Trolleys and Interurbans, Classic American StreetcarsTrolleys and interurbans were once common throughout the country and could be found in cities both large and small. An interesting and unique part of railroading history, interurbans (also known as the classic trolley) were fondly remembered, particularly by those lines which served local towns and communities. Unfortunately for the trolley, while it offered flexibility and affordable fares it was mostly a money-losing operation as it was slower than traditional railroads, usually only served a local area, could never make a profit hauling passengers like traditional railroads and lost out to more efficient modes of transportation as they became available. Today, though, interurbans are making a comeback (known as light rail transit or LRT) as folks look for alternatives to increasingly crowded highways.
Another important developer of interurbans was Sidney Howe Short who invented a double-reduction and gearless motor along with learning that overhead catenary was usually the best means of obtaining power for motorcars (i.e., trolleys). Short also invented the contact "shoe". By the time main line electric applications were introduced in 1895 on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad interurban technology was quite advanced. In 1885 there was only 48 miles of interurban rail lines in the United States but by the end of the 19th century in 1899 this number had jumped to over 2,000 miles. At the peak of interurbans and trolleys the mileage topped out at over 15,000 miles. While this number may seem small most interurbans only served a local region, city or community and did not span more than a few miles in length.
While most interurbans were small, local operations this was not always the case. Some, which were able to subsidize their passenger operations with freight were able to grow quite large (in comparison to most other interurban systems). Some of these systems include the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad, Illinois Terminal Railroad, Pacific Electric Railway and Iowa Traction (as it is known today). Since these systems were able to produce profits through freight service in conjunction with passenger operations they were able to outlive many of their brethren. Interurbans and trolleys were most successful from the late 19th century through the 1930s and can best be characterized by the "Dot Com" boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s, they flourished for a moment and then died out. Being regional and local in nature trolleys and interurbans simply could not compete with the automobile once it debuted in the early 20th century and then was aided by the development of better highways and roads. By the 1950s most interurbans were out of business due to high capital costs and low ridership, although some were able to hang on until the early 1960s. Those able to survive did so only after recognizing that passenger service was a money-losing operation that must be scrapped and concentrated solely on freight traffic. Of course, to do so the system had to be large enough to offer enough such service to be profitable, such as was the case with the Illinois Central and Chicago South Shore. While the classic trolleys and interurbans are mostly a thing of the past they are not entirely gone. SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) operates a section of original interurban lines in Philadelphia and the Chicago South Shore's operations remain in use, operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD). And that is not all, as highways become more cramped and overcrowded small, true trolley lines are beginning to pop up in cities across the country, even small ones! Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railroad Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) For more information about interurbans not listed above please click here.
It's rather interesting that the classic trolley is making a comeback. Aside from wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the highway we apparently just like trolleys. As one regional transportation authority has noted: "There is no real reason why folks like steel rails over rubber tires but they do, it is a simple fact of life."
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