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Environment of the Traction Era by Raymond Crapo Soft Cover 1978
Environment of the Traction Era by Raymond Crapo
A Brief Study of the Electric Traction Industry in its American Setting
Branford Electric Railway Historical Publication
Copyright 1978
Soft Cover
40 Pages
This manuscript was originally written for the education of members of the Branford Trolley Museum who enrolled in its Operating Staff Development Program. Its acceptance and popularity indicated to the Association that large numbers of people were fascinated by the traction industry even when their interest could have been best described as "casual". Experience both in giving tours and lectures to the public and in training members indicates that there is a need for very basic knowledge of the traction industry presented in a manner that will encourage the reader to further exploration.
This piece is wide, not deep. It attempts in a very few pages to make the reader aware of the fact that the Branford Trolley Museum and other trolley museums like it in the United States and Canada are more than a place where particular artifacts of an industry are preserved, restored and operated. These museums are the repositories of a great era in the history of this land - THE TRACTION ERA. The trolley car changed the way we live and still manages to leave a tremendous imprint upon our current patterns of living and working - more so than the great Interstate Highway System has currently done since its inception in the Eisenhower presidency. Perhaps you remember where there was virtual wilderness in an area now covered by a sprawling shopping center. The trolley car, in its heyday between 1890 and 1920, made changes just as profound if not even more so.
Students of urban dynamics, casual visitors to the museum, and our own members need to learn even more about the electric traction industry. This piece has been extensively footnoted to show the reader where information can be found and to demonstrate the multiplicity of available sources. The bibliography supports only the footnotes, and that is not even a modest beginning of the sources available for further reading. The Electric Railroaders Association at 4 West 40th Street, New York City 10018, is not mentioned simply because it was not cited in this brief study. Anyone really interested in learning more about this great era and the current status of the traction industry would do well to subscribe to its HEADLIGHTS magazine.
Preface 3
Introduction 5
Factors Contributing to Traction's Success 7
The Industry's Contributions to America 10
Commutation; Urban Development10
Industrial Assistance 14
Visitation, Pleasure and Recreation 15
Limited Business Travel 23
Eclectic Specializations23
Conclusion 30
Endnotes34
Bibliography37
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