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From: burton@fortune.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: The desireability of GM cars - (nf)
Message-ID: <2616@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Feb-84 19:09:40 EST
Article-I.D.: fortune.2616
Posted: Thu Feb 23 19:09:40 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Feb-84 03:05:31 EST
Sender: notes@fortune.UUCP
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 31

#R:umcp-cs:-502700:fortune:1500030:000:1514
fortune!burton    Feb 23 12:38:00 1984


If you don't think that GM *didn't* almost single-handedly get streetcars
off American streets, then you never heard of American City Lines.

Abouyt 1934-1935, a quite revolutionaly streetcar called the PCC was developed
by a consortium of streetcar manufacturers and suppliers [Presidents' Conference
Committee], and this model was quite popular in the US until 1952.  Many cities,
however, scrapped (or sold off) these cars well before the end of their useful
life (which is a lot longer than any bus), and most PCCs were replaced by
GM, using "muscle" tactics on city councils and transit authorities.

The PCC car was such a good design that the patents have been licenced to
many foreign manufacturers.  In fact, most of the streetcars and light
rail systems in Europe use PCC technology.  Also, many used US PCC cars are 
still running in South American and Asia.

About the time this was going on, the "Highway Lobby's " big emphasis was not
knocking off streetcars, but on getting approval for the Interstate highway
system.  That system was supposed to cost $27 Billion total, and to date
has cost well in excess of $100 Billion with no end in sight, and by the way,
it's never been finished.  Inner city interstates have also killed entire
neighborhoods, as anyone who knows the Bronx (NYC) is aware.

  Philip Burton      101 Twin Dolphin Drive
  Fortune Systems    Redwood City, CA  94065	   (415) 595-8444 x 526
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