A crowd of black-and-gold clad fans roared and waved Terrible Towels as an iconic Pittsburgh legend rolled onto the tracks of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum ("PTM") on Tuesday during a celebration that included museum staff and volunteers, donors and partners, elected officials and special guests, such as former Steelers defensive lineman John Banaszak and the woman who started it all.
The Terrible Trolley, officially designated PAT PCC 1713, 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.”
The car wasn't always black and gold, though. Built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Company, Streetcar 1713 originally ran on the on Pittsburgh Railways’ long Charleroi and Washington interurban lines. It wasn't until 9-year-old Kim Sever wrote to Pittsburgh mayor David Caliguiri requesting a trolley inspired by the Terrible Towel.
"Mr. City Promoter, my name is Kim Sever," the letter reads. "I'm 9 years old, and I had this idea that maybe the city could have a trolley painted black and gold that says 'The Terrible Trolley.'
"If the city doesn't have the money for a new trolley, you could just paint one of the old trolleys black and gold, okay?"
Caliguiri honored Sever's request by relaying it to the Port Authority in January 1980, and the newly repainted trolley car debuted in time for the big game. Kim (right) is featured in the photo below alongside Jeanine DeBor, Executive Director and CEO of the PTM, Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, and David Caliguiri, son of late mayor Richard Caliguiri.
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, later being sold to a private collector in Ohio, where it remained for the next 25 years before being acquired by the PTM in 2023. In an exclusive partnership with the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency, the Terrible Trolley was painstakingly 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,” said Jeff Kotula, President of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Promotion Agency. “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.”
Restoration and refurbishment was no small effort. It can often take between 5 and 15 years to fully restore a streetcar; the PTM did this one in just 2. The process started with metal and bodywork, then moved to paint, reupholstering seats, 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.
The restoration comes just in time, too, as next year's NFL Draft will take place in Pittsburgh. The PTM hopes Steeler fans of all ages, regardless if they rode the trolley back in the day or not, will stop by and appreciate this piece of Steel City history.
