Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

Trolleys

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postcard / collection

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german_t he Pennsylvania Trolley Museum came to Chartiers Township, Washington County in February 1954 with three trolleys and a dream that was born in 1941. Today, that dream is a reality. PTM now boasts a collection of nearly 50 cars, over 600 members worldwide, 150 active volunteers, and over 30,000 visitors each year. With your support, we can fulfill our mission to keep the Trolley Era alive for generations to come.

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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1967 Arden equipment roster / collection


tag_closeup NOPSI #832

New Orleans Public Service #832

  • builder:Pearly Thomas Car Works
  • type:double-truck, steel
  • built:1922
  • series:1 of 25 produced 1922
  • motors:two Westinghouse 306-CV4
  • capacity:52 (36 cross, 16 long)
  • notes:
  • 47' 8" long, 11' 4" high
  • blt New Orleans Public Service #832
    retired from service, 1964
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1964
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    collection

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    collection

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    collection

    nopsi832_clipping

    from Pennsylvania Trolley Museum history / collection

    nopsi832_postcard

    postcard / collection

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

    tag_closeup Inside Pearly Thomas

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

    tag_quote

    german_t he compatibility of track gauge and the age and excellent condition of the equipment moved the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum to express interest in obtaining one of these cars, eight years before they became available. Because of its long-standing interest, PTM was given first choice of the cars being retired.

    The Museum’s interest in car 832 came from the fact that in December 1947, it had been featured in a Life Magazine article when Tennessee Williams’ play “A Streetcar Named Desire” debuted on Broadway. Three years later, a magazine article identified 832 as the car regularly assigned to operation on the Desire line. Although the Desire Street line quit operation in 1948, the play and movie continue to bring fame to New Orleans streetcars. Sister car 922 was featured in the 1951 movie version staring Vivian Leigh and Marlon Brando; 922 was restored along with the other 34 "Thomas" cars and is still operated regularly on the St. Charles line in New Orleans.

    New Orleans 832 was delivered to the museum by railroad in June 1964 and was almost immediately placed into operation because our museum track is the same gauge as New Orleans. NOPSI 832 is very similar in design to PRT 5326, having somewhat taller windows but with no protective guards.

    Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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    See also our complete New Orleans Streetcar 'Away from Home' scrapbook in Streetcars

    tag_closeup PSTC #66

    Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Co #66

  • builder:J.G. Brill Company
  • type:Center door suburban
  • built:1926
  • series:32 acquired 1919-26
  • motors:2 General Electric 203L
  • capacity:62
  • notes:
  • blt Philadelphia & West Chester
    to Philadelphia Suburban Trans Co
    to Southeastern Penn Trans Authority
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1970
  • pstc66_clipping

    from Pennsylvania Trolley Museum history / collection

    pstc66_postcard

    postcard / collection

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

    tag_closeup P&WCT #78

    Philadelphia & West Chester Traction #78

  • builder:J. G. Brill Company
  • type:Suburban Master Unit
  • built:1932
  • series:1 of 15
  • motors:General Electric 301B
  • capacity:48
  • notes:
  • blt Philadelphia & West Chester Traction
    to Philadelphia Suburban Trans Co
    to Pennsylvania Trolly Museum, 1982
  • pwct78_clipping

    from Pennsylvania Trolley Museum history / collection


    Other Trolleys

    Federal Street & Pleasant Valley #101

  • builder:John Stephenson Company
  • type:mule-drawn car
  • built:1870s
  • capacity:_________
  • notes:
  • blt Federal Street & Pleasant Valley #101
    to Allegheny County, display
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1971
  • Pittsburgh Railways #3487

  • builder:St. Louis Car Company
  • type:DTDE City – High Floor
  • built:1905
  • motors:Westinghouse 93A
  • notes:
  • blt passenger car
    converted to work car, 1934
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1956
  • tag_quote

    prc3487_inset Trolley patronage grew dramatically after 1900, necessitating larger streetcars than the first four-wheelers. Car 3487 is an early example of a heavy eight-wheel model. Underneath the steel sheeting is an almost all-wood design. The car’s powerful motors allowed trailers to be towed for even more capacity. This is the type of car that opened service on the Charleroi interurban route in 1902. Car 3487 was converted for work car duty in 1934 (it was based at the Charleroi Car House) and thus survived into the 1950s, when it was acquired by the Museum. It is the last of its type.

    Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

    Pittsburgh Railways Tow Car #M200

  • builder:Pressed Steel Car Co.
  • type:DT SE Towing Car
  • built:1911, rebuilt 1955
  • motors:Westinghouse 306CD
  • notes:
  • blt as passenger car
    converted to snow scraper
    converted to tow car
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1972
  • Johnstown Traction Company #350

  • builder:St. Louis Car Company
  • type:DE city car
  • built:1926
  • motors:Westinghouse 510a2
  • capacity:44
  • notes:
  • blt Johnstown Traction Company #350
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1959
  • tag_quote

    jtc_inset Johnstown is a medium-sized city whose economy relied heavily on the steel industry. The nature of that business, with its large number of employees changing shifts three times daily, was a ready-made market for the Johnstown Traction Company (JTC), who found it profitable to maintain streetcar operations long after most cities had gone over to buses. JTC even purchased streamlined PCC cars in 1947, the smallest U.S. city to do so.

