Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

ne of the vital forces in the development of American cities was the arrival of the electric streetcar at the end of the nineteenth century. Its quiet, efficient propulsion was far ahead of the transport of the time, and its higher speeds made it possible for people to live much farther from their work than when they had to depend on walking or slow horse cars of that era. Cities expanded along the streetcar routes built out from their centers by promoters, and many of today's thriving suburban communities owe their existence to the streetcar. The streetcar served the city well, through two world wars and a depression, before affluence, America's love af- fair with the automobile, and manipulation by a consortium of high way interests, caused the decline of public transportation and the gradual disappearance of the streetcar.

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

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

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

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

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

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