|
|
Post by JerseyDigger29 on Jul 3, 2006 22:35:36 GMT -5
Hi, guys - While searching the microfilm newspaper ads at the Boyer museum for info on my Rock and Roll pioneers project, I unexpectedly came across what could have been the very first ad mentioning the brand new Tram Cars on the boardwalk from approximately Memorial Day, 1949. Because the ad was on microfilm I couldn't get a photo to show you so I'll just type out the information here. I think it's really interesting to think how new and exciting the tram cars must have been in the beginning. I wonder if people back then even guessed how important they would become to the folklore of the Wildwoods. Even I didn't know when they made their first appearance. Here goes: "They're new... "They're different... "The new 'Sightseer' "TRAM CARS "will begin operation on the boardwalk "June 11, 1949. "The safest ride on the boardwalk... "The most picturesque." "Girls wanted! Must be over 18!" Cool, huh? Two years older than me!  Thom  P.S. - I also found another piece of Wildwoods trivia that I found interesting. Did you know that the Hunt's Strand Theater at Maple and the boardwalk was considered the largest and finest movie theater constructed in the ENTIRE country just after WWII? TheWildwoodsReporter.com |
|
|
|
Post by Crippled_Visions on Jul 4, 2006 3:33:00 GMT -5
P.S. - I also found another piece of Wildwoods trivia that I found interesting. Did you know that the Hunt's Strand Theater at Maple and the boardwalk was considered the largest and finest movie theater constructed in the ENTIRE country just after WWII? TheWildwoodsReporter.comDon't believe everything you read in advertisements. |
|
|
|
Post by JerseyDigger29 on Jul 4, 2006 9:29:40 GMT -5
P.S. - I also found another piece of Wildwoods trivia that I found interesting. Did you know that the Hunt's Strand Theater at Maple and the boardwalk was considered the largest and finest movie theater constructed in the ENTIRE country just after WWII? TheWildwoodsReporter.comDon't believe everything you read in advertisements. That claim wasn't from a Wildwood ad! I guess they were talking about the period just after the war, before the 50's and later. Thom |
|
|
|
Post by MMM on Jul 4, 2006 10:28:52 GMT -5
Was there a picture of a tram car in the ad, Thom?
|
|
|
|
Post by dolfinmusic on Jul 4, 2006 11:25:31 GMT -5
Cool! Thanks for sharing. Do you all remember when only women worked on the tram?
|
|
|
|
Post by JerseyDigger29 on Jul 4, 2006 17:14:45 GMT -5
Was there a picture of a tram car in the ad, Thom? No picture in the ad, Martin. But I believe they always looked the same - except they never used to have Coca Cola plastered all over them. ;D I think they always wanted to use women drivers until recently. Somebody told me that the they wanted girls to add a touch of beauty to the ride, and also because in general women tend to be a lot nicer to people than SOME guys. Don't know if these reasons are true or not but I agree about the beauty part. Thom |
|
|
|
Post by writhinganacondo on Jul 4, 2006 19:33:57 GMT -5
The trams were brought to Wildwood by Sebastian Ramagosa. They were from the 1939/1940 New York World's Fair. I believe two of the trams are still original. The Ramagosas ran the trams till circa early 90's, which is when the drivers started to go more male. (The male drivers get less hassle from the punks on the boardwalk than the women did).
Anyone remember Eleanor Biggins? She was with the trams from early 50's well into the 80's. Really nice lady.
Interesting to know if the trams were used anywhere between the World's Fair and their introduction to the Wildwoods. Anyone? They are now housed on Hunt's Pier. Their old hdqtrs. behind Sportland Pool of course went condo.
|
|
|
|
Post by CondorAlex on Jul 4, 2006 23:11:05 GMT -5
Does anyone know if new model trams are possible for production?
(I mean, god forbid this ever happen, but what if the tram building caught fire one night, and each tram became in operable?)
|
|
|
|
Post by JerseyDigger29 on Jul 4, 2006 23:19:41 GMT -5
The trams were brought to Wildwood by Sebastian Ramagosa. They were from the 1939/1940 New York World's Fair. I believe two of the trams are still original. The Ramagosas ran the trams till circa early 90's, which is when the drivers started to go more male. (The male drivers get less hassle from the punks on the boardwalk than the women did). Anyone remember Eleanor Biggins? She was with the trams from early 50's well into the 80's. Really nice lady. Interesting to know if the trams were used anywhere between the World's Fair and their introduction to the Wildwoods. Anyone? They are now housed on Hunt's Pier. Their old hdqtrs. behind Sportland Pool of course went condo. Now that you remind me, I do remember hearing that males were added because they would get less hassle. I seem to remember it was also because the women, especially on the rear of the tram, used to get pinched and mauled a lot. God, I do remember Eleanor although I never knew her last name. In the 60's when I worked on Sportland Pier, I used to talk to her all the time when she was waiting for her car to depart from in front of Sportland. The tram cars would sit and wait right in front of the old Sportland Ferris Wheel at the front and center of the pier. Does anyone remember the little peanut and cotton candy stand that stood there underneath the front of that ferris wheel. The Matteucci family of North Wildwood used to run it. Bob Matteucci, Sr., was also the head cook at the Howard Johnson's Restaurant at the Casino Arcade and young Bobby Matteucci is now the NW Chief of Police. Jeez, this town is a small place. Thom |
|
|
|
Post by Crippled_Visions on Jul 5, 2006 1:32:00 GMT -5
Interesting to know if the trams were used anywhere between the World's Fair and their introduction to the Wildwoods. Anyone? I saw an old picture of the atlantic city boardwalk with a tram car on it that looked similar to the Wildwood tram cars. Maybe they were there for awhile. |
|
JIMD
Full Member
Posts: 221
|
Post by JIMD on Jul 10, 2006 10:54:34 GMT -5
Are the Trams owned by a company or by the City of Wildwood? Those things must make a fortune for whoever runs them
|
|
|
|
Post by wildre on Jul 10, 2006 12:13:02 GMT -5
Are the Trams owned by a company or by the City of Wildwood? Those things must make a fortune for whoever runs them Brought to the Wildwoods in 1949 by Sebastian Ramagosa, the Tram Car was run by the Ramagosa family until 1994 when it was sold to Sightseers. Inc., a local group of business owners. Starting the 2004 season the Tram Car is operated by the local Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District Management Corporation. |
|
