Jun 13, 2024 - Transit

Philadelphia's historic green-and-cream trolleys returning to rails

Isaac Avilucea

One of SEPTA's restored, green-and-cream 1940s-era trolleys that's hitting Philly streets. — The green-and-cream trolleys are finally back. Photo: Courtesy of SEPTA

SEPTA's 1940s-era trolleys take over Philly streets this weekend.

Why it matters: Riders have patiently waited to board the historic green-and-cream streetcars after the transit agency's initial fall rollout was pushed back over safety training following a series of crashes.

Driving the news: Starting Sunday, eight restored vintage trolleys will hit streets along Route 15 — which connects Port Richmond in the Northeast to West Philly.

The trolleys will eventually be replaced by a modern fleet but that project could take a decade to complete.

Flashback: The streetcars, first built by the St. Louis Car Co. in 1947, were taken out of service in 1992.

In 2005, SEPTA rebuilt 18 trolleys to ensure they were accessible for people with disabilities and returned them to Route 15.
They were sidelined again in 2020, as the agency paid $250,000-$400,000 to restore each trolley, per KYW.

The intrigue: Workers used original blueprints from the 1940s to reverse-engineer parts no longer manufactured.

SEPTA will eventually grow its classic fleet to 18 streetcars.

What they're saying: Scott Sauer, SEPTA's chief operating officer, said the workhorse trolleys were "taken apart and rebuilt piece-by-piece" and "restored to near museum-quality standards," per a news release.

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Philadelphia's historic green-and-cream trolleys returning to rails

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