Aliquippa – West Economy tram
The Aliquippa - West Economy tram was an intercity tram service in the US state of Pennsylvania . The line was 6.86 kilometers long and had a track width of 1588 millimeters. The train operated with 550 volts direct current.
The railway was built by the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company to transport workers from Economy and Ambridge to the steel mill in Woodlawn . The southern terminus was at the Ambridge-Aliquppa Bridge in West Economy. The steel company founded the Woodlawn and Southern Street Railway Company on November 22, 1910 , which opened the tram on January 1, 1912. The vehicle fleet initially consisted of two four-axle and two two-axle railcars and two four-axle trailer cars. The traction current was provided by the steelworks. Only a short time after the opening, however, the sidecars were converted into railcars, as the inclines along the route were difficult to cope with with sidecars. The railroad depot and workshop were located on the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad , which also belonged to the steelworks. The train ran every 30 minutes, the travel time was 25 minutes.
In 1925, the steel company founded the Woodlawn and Southern Motor Coach Company, a bus company that was supposed to take over the shuttle service to the tram. The tram operation could continue until March 27, 1937 and was then switched to bus transport.
literature
- Benson W. Rohrbeck (1997): Pennsylvania's Street Railways West Chester PA: Traction Publications. Page 255.
- Benson W. Rohrbeck (2007): Pennsylvania Street Railway Atlas West Chester PA: Ben Rohrbeck Traction Publications. Page 81.