Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Bus):

June 1, 2008 E40LFR Charter

On June 1, 2008, the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys sponsored a charter trip along northeastern Philadelphia's recently rehabilitated trackless trolley network. Two brand-new New Flyer E40LFR trackless trolley coaches, 805 and 809, made up the fleet for the charter. The trip covered all three active trackless trolley routes in northeastern Philadelphia -- the 66, 59 and 75 in that order -- and made a number of interim stops for photos.
image view 809 and 805 are seen on Ferry Street outside the Frankford Transportation Center with their poles down prior to the start of the charter.
image view 805 is seen on Ferry Street, waiting for the charter to begin.
image view Passengers disembark from 809 and 805 at City Line Loop, the northernmost terminal of the 66 route.
image view 809 is seen resting at City Line Loop.
image view 805 at City Line Loop, with its destination sign turned off.
image view A side view of 809, with clouds dominating the sky.
image view A peek inside the engine compartment of 805.
image view Rear view of 809 signed up for the 66 route, along with an unidentified New Flyer D40LF about to begin a southbound trip on the 66.
image view Front view of 809 and 805, with the former signed for the 66 route to City Line Loop.
image view A closeup of 805 at City Line Loop.
image view The two coaches pose for photos before leaving City Line Loop.
image view The trip pauses for a photo stop at the corner of Frankford Avenue and Arendell Avenue in the Torresdale district.
image view 805 displays "66 EXPRESS".
image view Apart from the "EXPRESS" designation, it's hard to tell 805 from a regular in-service 66 coach.
image view Front view of 809 as passengers re-board, signed for 66 Gregg St.
image view The next photo stop was at Frankford Avenue and Rhawn Street in Holmesburg. 809 has already discharged its passengers and is behind the camera, while 805 pulls in signed as a 66 Express.
image view A door-side view of 805.
image view The sister coaches pose for photos, with 809 as a 66 to Gregg Street and 805 as a 66 to Frankford Transportation Center.
image view And then there were three. 818, an in-service southbound 66 approaches the charter coaches.
image view 805 lowers its poles to let 818 pass by.
image view 809 is seen with two historic buildings in the background. Note the reflection from 818's destination sign on the rear two windows of 809.
image view And then there were... four? A northbound 66 passes the two charter coaches, along with 818 on the southbound 66.
image view After the photo stop at Frankford/Rhawn, the charter proceeded to Arrott terminal via the non-revenue overhead on Frankford and continued to Bells Corner loop on the 57 route. Here are the two coaches posing for photos at Bells Corner.
image view 805 posing as a 59 to Bells Corner at Bells Corner loop.
image view 809 resting at Bells Corner loop with "CHARTER" on its destination signs.
image view The two end points of the 59 - Arrott terminal and Bells Corner loop -- are displayed on the two trackless trolleys here.
image view New Flyer D40LF 5763, an in-service 59, is seen here at Bells Corner alongside 805 and 809.
image view Rear view of 805, 809, and 5763.
image view Another rear view of the trackless trolleys.
image view Side view of 809.
image view 809 prepares to leave Bells Corner loop, signed as a 59.
image view 809 and 805 leave Bells Corner, with another unidentified trackless trolley in the background on an in-service 59.
image view 809 proceeds out of the loop, with 805 close on its heels.
image view A low-angle shot of 805 as it turns out of the Bells Corner loop and onto Castor Avenue.
image view The two chartered trackless trolleys at the corner of Castor Avenue and Bleigh Avenue.
image view 809 turns the corner from Castor onto Bleigh, poles lowered.
image view Rear view of 809 on Bleigh, currently running on auxiliary diesel power.
image view 809 turns from Bleigh onto Alma Street as photographers capture the moment.
image view 809 runs down Alma Street on auxiliary diesel power. 805 is in the background making the turn from Bleigh Avenue.
image view A low-angle view of 805 on Alma.
image view 805 and 809 are back under the wire at Alma and Elgin streets, a little-used short-turn point on the 59 route.
image view 805 displays "59 ARROTT TERMINAL".
image view 809 displays the rare "59 HELLERMAN ST" reading.
image view 809, posing for photos in front of Frankford High School (behind the camera, not visible.)
image view 809 and 805 pose for photos. Note that 809 is displaying "58" on its headsign and "59" on its sidesign.
image view 809 with "58" on its headsign. This is a rare occurrence as the 58 is not a trackless trolley route and obviously would never run E40LFRs.
image view We have proceeded back through Arrott terminal and outbound along the 75 route. Here, 805 and 809 are seen at the corner Arrott and Oakland streets.
image view 809 basks in the perfect weather.
image view A "profile" view of the front of 809.
image view 805 waits to cross the intersection of Arrott and Oakland, signed up as a 75.
image view Rear view of 809 in a somewhat "suburban"-looking setting at Arrott and Oakland.
image view 805 poses with a New Flyer D40LF on the 75.
image view The rear of 809, and the front of 805.
image view 809 and 805 are seen passing through Tacony Creek Park on Wyoming Avenue.
image view 809 among the trees of Tacony Creek Park.
image view 805 is seen here crossing the bridge over Tacony Creek.
image view Another shot of the two trackless trolleys crossing the bridge.
image view A closer view of 809.
image view 805 and 809 pose at the corner of Wyoming Avenue and Hutchinson Street. Note the lack of buildings in this picture: a sinkhole forced the demolition of all structures in the immediate vicinity.
image view 809, signed for a short-turn 75 to Roosevelt Boulevard.
image view 809 displaying "75 7th Street" on its headsign.
image view 805 at Wyoming and Hutchinson, with a D40LF in the background.
image view 809 and 805 pose for photos at Courtland Street and Windrim Avenue.
image view 809 at Courtland and Windrim displaying "75 ARROTT TERMINAL".
image view Photographers look on as 809 rounds the corner from Courtland to Windrim.
image view A lower-angle view of 809.
image view 805 now rounds the corner, signed as a 75 to Wayne Junction.
image view Low view of 805.
image view 809 stops on Windrim as tripgoers embark.
image view 809 displays "29 FRONT & TASKER" on its headsign -- a former trackless trolley route now operating with diesel buses.
image view 805 at Wayne Junction, displaying another defunct trackless trolley route on its headsign -- the 79 to 29th/Snyder.
image view Another defunct route -- the 29 to 33rd Street.
image view 809 joins in by displaying "29 FRONT & TASKER".
image view Yet another non-trolley route: the 23 to Chestnut Hill, displayed on 809.
image view "29 32ND & TASKER" on 805.
image view 805 displays "GO FLYERS!!!", referring to both the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team as well as itself (as a "Flyer" E40LFR.)
image view Closeup profile view of 805's "GO FLYERS!!!" sign.
image view 805 and 809 are seen simultaneously displaying "GO PHILLIES!!!".
image view The last stop of the trip: 809 is seen outside Frankford terminal as tripgoers disembark. The Market-Frankford line can be seen in the background.
image view 809 with is poles lowered outside Frankford.
image view 805 outside Frankford.
image view 805's operator is seen lowering 805's trolley poles at the end of the trip.
Miscellaneous pictures
image view A closeup of the manufacturer's placard inside 809.
image view The driver's position on 809.
image view A peek "under 805's hood", so to speak.
image view 809's farebox.
image view 809's projector headlights and front bezel.
image view A view of the front of 809 with its bike rack in the open position.
image view A view of the interior of 809, from the back of the bus looking toward the front.
image view The latter two rules were allowed to be broken on the trip.
image view A phalanx of photographers organizes during the photo stop at Arrott and Oakland streets.
image view A closeup view of 809's rear panel.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority

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