Remembering Kenilworth's (NJ) "Toonerville Trolley"

Sloan · **Posted:** Mon Jun 28, 2010 9:50 am

http://www.nj.com/cranford/index.ssf/20 ... ooner.html

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

I wonder how many towns have claimed that "their" rickety streetcar line was the prototype for the "Toonerville Trolley". It took me a long time to realize that the "Toon" in "Toonerville" was short for cartoon or cartoon character. We can thank Roger Rabbit for making this clear.

o anderson · **Posted:** Tue Jun 29, 2010 11:31 am

This was posted on the Philly Traction discussion group a couple years ago:

Quote:

News today from The Philadelphia Inquirer that Phoenixville along the
Schuylkill River is studying a possible rail transit link to Paoli
brings to mind Dr. Harold E. Cox's research in "Trolleys of Chester
County, Pennsylvania." It was co-authored with Stanley F. Bowman and
published by Dr. Cox in 1975 (and is sometimes available on eBay). The
soft cover book includes material on two semi-rural trolley lines that
served Phoenixville: Montgomery & Chester; and Phoenixville, Valley
Forge & Strafford electric railways. PVF&S never did reach Strafford,
western terminal of the original Philadelphia & Western main line:
http://www.davesrailpix.com/pw/htm/ehpw045.htm
But PVF&S did build from Phoenixville to the west side of Valley
Forge national historical park:
http://tinyurl.com/2cd8sc
PVF&S rolling stock included some rather unusual Brill cars: 4-wheel,
single-truck Near-Sides, tiny cousins of the 1,500 double-truck
Near-Sides purchased by Philadelphia Rapid Transit. A few traction
properties operated the 4-wheel version:
http://www.davesrailpix.com/odds/va/htm/ca02.htm
In his book on Birney cars, Dr. Cox listed Brill production of
4-wheel Near-Sides:
http://www.telcen.com/streetcars/112.html
Another view of a 4-wheel Near-Side is on this page:
http://www.telcen.com/streetcars/6.html
Phoenixville also gained historical recognition as the filming site
for "Toonerville Trolley" movies based upon the popular newspaper
comic strip of the early 20th century:
http://www.centerlinehobbies.com/toonerville.html
Treddyfrin Easttown Historical Society posted a Web page showing a
photo of a life-size movie replica of the fictional trolley:
http://www.tehistory.org/news/news200610.html
Edward B. Havens
Tucson, Ariz.

I find it interesting that the Centerline Hobbies link is a 1938 Railroad Magazine article that mentions that the two Fontaine Fox movie set cars survived, on rotting in Betzwood PA and the other on display at the "steel pier" in Atlantic City. Filming was done on two lines near Valley Forge - an old narrow gauge railroad (which was too steep) and the trolley line to Phoenixville.
http://www.centerlinehobbies.com/toonerville.html

Inspiration for the series included the "Brook" streetcar line in Louisville (I have no idea about that route) and the trolley line to Pelham Manor in NY.
http://www.pelhamny.com/landmarks/pelhamwood.shtml

Blake Bell has blogged a whole lot about this little line in Westchester County. From what I can tell in aerial photos and maps, a few blocks of the right of way might still exist going south from the station area.
http://historicpelham.blogspot.com/2006/09/toonerville-trolley-cartoons-available.html