This is a list of trolleybus systems in the United States by state. It includes all trolleybus systems, past and present. About 65[1]: 78 trolleybus systems have existed in the U.S. at one time or another. In this list, boldface type in the "location" column and blue background colored row indicates one of the four U.S. trolleybus systems still in operation.
Alabama
Name of system
Location
Date (from)
Date (to)
Notes
Birmingham Electric Company Birmingham Transit [2]
Birmingham
30 April 1947
22 November 1958
Arkansas
Name of system
Location
Date (from)
Date (to)
Notes
Capitol Transportation Co.[3]
Little Rock
26 December 1947
1 March 1956
California
Name of system
Location
Date (from)
Date (to)
Notes
Los Angeles
11 September 1910
1915
Located in Laurel Canyon. The first commercial trolleybus system in the United States.[4][5][6] Later, there were 1922 and 1937 demonstrations of newer vehicles.[1][7][a]
Lines 2 and 3 Construction of a new system was planned in the early 1990s, but the plans were cancelled in December 1993 because of a severe budget crisis.[9]
The first trolleybus line was opened by the former Market Street Railway Company (MSR). The San Francisco Municipal Railway ("Muni") opened the second trolleybus line on 7 September 1941. MSR was absorbed by Muni on 29 September 1944. Most of the current trolleybus system was built to replace MSR tramway lines.
Line planned ca. 1911 by Lone Pine Utilities Company, an affiliate of Laurel Canyon Utilities Company. Planned to connect Grava railway station (or halt) to Wrightwood. A contemporary account in a local newspaper states that construction was started but not completed.
Dual-mode (diesel-trolley) buses used electric traction in the South Boston Waterfront tunnel and a short surface section, and diesel propulsion elsewhere.[16] Replaced by CNG buses with extended battery mode for the tunnel.
Also 27 February 1937 – 9 March 1937 demonstration. All service suspended 21 January 1978 – 14 September 1979 for renewal.[h]
Dual-mode (diesel-trolley) buses operated 15 September 1990 – 24 January 2005 on routes using the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The overhead wire system in the tunnel was not connected to that used by surface trolleybus services.
^First system connected Sunset Boulevard with a new housing development, "Bungalow Town," in Laurel Canyon. Built and operated by Laurel Canyon Utilities Company.[8]
^The historic trolleybus ("trackless trolley") system of the Boston metropolitan area had six groups of lines.[15]
^ abThe "All-Service Vehicle" systems used gasoline-electric motorbuses modified for operation from external power or onboard engine-generator set. The route systems were not fully electrified, and operating depots had no overhead wires. (A modern-day equivalent of this is the dual-mode bus.)
^The operator conducted a demonstration at Weehawken in 1934 prior to opening of public service with ASVs in 1935. Weehawken was served by the Newark system.
^Dayton was a notable exception to the "typical" U.S. trend of consolidation ("unification") of public transport services. Five companies operated tramway service from 1909 to 1933. All five companies operated trolleybuses for several months in 1940–41, prior to the beginning of consolidations. The largest company, the City Railway Company (CRC), became the City Transit Company (CTC) in 1955 and was taken into public ownership by the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority in 1972. MVRTA is known today as the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority.
^ abcdDate of sale
^All overhead wires, other infrastructure and vehicles (but not most support poles for the wires) were replaced during the 1978–79 suspension, but the transition is not considered the end of one system and the beginning of a "second" system, because the suspension was only temporary, for upgrading. The current system is widely considered as having opened in 1940.[1]
^ abKunz, Richard R. (Spring 1986). "Twin Wires: First U.S. Trolley Buses". Bus World. 8 (3). Sunrise Enterprises: 26–29. ISSN 0162-9689.
^"Los Angeles Transit Lines – The Trolley Bus in Los Angeles". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
^"Laurel Canyon Utilities Company". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
^Trolleybus Magazine (TM) No. 194 (March–April 1994), p. 56. National Trolleybus Association (UK). ISSN 0266-7452.
^ abcdBruce, Ashley R. (2017). Lombard-Gerin and Inventing the Trolleybus, pp. 21, 26. Trolleybooks (UK). ISBN 978-0-904235-25-8.
^Sebree, Mac; and Ward, Paul (1974). The Trolley Coach in North America. Los Angeles: Interurbans. LCCN 74-20367.
^"Facts at a Glance". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
^Gartner, Michael (17 October 2012). "Des Moines streetcars still run on memory". Cityview magazine. Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
^"Dayton Flyer 906 and Des Moines "Curbliner" 239 out for a ride in the snow". Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
Murray, Alan (2000). World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia. Reading, Berkshire, UK: Trolleybooks. ISBN 0-904235-18-1.
Porter, Harry; Worris, Stanley F. X. (1979). Trolleybus Bulletin No. 109: Databook II. North American Trackless Trolley Association.
Sebree, Mac; Ward, Paul (1974). The Trolley Coach in North America. Interurbans Special 59. Los Angeles, US: Interurbans. LCCN 74-20367.
Trolleybus Magazine (ISSN 0266-7452). National Trolleybus Association (UK). Bimonthly.
Further reading
McKane, John, and Anthony Perles. 1982. "Inside Muni" (ISBN 0-916374-49-1). Glendale (CA), US: Interurban Press.
Perles, Anthony. 1981. "The People's Railway" (San Francisco) (ISBN 0-916374-42-4). Glendale (CA): Interurban Press.
Saitta, Joseph P. "Traction Yearbook '81", '82, '83, '84, '85, '86, '87. Merrick (NY): Traction Slides International.
Schultz, Russell E. 1980. "A Milwaukee Transport Era: The Trackless Trolley Years" (ISBN 0-916374-43-2). Glendale: Interurban Press.
Sebree, Mac, and Paul Ward. 1973. Transit's Stepchild, The Trolley Coach (Interurbans Special 58). Los Angeles: Interurbans. LCCN 73-84356.
Wonson, Richard L. 1983. "Trackless Trolleys of Rhode Island, The" (ISBN 0-938315-01-3). Cambridge (MA): Boston Street Railway Assn., Inc. (Bulletin 18).
External links
Media related to Trolleybuses in the United States at Wikimedia Commons
All-Time List of North American Trolleybus Systems
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Currently operating trolleybus systems in the United States