Although it was well before my time there was an era when electric streetcars were the main mode of public transportation around just about every city in America. Not only could 40 or more people load onto these cars they could also travel to various attractions in other towns as well. Even before the advantages of electric streetcars, Omnibus lines were very popular. These were smaller trolleys pulled on rails by mules or horses. Even when the electric cars were at their peak Omnibuses were still being used. In fact up until 1923 they were used in Pittsburgh. It wasn't until 1882 that the first electric streetcar was built and operated in South Bend Indiana. Other cities would follow including Montgomery Alabama and Scranton Pennsylvania. When Richmond Virginia built their own they used an overhead power source and it was soon copied in most other cities across America.
The streetcar was here to stay. As more people moved away from bigger cities they still would ride to and from work everyday. Even smaller towns had many different lines that ran into all the neighborhoods. Locally our first streetcars were opened in 1891 connecting Wellsville and East Liverpool. These lines also ran through each town with stops through the different neighborhoods. A company from Cleveland built the first system here. From the mid 1880's though the turn of the century must have been an amazing time to live in this area. The vast amount of construction that happened in that timeframe as a whole in the tri state area would have really been something to see. Much of whats left here today ( bridges, buildings, and railways) is a result of a thriving and populated city. As personal ownership of cars and the steady availability of busses came into play the need for streetcars was drawing to a close. By the time of the Great Depression most streetcar lines across America came to an end. Some lines were still in service into the 60's but not many. An incredible era had come to an end. Although in some cities across America there are still some operating streetcars. In fact there is a place close to us that you can actually step back in time and enjoy the ride of an open car or closed car ride to a warehouse full of old and restored streetcars from our local area. It's less than an hour away and is a great way to enjoy an afternoon.
The Pennsylvania Trolley museum is Located in Washington Pa near the county fairgrounds. In fact they have a rail line to and from the fairgrounds and operate it during the fair. They have a moderate sized building with a gift shop and a small museum filled with photos, paintings, and a media area. You start out here by watching a 15 minute video on streetcars and a self guided tour through the place. After that the trolleys leave on a certain schedule and you wait at the nearby pickup point on the backside of the building. The displays are nice as well as the waiting areas. Each are decorated as an old style trolley line. The most important part of the museum however is the people. The majority of them are all volunteers. Each one has a specific job but all are very knowledgeable on the daily operations of the facility and the restoration efforts of the car barn. A few of them are also a treasure trove of information on the areas history of the various streetcar lines.
People for instance like Art Ellis. At age 91 he still serves as a tour guide and is very very informative on the makes and history of the many streetcars housed there. Art worked in the streetcar business as a line manager in downtown Pittsburgh for nearly 50 years. He was my tour guide and could just about answer any question I had. Once we had waited to be picked up the tour started and Art rode along with us. Of course there was an operator as well that controlled the trolley. It really is the luck of the draw on which car you get to ride in. They only operate one at a time and sometimes can run up to five different cars in one day. There are probably over ten running cars that are active. As we boarded we were given the history of the car and told some details of its restoration.
Above is a photo of Art explaining the snow removal brush on an older style trolley. The bristles are actually made of wood. They could be mounted on either end of this work car.
Once we got moving we rode for nearly two miles around the grounds. We crossed a main road and did a loop back. We continued on to the car barn reaching top speed down the straight track. Our car's speed reached around 23 mph. Thats kind of fast for an open air car especially when our seats were directly behind the operator. These cars would occasionally come off the tracks back in the day and usually around corners. That would be pretty scary to come off at those speeds. We then headed for the other side of the facility to the car barn. The car barn houses over 30 cars in various stages of restoration. All of the running cars are parked in there also. There are numerous other cars stored in different buildings on the grounds too. Once inside we are given a detailed tour and told the history of each car. Some are very rare and are one of a kind. Most of the cars have been either bought at auction using funds donated by the Allegany Foundation or the state of Pennsylvania. Others are out right donated by various organizations or private collectors. Volunteers come in and demo and restore these old cars. Some are in very bad shape while others look to have weathered history well. It sometimes takes years to restore these cars. Finding parts or just manufacturing your own takes time. The volunteers that work on these also work around their own schedules also.
Below is an Omnibus. It is the only one they have there and is immaculately restored. It is not as large or heavy as a standard streetcar.
Above is a rare restored crane work car. They have two of them here but this is the restored one. This was used to build track and usually had another car loaded with track behind it. It could also upright overturned cars also. Art explained how easily these cranes could overturn as well when overloaded. It had no outriggers on it's base. The counterweights were massive on the cab of the crane.
Here are two photos of an early refrigerated streetcar used to deliver milk and dairy products to different towns. The outside panels have been removed and the original horse hair and wool have been removed. There are very few refrigerated cars left in America. The museum currently has two in the process of being restored. I also got a chance to ask Art where the streetcars of East Liverpool went to. He seemed to think that many of them went to Lancaster Pennsylvania to be scrapped for parts or their metal. Many cars across our area and the country met this same fate unfortunately.
The museum summer hours are Monday through Friday 10 to 4 and Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5 until Labor day. Check their website for fall hours and other information.
Go to: http://www.pa-trolley.org/index.html
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