Historic Pelham: The Day the Brakes Failed on the Pelham Manor Trolley, Inspiration for the Toonerville Trolley

On a lazy, warm Sunday morning during the summer of 1923, Pelham Manor trolley operator Edward Glazier was operating the Pelham Manor trolley -- the very trolley that inspired internationally-renowned cartoonist Fontaine Fox to create his comic strip "Toonerville Folks" that centered around the dilapidated trolley known as the "Toonerville Trolley." The little trolley car was "laden with passengers" headed for Travers Island and Hunter's Island seeking relief from the summer heat. The trolley likely rang its bell joyously as it proceeded along its tracks. As the trolley bounced and rolled past today's Four Corners (then, "Red Church Corner") along Pelhamdale Avenue toward Shore Road, trouble was brewing.

Unbeknownst to Glazier, the brake rod that extended beneath the trolley car snapped. The rod may have snapped, but its break was silent -- no noise accompanied the failure of the rod. As the trolley approached its next scheduled stop at Terrace Avenue near the old Pelham Manor Station (both later razed to make way for I-95), Glazier gently pulled the brake handle to slow the car.

Not only did the trolley car not stop, but it also reached the little decline that carried traffic beneath the bridge of the New Haven Branch Line above Pelhamdale Avenue. The car gained momentum. Glazier must have been frantic, ringing the trolley bell and searching for traffic turning into or out of Manor Circle ahead of the trolley.

Glazier threw the trolley car motor into reverse. The wheels were grinding and slipping as they changed directions and screeched on the tracks laid along Pelhamdale Avenue. The trolley slowed to a halt at Manor Circle, missing its scheduled stop by a few hundred feet.

In a testament to "times were different back then," with no brakes, Glazier continued to operate the little car as slowly as he could to the end of the line where Pelhamdale Avenue meets Shore Road near the New York Athletic Club in a successful bid to get his passengers to their destination.

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes the text of a brief news article that described the events of that day. It is followed by a citation, and link, to its source.

Trolley car that ran from Pelham Station along

Wolf's Lane with a short stint on Colonial Avenue

then along the length of Pelhamdale to Shore Road

where it turned around and repeated the trip. The two trolley

operators standing in front of the car were Skippers Dan and Louie.

"Brakes Fail, Operator Averts Serious Accident
-----
Passengers Of 'Toonerville' Unaware Of Danger Through Presence Of Mind Of 'Skipper'
-----

The presence of mind of Edward Glazier, operator of the Pelham Manor trolley, averted a possible serious accident Sunday morning. The brake beam of the 'Toonerville' snapped when the car was laden with passengers intent on seeking relief from the heat at Hunter's and Travers Islands. The operator acted quickly and the passengers were not aware of the danger until they had been safely deposited at the end of the line.

The accident occurred on Pelhamdale Avenue, between Black Street and Pelhamdale. There was no noise accompanying the snap in the brake rod, so the operator did not know of the danger until he sought to apply the brake at Terrace Avenue. The car did not stop, but gained momentum on the incline under the branch line of the New Haven Railroad.

Quickly Glazier threw the motor into reverse and the wheels slide around in the opposite direction. The momentum of the heavy car carried it to Manor Circle before it could be brought to a stop. The rest of the distance to the Shore Road was made at a slow rate of speed, and the passengers were discharged. Another car took up the 'Toonerville' service that afternoon."

Source: Brakes Fail, Operator Averts Serious Accident -- Passengers Of "Toonerville" Unaware Of Danger Through Presence Of Mind Of "Skipper," The Pelham Sun, Jul. 20, 1923, p. 1, col. 7.