Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

Pittsburgh Railways 3487


Trolley Display Building, 2005 (Bruce Wells photo)	In service on Emsworth route circa 1909 (Miller Library, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum)

Car Number	3487	Car Builder	St. Louis Car Company
Year Built	1905	Year Acquired	1956
Type	DTDE City - High Floor	Seats	42
Length	44'0"	Width	8'00"
Height	11'2"	Weight	59,000 lbs
Motors	WH93A	Status	Trolley Display Building Exhibit

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.

Click on the thumbnails below for larger photos (will open in new window):


View east on Liberty Avenue, showing a lineup of cars of the same class as 3487 (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh collection)	Interior of 3487, showing smoke and soot stains above the clerestory windows (showing the air quality in Pittsburgh when it was in service) (John Smatlak photo)	Motorman's controls, one end of 3487, showing hand brake and modified controller. (John Smatlak photo)	From 1934 until 1956 car 3487 had this work car configuration with a snow plow on one end and overhead line repair platform on the roof.

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