Northern Texas Traction Company
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In 1902 the Northern Texas Traction Company became the second interurban line in the State of Texas by linking the city of Fort Worth to the west and the city of Dallas to the east. Construction began in 1900 by an interurban promoter and developer named Bishop. He began by acquiring the Fort Worth streetcar line and the Dallas and Oak Cliff Electric Railway to provide entrance into Dallas. The system purchased by Stone & Webster Engineering in 1905. In 1905 the street cars were moving at 8 mph, but by 1923 the speed had picked up to 65 mph.
The power generating plant and workshops were located in the small town of Handley near Fort Worth, which began to grow when the Northern Texas Traction Company bought land in the southern part of the community where it developed a holiday resort called Lake Erie. The company developed its lake and added a roller skate rink, a dance hall, restaurant and rides on a pier above the water. See: Handley (Fort Worth)
[edit] Award winning service
Northern Texas Traction actively fought the loss of passenger traffic to the private automobile. Its efforts to maintain ridership led the company to receive the Charles A. Coffin award in 1927. Numerous ideas to improve service and improve profits were implemented including the Birney Safety Car and Crimson Limited Interurban deluxe service.
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