They were largely the last
spot in which a streetcar rider wished to spend much time, but in the event
of inclement weather, they were a welcome sight. Though mostly seen
in "well to do" areas, streetcar waiting shelters often offered an intersting
glimpse of vintage archtecture, much unlike the plexiglass and aluminum
frames which today's MTA riders may be treated to. Many of them definitely
appear to be built to last, and last they have, as this roundup will show.
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Bedford Square on the North
end of route #11 at Saint Paul and Charles Street looks largely at home
in stately Guilford. This station served semiconvertible streetcars
until 1947, and still sees a single daily 5:51am weekday trip on bus route
#11 terminate on the driveway in the background. |
Catonsville Junction on
the #8 streetcar line featured this "house" constructed from reclaimed
belgian blocks from the streets of Baltimore. The shelter was
lovingly
restored in 1996 as part of the trolley trail project, the same year
neighbors
on Dutton Avenue got the #2 bus kicked off of their street, thus
eliminating this loop and shelter from being any practical use - ironic! |
When transit goes to the
dogs. Mount Washington Station on car routes #25, 47, and 48, is now
the Western half of the Mount Washington Animal Hospital. Though
retrofitted with siding, some traces of the building's originality still
come through. |
Overhill was one of two
stations along wooded University Parkway on former car route #29, but is the only
one to survive. It has been restored, though the plaque outside erroneously
notes it serving the #10 line.
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Paradise (at Frederick and
Paradise Avenues) was among the last BTC shelters built, with the installation
of the new loop behind during World War II. Riders of the #2 bus
still use this shelter daily.
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Edgevale Road shelter once
served the #25 streetcar line along Falls Road, and continues to serve
a small number of #27 line bus riders. As seen here, the shelter
was rather recently painted, hiding some unfortunate graphiti.
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More of a newsstand than a shelter, there is no doubt that this
structure once situated amid the Parkville Loop of the #19 streetcar
kept many a rider dry while awaiting the next car. With Parkville
Loop having closed, with the property reconfigured for parking (hmm, is
that where Parkville gets its name?), the old structure is of little
use to today's transit riders. |
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