Federal St. & Pleasant Valley Railway Company
Car #101

This veteran of the old Federal Street & Pleasant Valley Street Railway is the oldest car in the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum's collection.  While we do not have records of its sale or delivery, we know that the body style is typical of the 1870s horse cars that were prevalent on the streetcar lines of the day.

In Pittsburgh, horse cars were used from 1859 until 1923, though most were gone before 1900.  The last line, on Sarah Street on the South Side, survived largely to protect a franchise on that street, and 101 (renumbered M3 after 1902).  This car was used on the Union Bridge line which operated to Allegheny City by way of the covered bridge that spanned the Allegheny River at the Point.  In 1909 that bridge was replaced by a modern steel bridge that permitted use of electric cars and M3 was retired as a display at the Exposition Building located in present day Point Park.  At the Exposition the car was painted and lettered in the scheme you see it today.  During the 1920s the car  was taken from display repainted and re-lettered and used in parades.  It was given to Allegheny County in 1934 and was housed as an exhibit again, this time at the South Park Fairgrounds.  It was donated to the museum in 1971. 

After rebuilding and cosmetic restoration the car was again on public display, this time at Station Square in Pittsburgh.  It returned to public display with the opening of the Trolley Display Building in 2005.

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

Postcard of the South Park Fairgrounds, with #101 in front. (Miller Library, PTM)	Being used as a speaker platform at the TDB opening May 2005 (Bruce Wells Photo)	Interior photo, Trolley Display Building, 2005 (John Smatlak photo)	Trolley Display Building, 2005 (John Smatlak photo)

Last updated October 17, 2005
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