By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum has acquired a unique piece of Pittsburgh’s transit and sports history: Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) PCC 1713, better known as “The Terrible Trolley.” The streetcar was painted black and yellow to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers’ four Super Bowl victories in the 1970s and became a beloved symbol within the city. 

The streetcar was built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1949 and originally ran on the Pittsburgh Railways’ (predecessor to PAT) Charleroi and Washington lines. In the 1970s, it was painted into Steelers black and yellow along with the words “Super Steelers” and “Super Bowl Champs.” The streetcar ran into the 1980s and was briefly retired in 1988. In 1989, PAT rebuilt the car and ran it for another decade. In the late 1980s, however, it was repainted into Pittsburgh’s historic red and cream scheme. 

PAT 1713, better known as “The Terrible Trolley,” is removed from storage in Ohio last month before being sent to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Photo Courtesy of Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.

After its final retirement, the car was sold to an individual in Ohio and put in storage, where it has been ever since. Not long after securing a deal to bring the car back home to Pennsylvania, 1713 was moved by Brownlee Trucking to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s home in Washington, Pa. The museum will repaint the car black and yellow and has secured an NFL license agreement through the Pittsburgh Steelers to do so. The car will be operated at the museum once it is restored. 

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is open for the summer, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit patrolley.org.