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Seattle Trolleybus Photos 16

28 April 1940 — the present

Twin Coach 646 on 10th Ave. E. heading downtown and to the 10 Mt. Baker terminus heading downtown and then on to the Mt. Baker terminus. The 10 Mt. Baker was disconnected from route 10 and was renumbered route 14 when the system was reconstructed 1978. Route ten still sees trolleys everyday. Photo by Wayne Hom. 1970/71. Submitted by Mike Freund. Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archive Photograph Collection.

An unidentified Twin Coach on the 9 Broadway turning from Broadway Ave. N to westbound Pike St. Photo by Wayne Hom. 1970/71. Submitted by Mike Freund. Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archive Photograph Collection.

An unidentified Twin Coach on route 14 Summit downtown on Pike St. heading towards Summit Ave. Pike St. had been converted to a one-way street 15/6 years before this photo was taken. Photo by Wayne Hom. 1970/71. Submitted by Mike Freund. Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archive Photograph Collection.

A Twin Coach, probably a yellow canary, is gliding silently down 15th Ave. NE at E. 63rd St. Behind the mechanical shovel one can see a pair of wires turning from 15th NE onto NE 63rd. This loop replaced the original loop, the Cowen Park Loop, which loop around a very small block from Cowen Pl. NE to 15th Ave. NE, to Cowen Pl. The loop had to be moved when 15th Ave. NE was widened. Until then University Way NE was the main automobile drag. It also served route 7 - 15th Ave. NE with two branches, 65th and 85th St., and this short turn. Traffic was growing and clogging up University Way, which is a commercial avenue one block from the University of Washington. The loop was moved north a few blocks to E 63rd St., to 16th Ave NE, where the Cowen Park trolleys laid over. It returned via E. 65th St. to 15th Ave. NE. In the 40s this loop had regular service as well as the two branches. I can remember riding on a trolley with a driver, who was a friend of the family, to Cowen Park on a Saturday late morning. During the rush hours, some trolleys also short turned at the 45th and Brooklyn loop, which they had to share with route 4 - Montlake trolleys. This loop turned left from University Way NE onto E. 43th St., to Brooklyn Ave. NE, where the trolleys laid over. Then the loop turned right on E. 45th St. to University Way NE.

Today, the #7 line is nothing but a memory. In 1970 the 4- Montlake went diseasel and the last bit of wiring in the University District disappeared. This was changed when the 4 - Montlake was reelectrified. This time, however, the wires were installed on 15th Ave. NE from NE Pacific St. to NE 45th St. Then the wires were installed on NE 45th St., way, NW Market St. all the way to Ballard to NW 32nd St. The 4 was renumbered to 43. Later, the Ballard - University section was renumbered to 44 when the two branches were separated except nights and Sundays reflecting the different passenger riding patterns. A short turn was installed from NE 45th St. up 11th Ave. NE to NE 47th St. to 12th Ave. NE, return. The layover was on NE 12th St. The former route 9 - Broadway was renumbered as the 7 when the system was reconstructed. This was the principle user of the loop. Later, the crosstown line #9 was introduced as a new line. This line did not need any new wiring. It ran from 45th and 12th St. loop to Broadway to Rainier Ave. turning originally at S. Graham St., which was also used by the #7 line to Graham St. Loop. Later, the 9 was extended to Rainier Beach. The #9 was diseaselized when the northern branch of route 7 was changed to #49. The 9 diseasel runs only to Aloha St., and is an express on part of Rainier Ave.

Route 7 got a very small reprieve when the tunnel opened. Routes 71, the former 85th St. branch, and 73, the former 65th St. branch, were diverted into the tunnel running as dual mode trolleys. Later, a larger part of route 7 on Eastlake Ave. was rewired when route 70 was electrified. It brings tears to my eyes to trolleys running on Eastlake Ave. today. I lived with my grandmother off and on and she lived on the 65th St. branch, getting off at 27th Ave. NE. We had to get on at 26th Ave. NE, however.

Note: until circa 1960, the streets north of the canal were numbered E. Then they were changed to NE. The same happened in Ballard and other streets west of 1st Ave. NW where changed from W to NW, which can be attested by Charlie Davis, who lived next door to my grandmother. I never got used to the change and I still puzzle the locals who are less than 45 or moved to Seattle since 45 years ago when I say 'E 65th St.' They know it only as NE 65th St. The same holds for the other streets north of the Canal.

Photographer unknown. 14 MR 1956. Submitted by Mike Freund. Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archive Photograph Collection.

Breda 5101 on route 7 on S. Jackson St. at 4th Ave. S. across the street from the old Union Station. 5201 had been converted to a straight trolley, but it still had the the duo-bus number. It was later changed to 4200 when Metro decided to continue with the Breda conversion program. Photo by Zack Willhoite. 1 JN 2002.