On August 4, 1929, the Queen City’s street car era went up in literal flames. More than 5,000 attendees witnessed the spectacle of an unforgettable farewell party that made headlines worldwide. Burlington’s public transportation story began much more sedately with a horse-drawn street railway in 1885, followed by a state-of-the-art electrified system just eight years later.
For the next 36 years, as many as three million annual trolley patrons rode its 16 miles to Winooski, Fort Ethan Allen and Essex Junction, as well as Burlington’s Queen City Park, downtown, schools, sporting events, family gatherings, and work commutes. Ridership declined after World War I and rubber-tired buses drove away with most passengers. Burlington native, author, filmmaker and veteran broadcast personality James R. “Jim” Jones shares entertaining, fascinating rail tales on this memorable journey, complete with “then and now” treasure hunts for relics of the past. No tokens required!
About the presenter
James R. “Jim” Jones, a Burlington, Vermont native, has maintained a lifelong interest in railroading. His love for “underdog trains”—and communities they served—stems from childhood locomotive rides with his father, noted railroad author Robert C. Jones. Jim’s grandfather, Cecil O. Jones, began the family tradition in 1916, when he signed on with Canadian Pacific. Jim has authored three Colorado prairie railroad chronicles and eight local titles, assisted his father on several Vermont books and—to prove he doesn’t have a one-track mind—co-authored former ESPN and AWA wrestling personality Larry Nelson’s Stranglehold: An Intriguing Behind the Scenes Glimpse into the Private World of Professional Wrestling.
