Library Talk - Electric Trolley Line

"The Albany-Hudson Fast Lines", on May 31, 2009 at 2pm, at the East Greenbush Library [10 Community Way]:

The Greenbush Historical Society will present this free program by railroad enthusiast, Dale Flansburg. The Albany-Hudson Fast Lines, commonly known as trolley lines, ran between the two cities for thirty years from 1898 to approximately 1929. The trolley line was only one of a few in the U.S. that used a 3-rail system: pantographs, single trolley poles, and a third rail. The towns that the trolley passed through required different rail systems for various reasons.

Dale Flansburg has been a railroad enthusiast all his life. His interest inspired miles of travel over many of the countries' railroads and his collection of railroad memorabilia. He started a collection of full-sized railroad gear in 1991 which is exhibited at his private railroad museum. Call the library to reserve your seats. Contact: 518-477-7476

The Albany-Hudson Fast line did run through Greenbush & Rensselaer [Timeline].



Image:
"Albany & Hudson Railroad Fast Line #21 at Rossman, New York" - see the full image at the Joseph A. Smith Collection.





From the history files:

Electric Train Wreck, May 26, 1901 [lots of gory detail in the full story]

Electric cars racing for a switch while running in opposite directions, at the rate of forty miles an hour, cost five lives yesterday afternoon by a terrific collision, in which over forty prominent people were injured, some fatally and others seriously.
...
The scene of the accident was at a point about two miles out of Greenbush, on the line of the Albany & Hudson railway.
...
The cars weigh fifteen tons each and are the largest electric cars built, and so frightful was the crash that both cars were torn almost to splinters. Both cars were filled with Sunday pleasure seekers returning from the new recreation grounds that the railway had just opened.