By Eric Berger
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2024 with a series of major events throughout the year, including the upcoming West Penn Trolley Meet in June.
On Feb. 7, 1954, a group of trolley enthusiasts with a vision to preserve trolley history purchased three vintage streetcars and brought them to County Home siding in Washington County. One of these enthusiasts, Lou Redman, had convinced the Washington County Commissioners to lease the land near Washington for an organization that would become the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.
The Museum has made much progress over the past 70 years. It now has a collection of 52 trolley cars from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, along with New Orleans’ famous streetcar named Desire, the famous Terrible Trolley, a beautiful open trolley from Rio de Janeiro, six historic trolley structures, and countless images and artifacts. It now has a paid staff of 12 along with 130 volunteers who welcomed over 38,000 visitors in 2023. In late 2023, it also opened a new Welcome & Education Center.
On February 7, it held an exclusive event for members and volunteers to celebrate the anniversary. But there will be more events throughout the year, including a Black-Tie “Roaring 20’s” themed dinner on May 16 and a street fair on May 18-19. Annual events include Bunny Trolley, Anything on Wheels, rides to the Washington County Agricultural Fair, Pumpkin Patch Trolley, Trick or Trolley, and Santa Trolley. Additional information can be found online.
But one of the biggest events will be the biennial West Penn Trolley Meet at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, June 7-8, which will run concurrent with the NATHS Hoosier Traction Meet June 7-9 and the museum’s annual Anything on Wheels Weekend, June 8-9.
The joint meet will feature award-winning custom-built trolley layouts, special trolley operations, trolley parades and unlimited rides as well as daily food trucks and vendors catering to model trolley enthusiasts and traction memorabilia fans. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with staged night photo sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings. An optional excursion on Pittsburgh Regional Transit is scheduled for Sunday, June 9.
In conjunction with Anything on Wheels, which attracts classic cars and trucks, hot rods, and other wheeled vehicles, antique automobiles will be parked along the trolley tracks on Volunteer Boulevard, providing a vintage scene for photographers and guests.
The meet is open to both hobbyists and the general public at regular museum admission rates, with discounted weekend passes available. The Hoosier Traction Meet requires a separate registration.
For a full listing of special events and other programs offered at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, visit the museum’s website at www.patrolley.org or call 724-228-9256.
