The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum became the latest museum to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with the debut of a red, white and blue PCC car. 

The paint scheme is reminiscent of one Pittsburgh Port Authority Transit applied to a streetcar back in 1976, to celebrate the bicentennial. Car 1776 ran in its “Spirit of 1776” livery until it was involved in a crash in August 1982. The car was later scrapped. 

Since the original car was lost, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum decided to paint another car in its collection, PAT 1799, into the patriotic paint scheme. That car was built by St. Louis Car Company in 1945, and operated in Pittsburgh on the South Hills routes until 1986. It was acquired by PTM in 1990. The car is not operational, but will be on display throughout the July 4th celebration. 

—Justin Franz