The streetcar route was down Herschel (double track) through Fairfax, left on the grassy side of San Juan/Grand, over the bridge and into the landscaped median of Grand. The trolley turned right onto Baltic, running alongside the road to Cortez Park. The line was built by the Ortega Company as the 'Ortega Traction Company,' then sold to The Jacksonville Traction Company. In 1918, the Duval Traction Company extended the route from Cortez Park, running alongside Manitou to Ortega Boulevard/Allegheny then east alongside Albemarle to Black Point, site of the US Army's Camp Johnston. Car's to and from the camp ran nonstop from downtown for a .25 cent fare.
Note the walk-over seat handles on top of the seat backs, along the aisles. NOTE TO JTA: "trolley seats" in Jacksonville were not all glorified wooden park benches, we had two dominant varieties cane-back (which gave a soft rattan like comfort) and over stuffed velvet (the qualities of which we haven't seen since December 1936). We also operated 10 LOUNGE CARS! Try that one with a city bus today!
Note the little trolley wheel and pole has a small chain or cord attached which is used for lowering or raising the pole to or from the wire.
Here is the typical controller,( much more lovely then a plastic PCT steering wheel) which also serves as a type of key to the car.
At any time in the history of the routes, the streetcar's did NOT need to be turned around. Streetcars had 'walk-over seats,' the brass handles along the aisle allowed the motorman or conductor to walk through the car and flip the seat back's to face the other way. The car's themselves were double ended, and the operators controller served as a sort of 'key'. At the end of a route the operator stopped the car, pulled out his controller handle, opened the doors and got out. Walking to the rear of the car (based on the direction they were moving when they stopped) he would pull on a cord that lowered the trolley pole and locked it in the down position with a simple hook device. He then walked to the other end of the car, grabbed the cord, unhooked the pole on that end and raised it to the wire. Lastly, he rebounded and inserted the controller at the other end of the car, ready to roll. Total elapsed time? Maybe 2 minutes.
About the village? Having spent my early years toddling along the sidewalks in Ortega Village, I can recall what had to be the coolest toy store - window display I ever saw. I don't really recall if it WAS a toy store or a shop that carried a lot of unusual toys, but they had incredible displays of stamped tin, mechanical toys, roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and race tracks. The little wind up accessories zipped up, down and around for the benefit of potential customers! I just remember these toys, which I believe were mostly German imports, had lots of painted on detail and bright colors. Does anyone else recall this place?
<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/WwwfF0ZJBWw?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/WwwfF0ZJBWw?version=3&amp;hl=en_US</a>]]>Here is the end of the line process on a car with a single pole, car's came in single or double pole versions usually dictated by the length of the car.
OCKLAWAHA
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