenged.
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donm
21 posts
Nov 15, 2013
2:15 PM
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Sometimes rode the DeWeese gas bus downtown to Chaminade in the 60's. Preferred to ride the #7 Ewalt/Forest Park home from school. Got off at Main and Ridge to walk the rest of the way home. If it was raining, I could call from the Hoagie place on the corner and someone from home would come get me. Didn't do that too often. Back then you could safely walk from there. Last time I was in town and drove down Main Street I wouldn't have rolled down the window. Things sure have changed.
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luv my dayton
458 posts
Nov 15, 2013
7:29 PM
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Downtown certainly has changed. Spent many fun times riding the bus downtown from kettering and doing different activities and never had a care or worry. Times have changed and so have people and not always for the better. Malls are not much safer so wouldn't plan on letting your children spend much time there either.
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historybuff
24 posts
Nov 16, 2013
3:22 AM
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After reading some of the comments about downtown Dayton, I just have to add some of the positives. I moved to Dayton in 1971 and for the last 40 years have never lived more than 10 blocks from the center of Dayton.
That included Central Avenue, Grafton Avenue, East Fifth Street near Oregon, Park Lane Apartments, Belmonte Park North and now the Wright-Dunbar District close to where the Wright Brothers lived. Never had any problems. Downtown Dayton is exciting if you like urban living. Just attended a packed house at the Dayton Art Institute for a local jazz group, Puzzle of Light. New apartments and condos abound. Great restaurants such as Solar, Roost, Delish, Wine Gallery, Lily’s Bistro, CoCo’s, Citilites and Serendipity. Also the Opera, Ballet, Victoria Theatre, Philharmonic, Culture Works, the Neon Theatre, the Dayton Dragons and of course the Oregon District for the younger crowd. A little too fast for my aging years but great for the younger people. All of the above are just a few of the things one could enjoy in Downtown Dayton. Dayton is Great and I hate to sound like a marketeer for the Chamber of Commerce but just to add a little balance.
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luv my dayton
459 posts
Nov 16, 2013
6:35 AM
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Good morning historybuff. You are correct in your assessment of the area of Dayton which is alive with activity today. There are many activities throughout the year. I just remember as a young kid years ago the safety and fun of downtown hitting the five and dime stores and dress shops and going to the Ywca to take swimming lessons and dance then eating and window shopping. Most downtowns no longer exist except for New York City. The day after thanksgiving will be the Christmas tree lighting and many activities and people filling the streets like years gone by. Never have liked the Mall experience but do think The Green gives you some of the atmosphere we once had.
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historybuff
25 posts
Nov 16, 2013
9:20 AM
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You are right, LMD, about the absence of crowds now. Remember Downtown Dayton Days? You couldn’t find a parking place anywhere. I remember going to Rike’s one early DDD day and getting run over by th rush of early shopping ladies rushing in to get the “doorbuster” bargains. A couple of the other entertainment treats I didn’t mention before are the Big Band nights on Thursdays at Riverscape Park and the ice skating rink soon to open in November. They will have lots of Holiday activities thru Christmas. I guess I’m a little biased by going to activities and being five minutes from home when they are over. I used to go to many Reds games in Cincinnatti but now that I have Dragons Seasons tickets, its much more convenient. If I forget and leave my windows open at home and it rains, I can run home and close my windows and miss less than half an inning. Couldn’t do that from a Reds game. Very convenient. Of course I,m also just a few bloks from UD arena and I go to many Dayton basketball games also. I missed before but where do you live, LMD, if you don’t mind saying?
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Nile
108 posts
Nov 16, 2013
2:44 PM
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Here is a bit of trivia for the downtown trolley busses. Fairview Elementary school in about 1958. or do, took a field trip to the Memorial Hall in the afternoon to see, I think, Peter and the Wolf or maybe The Nutcracker. It was an abbreviated version for an afternoon matinee. We took the trolley bus that was contracted to convey the children. When the number 5 reached downtown, the driver jumped the trolley lines purposely to disconnect from the line. He coasted across the street to another circuit that passed by the Memorial Hall. Kind of a short cut. Novel, I thought.
