Customer Reviews

Twin Cities by Trolley: The Streetcar Era in Minneapolis and St. Paul

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Unlike many streetcar histories that assume that the reader already has a familiarity with at least the geography or operation of the traction company being presented, the authors of this book combine a creative layout and numerous maps with a discussion of all aspects of Minneapolis/St. Paul streetcar operations that can be easily grasped by non-Twin Citians. The maps are the best that I have ever seen, especially the individual route maps that show each street along with dates of the start and end of service on each segment. The book has a rich, "coffee-table" appearance that invites picking it up for frequent browsing, and the nicely reproduced black and white photographs and well-written text amply reward the effort.

This is a wonderful book. The pictures are amazing. We actually found a picture of my husband's Grandfather, George, that worked on the Lake Steet line.

This is an excellent history of stree railway development in the Twin Cities, much better written than these hisotries often are. Gives a good sense of growth and developement in Minneapolis, St. Paul and environs and how electric railways both contributed to and were affected by that developement. Excellent maps make the story clear even to those unfamiliar with the area.Top rating!

What a great book!! John Diers and Aaron Isaacs have given transit fans and Twin Cities historians an in depth look into the horsecar, cablecar, and streetcar era in our towns. I knew that there were horsecars in the Twin Cities, but did not know about the cablecars. In 1953 and 1954, my aunt took my on several streetcars routes prior to their abandonment. About 1960, I joined the Minnesota Transportation Museum and helped restore the TCRT 1300--the car that runs in Linden Hills. Both Mr. Diers and Mr. Isaacs are involved with that streetcar museum. My goal this summer is to have both authors autograph my book.

I wish they would have had a short chapter on the Hiawatha Light Rail line to complete rail transit history for the Twin Cities.

As information, Aaron Isaacs late father (George) was very instrumental in getting the Hiawatha Light Rail line for the Minneapolis area.

Ed Burns of Anoka

I was born after the trolleys were gone, so I heard stories from my mom...how great the trolley service was, and how you could go anywhere, and how the waits were short. We rode the yellow trolley that the transportation museum restored and operates at Lake Harriet, and I was hooked. This book answered my questions (yes, Mom was right!) and even furnished maps. I don't know how well the system would have dealt with suburban sprwal, but for it's time, the trolleys sure took care of the needs folks had to get around town! This book is fun to dive into if you like stories and pictures and maps, and would be a super gift to any nostalgic old trolley patron!

A marvelous book, extremely well written with accurate detail and and hundreds of wonderful street scene photos on virtually every page. Book is worth twice the price.

Fascinating book for a boy who lived in St.Paul from 1928 until 1951. Great pictures,maps and text. A real joy.

This book is not only thoroughly researched and well organized, it is fascinating reading, especially for someone who grew up in the Twin Cities and for whom transportation by streetcar was the only way to get around until I got my first car. The photo on the dust cover captures perfectly the bitter cold of a winter day in St. Paul, when hopping onto a streetcar was blessed relief from the wind-driven snow. Even my wife, who also grew up in St. Paul, is enjoying reading this book for all the memories it brings back. The author describes vividly the shaky start of the streetcar system in the Twin Cities, its heydays within the cities and interurban service to "distant" areas west of Minneapolis and east of St. Paul, and is even-handed and restrained about its shameful demise. (At least a few of the culprits did time for their criminal activities.) Ironically, the Twin Cities are currently in the process of creating a "light rail" public transit system that is just a vestige of what they used to have. Also, for anyone hoping to recreate some Twin Cities scenes in HO gauge, using recently released models of Twin City Lines PCC streetcars, this is an invaluable resource for inspiration and guidance. For more information, check out www.trolleyride.org.