‘In 1911, Burbank farmer Joseph Fawkes began developing what became known as the “Fawkes’ Folly” and secured a patent for the USA’s first monorail. He formed the Aerial Trolley Car Company and set about building a prototype he believed would revolutionize transportation.’
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Images 2,3 c/o USC Digital Library
Thank you to Wes Clarke
The future was so much cooler in the past.
I think more vehicles need propellers.
propellers for everyone!
Er…uh… something else about propellers!
I’ve sold monorails to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and by gum it put them on the map!
Hi-
Cool photos but the story you posted is far from being about the first monorail. For the first I submit the Meigs Elevated Railway which was an experimental steam-powered monorail invented by Joe V. Meigs of Lowell, Massachusetts, built in 1886 in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was built on land abutting Bridge Street, now Monsignor O’Brien Highway. A nice image on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meigs_Elevated_Railway
Best regards,
Rus Gant
Wonderful photos, thank you for sharing.
worlds oldest monorail still in use:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwebebahn
I live in this area, I LOVE old photos of “The Valley”. Trying to figure out what direction the last one was taken. Those hills….
What a fabulous idea. Propeller driven trolleys. I wonder how fast it went, and how many people it could hold?