A Very Final Tram Post – The Changeling

After thinking my tram thoughts were finished after the last couple of posts about Dalian’s tram system, all the other Chinese tram systems and then the return of trams to Shanghai after 30 years I thought I was done. So home I went for a rest and to watch a bit of TV. I stuck the new Angelina Jolie flick, Changeling, in the machine – a strange thing to do as I don’t like her much. And what do I get – between the pouting and visions of an actress as usual trying to hard – a brilliant recreation of Los Angeles’s tram system in 1928!! Left is a picture of Jolie on a tram – the tram clearly steals the scene!

Back then of course Los Angeles had a world class tram system and the largest network covering about a 1,000 miles in total (trams in LA in 1911 – left) – though they usually called them trolleycars or streetcars over there. By the 1930s the LA tram system was struggling and guess who bought it? F**king General Motors who then ripped all the tram lines, widened the streets, introduced (GM) buses and sold everyone cars as there was no longer a pleasant and efficient public transport system. In 1963 the last tram stopped. As if there weren’t enough reasons to dislike GM!!