by Roger DuPuis/photos as noted
Bill Monaghan, Jr.’s name and work have been familiar to Railpace readers for over 30 years, while his face has been familiar to Philadelphia transit passengers since 1986.
Monaghan’s retirement as a trolley operator for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority truly marked the end of an era, and an occasion to celebrate his service to SEPTA and the public, as well as his many contributions to preservation and the railfan community.
Forty-four well-wishers took part in a Saturday, September 16, Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys charter in which Monaghan operated on the streets of Philadelphia for the final time, transporting guests on a tour of several lines, including the surface-car subway, using 1981 Kawasaki-built LRV 9096. It was an emotional gathering, with Monaghan joined at Elmwood Depot by members of his family for photos prior to the trip, including son William F. Monaghan III and his first grandchild, William F. Monaghan IV, who was born earlier this summer.
The assembled multitude pose for a group photo at Yeadon Loop on the afternoon of the charter. —Marc Glucksman
“If it weren’t for this job, I wouldn’t know so many of the people I do – so many good friends that I have made over the years,” Monaghan said afterward. Monaghan started at SEPTA in 1986 as a trolley operator out of Luzerne Depot. His first regular run was on Route 56, Erie Avenue. At the time of his retirement, Monaghan was one of the last SEPTA operators who had started with the authority on traditional PCC cars…