    By 1959, steel industry was suffering and the transit company was reducing its costs accordingly by initiating conversion of its lines to trackless trolleys (electric buses). A number of cars of the 350 series still serviceable on the system and frequently operated on excursions for streetcar enthusiasts like the early volunteers who established this museum. These "fantrips" provided fund raising that helped establish a few trolley museums. Because of this several cars found their way to museum operation with the first of them preserved here in September of 1959.

    Car 350 is a perfect "time warp," as it remains in virtually the same condition as it was in its last days of service in Johnstown. The car is currently on display at the Trolley Display Building. In June of 2004 it was placed on wheel sets (trucks) from Pittsburgh for the trip to the newly built TDB. Plans for the future are to re-gauge the original trucks so that the car may operate on the museum's demonstration railway.

    Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

    West Penn Railways #832

  • builder:Cincinnati Car Company
  • type:DE Curved-Side Interurban
  • built:1929
  • motors:Westinghouse 1425A
  • capacity:48
  • notes:
  • blt Allegheny Valley Street Railway
    to Coke Region division
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1952
  • tag_quote

    wpr832_inset A dozen of these lightweight, “curved-side” cars were acquired for West Penn’s Allegheny Valley Street Railway during the winter of 1929-30. Introduced on Valentine’s Day 1930, they afforded patrons the finest accommodations of the day on the routes between Aspinwall, New Kensington and Natrona. Company accountants liked them, too, because they required one crewman instead of two. After the Valley Route was abandoned in 1937, the cars were moved to the company’s Coke Region division, where they ran on routes to Latrobe, Fairchance, Phillips and South Connellsville. 832 was the last of the series in service, finishing up on the South Connellsville route at the end of rail operations in 1952.

    832 was the second car acquired for the Museum and trucked from Connellsville to Charleroi Car House on the Pittsburgh Railways system in February 1953. In May 1953 the car was operated on a special fundraising “fantrip” and brought from Charleroi to Ingram Car House. February 7, 1954, West Penn 832 was moved under its own power with Pittsburgh Railways M1 and 3756, to its new home in Washington County along the former Washington interurban right-of-way near the village of Arden. Seven years of outdoor storage took its toll on 832 and the car was inoperative at the time the museum started operation in 1962 and extensive repairs were undertaken. Work on the car was sporatic until 2010 when the restoration effort became the focus of a Transportation Enhancement Grant. A restoration plan was written and bids were received for execution of the work from interested firms. In August 2010 the car and its assorted parts were shipped to Brookville Corporation in Brookville Pennsylvania and work commenced. The car was returned in July of 2011 for completion of work in the PTM restoration shop. That work continues today.

    Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

    Red Arrow Lines #5

  • builder:J. G. Brill Car Company
  • type:DE Suburban "Brilliner"
  • built:1941
  • motors:Westinghouse 1433B
  • capacity:58
  • notes:
  • blt Red Arrow Lines
    to SE Pennsylvania Transit Authority
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1982
  • Red Arrow Lines #24

  • builder:St. Louis Car Company
  • type:DE streamlined suburban car
  • built:1949
  • motors:Westinghouse 1433B
  • capacity:58
  • notes:
  • blt Red Arrow Lines
    to SE Pennsylvania Transit Authority
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 1983
  • Port Authority Transit #4004

  • builder:St. Louis Car Co.
  • type:SE PCC
  • built:1949, rebuilt 1988
  • series:45 cars rebuilt
  • motors:Westinghouse 1432L
  • notes:
  • last PCC car in revenue service
    to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 2004
  • tag_quote

    When some of Pittsburgh’s South Hills trolley lines were being upgraded to light rail standards and new equipment was being purchased, the Port Authority undertook a program to remanufacture 1949-vintage PCC cars for use on the Library and Overbrook routes. At the time these lines were not being rebuilt and required operation using the smaller lighter cars traditionally used on these lines. Originally slated to include 45 cars, the program ended with only a dozen rebuilds, due to cost realities. Those that were finished, however, were essentially new cars, with all-new electrical and running gear of the type and style that they were originally equipped. In September 1999 car 4004 was the last PCC to operate in revenue service, ending 63 years of PCC car operation in Pittsburgh. It was donated to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum by the Port Authority, who generously stored the car until the new Trolley Display Building was completed, and then repainted it before delivery.

    Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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    Jul 2019 / RWH

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    This page was updated on 2022-03-29