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luv my dayton
460 posts
Nov 17, 2013
6:53 AM
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Historybuff: was born in the east end on Murray Dr top of third st hill.Moved to kettering in 1950 and went through my school yrs there. Divorced in 1989 and then moved back to East dayton on Huffman. Have always loved it here and never have had any trouble. View from the back of house is beautiful at night looking to the north and seeing all the lights. Can even see lights on planes that are coming in to land.
Last Edited by luv my dayton on Nov 17, 2013 6:54 AM
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historybuff
26 posts
Nov 17, 2013
4:04 PM
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LMD - That is a great area. Many of the Huffman’s are buried at Woodland cemetery including William P. Huffman and Torrence Huffman. I have been reading a lot of early Dayton history. Torrence Huffman owned Huffman Prairie where the Wright Brothers perfected the first airplane. Lots of old mansions are located there.
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luv my dayton
462 posts
Nov 17, 2013
6:09 PM
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Dayton has a wonderful history and if I remember correctly breweries is what got he city growing and money put back into the making of dayton. Many of our forefathers are buried at Woodland which also has a wonderful history. Thankfully that is a place that will be allowed to remain as alot of what made Dayton has been sold and removed.
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Susan63
14 posts
May 21, 2014
4:37 PM
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I grew up riding the city buses. I even got sick on a few of them when I was a kid. I can't believe how expensive it costs to ride, it cost more here to ride the bus than it does in Cincinnati!
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Daytongirl01
8 posts
Jun 09, 2014
5:40 PM
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I remember riding the Lexington (name of bus); catching it in front of my house, moving down N. Broadway (on the West side) to Third St, making a left turn onto Third, and then a straight shot to downtown. The first place we went to was the Arcade, then numerous other places, Rikes, McCroys, etc....big yellow bus it was with overhead connectors...not sure what the whole system was called, but then gas buses came into popularity...
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JJCofMAINE
73 posts
Jun 10, 2014
12:41 PM
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I used to ride the #5 bus home from downtown (early '60's), and at 5:30-6PM, the bus was always crowded - standing room only by the time I caught it, between 4th and 5th streets. Quite often, we would have the same driver, who always had the same line to bark out - "...plenty of seats in the back of the bus - they're all taken, but plenty of seats".
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missinthen
6 posts
Jun 13, 2014
10:02 PM
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We rode the Number 8 ( Lakeview, west side ) to downtown Dayton. Its route was Lakeview Ave on to Germantown St and on until Main Street Downtown. I recall putting my silver dime into the box and the bus driver clicking something ( to transfer all the dimes into a reserve canister ) .. I can still hear that clicking sound and the dimes falling into the canister...Quite often upon turning Left, onto Main Street ( from Germantown st. ) the outside trolley wires ( that powered the bus ) upon turning, many times it came off the connection and of course the bus driver had to go outside and connect it back ( Same thing coming back home ).... and recall 5Cent paper transfers? ( they had an expiration time) At one point the RTA went to metal tokens. I think you could buy the tokens at Beermans..... Every now and then I google map the neighborhood where I grew up and that bus stop is STILL THERE! I love being able to 'go back' like that..
Last Edited by missinthen on Jun 13, 2014 10:06 PM
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RIVERDALE RAT
565 posts
Jun 15, 2014
11:26 AM
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I can remember when the only routes that were not trolleys was the 12-Belmont/Five Oaks and the 6-Lorain (discontinued)... Later on we had the A-Far Hills, B-Beavertown, C-Van Buren and D-Kettering which most people caught on Second Street in the middle of the block by Rikes. You could also catch them at numerous stops on Jefferson and Ludlow streets. The route D was discontinued after St. Johns picked up the Kettering service. Later on as the outskirts grew, there were several more gasoline routes added, Townview- Germantown Rd. and the Ft. McKinley feeder, none of these routes served the downtown area. Even then the main City lines, 1-2-3-4-5-7-8-9 all remained 100% trolley.
Last Edited by RIVERDALE RAT on Jun 15, 2014 11:28 AM
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