Oh, it can be amazing what you stumble across on the internet.

Today, it was this page from a genealogical society in Wheeling, W.Va. (which is where I'm originally from), featuring the photos and a little bit about the late William J. B. Gwinn. Alas, as so often seems to be the case, so, so much has been lost, including much of Mr. Gwinn's photo collection, just about all of Wheeling's trolleys (except for one car that got sold to Birmingham that I know about and runs today), and a good deal of Wheeling itself.

And some people think we've kept too much. . .

Enjoy.

http://www.lindapages.com/wags-ohio/history.htm

Location on this postcard is on the B&O's approach to Wheeling from Pittsburgh, just east of Tunnel No. 1 and a stone bridge over Big Wheeling Creek; in a minute or two the train will be running down the street trackage on 17th street to arrive at the elevated tracks in the station that exists today--but with its tracks and bridges removed. Part of this right of right-of-way is now a trail, including the tunnel and bridge, which are behind the train. Bridge and tunnel are both visible from I-70, just east of the road's tunnels under the ridge before reaching the downtown.

http://www.lindapages.com/wags-ohio/locomotives.htm

The trolley page:

http://www.lindapages.com/wags-ohio/tro ... -train.htm

I live in the wrong time. . .and have had at least two other people tell me so. . .

The Miller Library at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum has several thousand of W. J. B. Gwinn's negatives although nowhere near the 100,000 reported on the website. I suspect some hyperbole in that figure. As a young trolley fan in the late 1960's, I knew Bill as an interesting old guy who would faithfully show up to ride fantrips on Pittsburgh's then rapidly shrinking streetcar system. He was still using an ancient box camera that was held together with tape and rubber bands, doubtless the same camera as he used decades earlier to take those pictures you see on the website. The initials "W.J.B" stood for "William Jennings Bryan", giving you some idea of the political leanings of his parents.

/s/ Larry