A major industrial force, Pittsburgh was the 17th largest city in the United States in the 1850s, housing nearly 1,000 factories. The town of about 50,000 produced large amounts of the durable material and was growing each year, earning its nickname, the Steel City. In 1859, a horse-drawn carriage began carrying passengers between downtown Pittsburgh and 34th Street as part of Pittsburgh’s first public transit system.
Pittsburgh’s transportation systems evolved as the city grew and technology advanced. There were 33 private companies running bus, incline, and trolley routes in the 1950s. Pittsburgh Railways Company operated 666 streetcars. Some railroads also ran passenger trains, like the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. They had different fares and different drivers’ unions that paid different wages. Most of the vehicles ran on overlapping routes. With declining ridership, each company was struggling to make money.
In the early 1960s, PAT decided to phase out the streetcars in favor of buses gradually. The Port Authority did not eliminate trolleys immediately; instead, it focused on updating its bus fleet, adding park-and-ride parks for suburban residents, and introducing brightly colored, stripy “mod” style buses. New buses were purchased with some assistance from the federal government. A new alpha-numeric system, which was inspired by city corridors, was used to name the routes.
The last streetcar rolled through downtown on July 6, 1985. In parallel with the trolley’s disappearance, the T-rail system started to emerge.
These vintage photos were scanned by Marty Bernard from Roger Puta’s Pittsburgh PCC Streetcar slides, which show Pittsburgh’s streetcar system in 1965.
#1 A #10 West View departing Keating Car House and Crossing Perryville Ave. in Pittsburgh, PA on June 26, 1965
#2 A #8 Perryville approaching the Keating Car House, Pittsburgh, PA on June 26, 1965
#3 A #42-38 Mt. Lebanon-Beachview (Dormont) car on Grant St. at 6th Ave. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#4 A #13 Emsworth car on Lincoln Ave. near Fremont Ave. in Bellvue, PA on June 26, 1965
#5 A #42/38 Mt. Lebannon car at P&LE transfer near Smithfield St. bridge, Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 1965
#6 A #76 Hamilton car on Hamilton Ave. near 5th Ave. in Pittsburgh, PA on June 26, 1965
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Right by our house on McPherson Blvd.
#7 A #6 Brighton Road on Penn Ave. at 6th St. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 1965
#8 A #39 Brookline car on Liberty Ave. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#9 A #39 Brookline car on Smithfield St. between 1st Ave. and Blvd. of the Allies in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#10 A #50 Carson St. car at the P&LE transfer near the Smithfiel St. bridge in Pittsburgh, PA September 1, 1965
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Seriously? This car is not at the P&LE transfer, and is signed for 49 BELTZHOOVER.
#11 A #50 Carson St. car on Grant St. at 6th Ave. in Downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#12 A #64 East Pittsburgh-Willkinsburgcar on 4th Ave. crossing Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#13 A #67 Swissdale-Rankin-Braddock car on Wood St. near 4th Ave. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. on June 26, 1965
#14 A #73 Highland car on 6th Ave. beyond Smithfield St. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 1965
#15 A #73 Highland car on Liberty Ave past Barker Pl. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#16 A #75 Wilkensburg via East Liberty car on 4th Ave. crossing Hrant St. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
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It’s Grant Street, not Hrant Street.
#17 A #82 Lincoln car on 6th Ave. crossing Grant St. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#18 A #82 Lincoln car on Lincoln Ave. approaching Frankstown Ave. in Pittsburgh on June 26, 1965
#19 A 8 Perrysville car waits to lrave Keating Car House as motorman calls dispatcher, Pittsburgh, PA on June 26, 1965
#20 A Shannon-Drake car on Grant St. at 6th Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#21 A Shannon-library at the P&LE transfer near Smithfield St. Bridge, Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 1965
#22 Carrick via Tunnel on Brownsville Road about to enter Brentwood Loop, Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 1965
#23 A #49 Beltzhoover car on Grant St. at 6th Ave. in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#24 A #50 Carson St. car on Grant St. between 3rd and 4th Avenues in downtown Pittsburgh, PA on June 27, 1965
#25 A #53 Carrick car on Brownsville Rd. about to enter the Brentwood loop, Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 1965
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Not even close, this is inbound on Grant Street in downtown Pittsburgh
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Is anyone paying attention here? This car is signed for 50 CARSON ST, -not- for 53 CARRICK.