History of Streetcar

Transportation in PA

Laura Wells

History in the making

• Horse cars were the first form of public transit within cities.

• The earliest horse car line was built in 1828 in Baltimore,

Maryland.

• Horses are slow and expensive as a form of power.

• In larger cities horsecars were replaced by cable cars, or

elevated steam trains.

• Horsecar lines were prominent in cities until Frank J. Sprague‟s

invention of the overhead wire and motor mount in 1887.

• The Sarah Street line in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the last

regularly operated transit line operated with horse cars in the

United States, running until October 27,1923.

Frank J. Sprague “The father of electric traction”

• Invented the overhead wire and motor mount

combination.

• Created the first completely successful electric

railway system in Richmond Virginia. (1887-88)

How Trolleys Work

Early Streetcars

Many people know what a “Trolley” is by the popular TV

show Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood; although the proper

name is a “Streetcar” or “Electric streetcar”

Early trolleys were not much different from their predecessors.

They were small, with only 1 truck (wheel and axle set) and as

such could not carry a large passenger load.

Growth years

As trolleys became more popular, companies began to

focus on developing greater capacity streetcars.

•Built in 1898 for

Pittsburgh railways

company.

•Example of an early

“double truck” streetcar.

•Longer and wider

•Could carry a larger

payload then their

single truck

predecessors.

Increasing capacity

To further increase capacity of streetcars during the boom in

the teens and twenties, streetcar companies began operating

trains of cars. In addition to that they built “double-decker”

cars, which doubled capacity all in one car.

Evolution of the Trolley

City cars: Trolleys that ran within cities or their suburbs.

Pittsburgh

Railways

Company

Johnstown Traction CompanyHigh-floor car.

Low-floor car.

West Penn

Railways

“Summer

Car”

Evolution of the Trolley

Harmony line

Wooden Interurban Baggage car.

West Penn Railways Steel interurban

Jersey Shore and Antes Fort Railway

Interurban: Trolleys that ran between towns and cities.

Evolution of the TrolleyStreamliners: Modernized trolleys first seen in the late

1930s early 40s. Better known as PCC cars.

Pat Transit‟s “The Terrible Trolley”

Last PCCs in Pittsburgh retired

from service in 1999.

Evolution of the TrolleyLight-rail: The newest generation of trolley transportation.

This is known as a

“Almond joy car”

because of the bumps

on the roof.

A new Pittsburgh LRV

(Light-rail Vehicle).

Evolution of the TrolleyMore then just the terrible trolley. Companies painted cars as adds

to earn extra money, or just to catch the public eye.

Add Cars

Demise of the Trolley Era

As cars became more

popular and more

available to the average

American, trolley

companies began a

downward spiral.

Trolleys were stacked and

burned to strip the metal bare.

What Once

Was

Trolleys truly were everywhere. In the

teens and twenties it was possible to

ride trolleys from Pittsburgh and get all

the way to Illinois (with a lot of

transfers in-between).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcaBqkFIL0c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIGHcHeZwrw&fe

ature=related

Going Local

Roofing Style

Seating Style

Key Power

Horn

Operator‟s

Seat

Hand

BrakeBrake Handle

Air

Gauge

Hand controls

Brake

Accelerator

Dead Man

Fair Box

Work Cars

This is what‟s called a “Crane car.” It‟s outfitted with a boom

that can lift an assortment of materials, including track,

line poles and do so while staying under the trolley wire.

Work Cars

This work car is called a “Line car.” The roof is insulated

so that workers can safely work on the 600V DC

overhead wire.

Work Cars

This is a side dump car the whole deck of the car tips to

unload the rocks or „ballast‟ onto the side of the tracks.

Work carsThis is a “Gondola dump car.” The gondola is filled with

rocks that are then dumped down the center of the track

from the spreaders in the center of the car.

Spreaders

Work Cars

This is a “Snow sweeper.” During the winter trolleys had to

be able to keep running to stay on schedule, these cars

were equipped with large spinning brooms on the front

that blasted snow off of the track.

Sources1. http://www.topsoft.be/photoblog/?p=27

2. http://davesrailpix.com/phila/jpg/phil142.jpg

3. http://einhornpress.com/ParkersburgInterurbantrolleysandstreetca

rs.aspx

4. http://www.railroadiana.org/info/pgWestPenn.php

5. http://eldorapark.com/trolley/era-forward.htm

6. http://www.trolleystop.com/trolleycar.htm

7. http://www.mcnallysrailroadcollectables.com/prc-scans.html

8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsecar

9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetcar

10. http://www.pa-trolley.org

11. http://sites.google.com/site/armstrongtrolley/photographs

12. http://www.cable-car-guy.com/html/cchorse.html