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Trolleys were the main form of transportation in Pittsburgh for over 100 years. The tracks of the West End Traction Company, Monongahela Railways Company, Pittsburgh Railways Company and finally the Port Authority ran everywhere through the city and beyond. There were 60,000 miles of track at one time. Now there are only a few routes available using the new "T" light rail system. The trolleys are still a convenient way to get around town. They are no longer visible to the pedestrians on the downtown streets. For those who remember the above ground tracks tracks on Smithfield and Wood Streets, who can ever forget the site of the "Terrible Trolley", the Steelers unofficial mascot. For a couple years PAT allowed businesses to "buy" a trolley and decorate it as they saw fit. There were many notable ones, like the Gateway Clipper trolley, the Bicentenial "Spirit of America" trolley and the Pirates "We are Family" car, but the "Terrible Trolley" was arguably the best. |
