~ Breezers ~

Submitted by Ray Shoop

There were two kinds of trolley cars operating in Marlborough. The winter trolleys were like a railroad car. They were constructed with upholstered seats for two passengers along a common center isle. The typical car could seat about fifty passengers.

At the top end of the pole is a small grooved wheel to provide the electric connection to the overhead wire (~575 Volts DC). The correct name for the small grooved wheel is ‘trolley’.

There is a rope hangs down from the top of the trolley pole to the end of the car. The trolley motorman will use the rope to reverse the trolley pole position for the return trip. Car 206 was built in 1890 by Jackson and Sharp in Wilmington, Delaware. The car has a single truck with only four wheels. The smaller trolleys had only a single truck and gave a ‘buck-board’ ride.

 The summer trolley cars were open on the sides with a railing around the outside of the car.  The seating for the open trolley consisted of rattan bench seats across the width of the trolley. The conductor on the summer trolley would walk along the outside railing on a running board. He would have to hold onto the poles as he collect the fare. Needless to say that kids always loved to also hang on the poles.  These summer trolley cars were called ‘Breezers’ since the air conditioning was just a breeze.

This is a 14-bench open ‘breezer’ car with two sets of wheel trucks from about 1910.
The second set of wheel trucks and longer length provided a smoother trolley ride.

There was a high cost to operate and maintain two sets of trolley cars. Each car required a motorman to drive the trolley and a conductor to collect the fares. A third style of trolley car was needed that allowed a single operator/conductor and be used for all seasons.

The semi-convertible trolley car was developed to address these issues. It looked much like a closed winter car but had windows that could be lowered into a protective pocket. You would enter at the front and pay the operator/conductor. At your stop, you would leave by the rear exit of the trolley.

Marlborough children who lived on the trolley route were allowed to ride the trolley to school. The students would be given a ticket, for the next day by their teacher. Youngsters would try to befriend the trolley motorman to let them ring the trolley’s bell.

Bibliography

The information collected for this ‘snapshot history’ is only a tiny part of the knowledge contained in these listed reference books. Much more detailed information on the facts; people and history are available within their pages. They are available thru the Marlborough Public Library.

Source:

Images of America: Northborough – Northborough Historical Society - 2000
On The Beaten Path: Westborough, Ma. – Allen, Kristian Nilson - 1984

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