Trolley Museum presents restored ‘Terrible Trolley’

The Steelers-themed streetcar celebrated the team’s four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s.

For the MVI

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum celebrated the restoration of “The Terrible Trolley,” PAT PCC 1713, in a private rollout celebration this week. Terrible Towels waved and the crowd roared for the return of the black and gold trolley of the 1980s.

Speaking at the event were Jeanine DeBor, executive director and CEO; Mike Kendlick, museum president; Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency; Tom Rooney; state Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll Township; state Rep. Jason Ortitay, R-Cecil Township; Kim Sever, author of the letter to the mayor requesting a Steelers trolley; David Caliguiri, son of late mayor Richard Caliguiri; Bruce Wells, PTM restoration manager; Scott Becker, PTM ambassador emeritus; Michael Buchta, trolley restoration project manager; and Gary Flannery of Prime Collision.

Attending as special guests were retired Steelers legends Jon Kolb and John Banaszak, as well as many of those involved in the restoration of the car.

“The Terrible Trolley” was owned by Port Authority Transit (now known as Pittsburgh Regional Transit) and was painted to celebrate the four Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl championships in the 1970s. It became one of the most popular and recognizable streetcars in Pittsburgh and was beloved by many as a symbol of Pittsburgh’s claim as “The City of Champions.”

Before being acquired by PTM in 2023, it had been privately owned and stored indoors in Ohio for 25 years.

“The Terrible Trolley represents the Pittsburgh region’s pride in their beloved sports team. We are excited to present this beautifully restored and nostalgic streetcar to our community,” DeBor said. “We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication our paid and volunteer staff devoted to this project.”

Streetcar 1713 was built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company. The car originally ran on Pittsburgh Railways’ long Charleroi and Washington interurban lines. PAT, successor to Pittsburgh Railways, retired the car in 1988 but rebuilt it and returned it to service in 1989. It ran until 1998, when it was retired for good.

In an exclusive partnership with the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, the Terrible Trolley was restored and relocated to Washington County.

“We were proud to partner with the PA Trolley Museum to not only provide a majority of the funds to refurbish the Terrible Trolley, but to secure its relocation to Washington County for everyone to enjoy,” Kotula said. “In addition, with the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh in 2026, the Terrible Trolley will be a tourism draw to Washington County to those visiting our region from all over the United States during the draft.”

Thanks to the generosity of donors, along with the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Eamon Foundation, the car has been restored to full operation, starting from metal and bodywork, painting the car, reupholstering the seats, and hand painting and applying decals.

PTM Restoration Project Manager Michael Buchta led a team of eager volunteers in the restoration of the historic trolley car. The Terrible Trolley will be a major tourist attraction for members of Steeler Nation and will lend itself to new programming at PTM.

For a full listing of special events and other programs offered at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, visit the museum’s website at patrolley. org or call 724-228-9256.