Part 7/7 Kansas City Streetcars

Thanks for the memories, gotnoshoes99! As a teenager in Kansas City, Kansas in the early 1950's, I used to walk several miles to the 18th and Minnesota streetcar stop at 5am in the morning, transfer to the Main Street streetcar on the Kansas City, Mo. side, and ride to Kansas City Union Station for a day of train watching "on the wall" below the Grand Avenue bridge. During that era, twelve [12] Railroads served the station which made for no-stop traffic arriving and departing past my perch on the wall a mere six feet away from the 5 or 6 tracks entering the East end throat of the station. I, too, recall crossing the bridge across the West bottoms in a streetcar. What a thrill that was!

Wow! Beginning at 4:30 - the intersection of 43rd & Main St - a block from where I lived 1943-1947; What memories! My house was a short block from 42nd and Main; torn down to become a Pontiac dealer's lot for a while, and now that is gone. (Sigh) We moved to the Kansas side, and my mom rode the streetcar from 33rd & Parallel for many years, to work at Macy's at about 11th & Main. (Sigh, again). I'll never forget the grinding-screech of the motors in the old streetcars in 1943-44.

Good video. I was born in KC in '55, General Hospital #2 for Colored. Part of Truman now. I don't remember street cars but I know the bus seats had ashtrays. Elevators too! I loved going Downtown. I see it now and totally gone. At Petticoat and Main was a 4-way light: you could walk in an X right in front of Macy's. Before I knew red light green light that fascinated me. That street seemed a mile wide too. I see Katz Drugstore. This was when blacks could not eat there on the main floor. We did not go to the big Katz on 10th Main but a smaller one at the foot of 12th Walnut, behind Kresge. I remember the first time my mother and I sat down to eat lunch at Kresge. Before that, you went around to a side entrance leading to the "bargain basement" where there was a tiny counter for hot dogs. No stools or seating. I did not know any better honestly. Anyway, good video.

This takes me back 66 years to when the trolly went into the tunnel, mom would say good night, and then we "woke up" at 8th & Main and walked to Macy's where Aunt Jo worked and had a soda. All for $.25

This reminds me, I got my first taste of model railroading at VandenBooms Furniture store on Broadway at roughly 40th St. In 1946-47. I discovered that in the basement was a large O-scale layout, and possibly a small area for HO layout as well (foggy memory). There were several guys always working down there, and they never paid any attention to 11-year-old me and my friend who came to look at the trains, which were almost never running while I was there.

This is really awesome, what a great find those old films were, before this the streetcars were just a memory, now we can actually look back and see them in action once again thanks to you.

Fantastic movie! Now THIS is the KC streetcar system I remember riding on as a boy in the 50’s. Not the “Streetcar” labeled KC videos that actually show LightRail cars that came much later.

One more thing. The speed of these things, assuming the film is not speeded up, seems amazing, especially in comparison with a lot of today's systems. Amazing that things could run better and faster in the 50's than today.

I grew up my whole life in Kansas City and have always loved streetcars and rail transportation in general. I was born in January 1957 just before they stopped streetcar service in June. I still remember seeing a bunch of tracks in the street but never any cars of course. What a treasure of a find! There are books I believe on the KC streetcars but this is the first actual video I've ever seen and you have a lot apparently. I love the info on where the shots are taken even though I recognize many of them. Thanks so much for compiling and then posting all this.

I love reading personal stories of ppl growing up in KC, my home for a decade. I live in Midtown and would like to hear or read of people's stories of growing up in this area during the 1940's-50's and on.

OMG! Thank you! Memories of running up and down on Main with my grandma!

Wow! What a tremendous find and thanks for sharing it on YouTube. I grew up in Kansas City during much of the postwar PCC streetcar era and recognize many (although certainly not all) of the locations depicted.

How could a system such as this be disbanded? Awesome!

"An elegant train ride, from a more civilized age..." -Obi-Wan Trainmaster

There was a story about the Tunnel years ago. It's still there, blocked off. Never realized the ramp down to the Bottoms was built for Streetcars!

Never knew that city had air electric PCCs. Always thought they only had all electrics in the fleet.

I grew up in KC as well. I do remember the streetcars. Once boarding I was always fascinated by all of the multi colored lights and switches on the dash of the cab. It seemed magical to a young boy like me. We discovered that if you put a penny on the tracks it would end up about the size of a nickel. One major no no was while riding your bike don't get your tire in the track...it would really ruin your day! The trolley buses that followed were a nightmare.

Kansas City had street car's..😳I was in Hollywood in the 80s..found a old Hollywood station in a back alley..follow the tracks all the way to Santa Monica CA..walking thru Beverley Hills was not easy..12 hour's...12.6 miles😍😍

This is awesome. Where did you get this film?

Location corrections: 4:51 - 6:11 private right of way along east side of Rockhill Rd. between 43rd St. and 48th St. 6:12 - 6:17 private right of way along north side of 47th St. between The Paseo and Swope Pkwy./Benton Blvd. 6:18 - 6:47 private right of way in median of Swope Pkwy. between 47th St. and Meyer Blvd. (approximately 65th St.). Cars on Route 53 SWOPE PARK.