Alternative & Renewable Energy Blog

Electric trolleys did more than make it easy for urban residents to go to work. They allowed everyone from the working class to the affluent to access leisure activities and amusement. Because many trolley companies were only marginally profitable, they searched for ways to supplement the passenger revenue from daily riders. To increase ridership, these trolley companies ran lines to leisure destinations that they both created and owned.

Boating, Gambling, and Roller Coasters

In New York, one of these destinations was Brandywine Park. Owned and operated by the Schenectady Railway Company, it had a pond where people could go boating. The park also boasted a large casino, which was usually sub-leased.

In Ohio, the Cleveland Electric Railway ran an interurban line to Sandusky and Cedar Point on Lake Erie. Many passengers rode the trolley out to Cedar Point to relax on the beach and ride the amusement park rides.

Kennywood Park, an amusement park outside of Pittsburgh, was built by the Mellon Family to increase ridership of its trolley lines. The popular destination allowed the Mellons to collect fares from the trolley line to the park and to reap the benefits of charging for park admission and amenities.

Planning on Fun and Money

When trolley companies bought land, they planned on building more than just future trolley lines. Wisely, they also designed attractions to draw riders to these lines. The public would then spend money not only on transportation, but the attractions themselves.

Trolley companies built dance pavilions, outdoor theaters, band shells, and even baseball parks. They promoted special excursions into the countryside, where riders would enjoy a two-hour tour for just 25 cents. As one rider noted, this "proved a pleasant way to spend a summer Sunday afternoon." Trolley travel also connected the social fabric of city and town, serving as an equalizer.

Electric Utilities and Real Estate

Although some trolley companies made a healthy profit, most were only marginally profitable. To stay afloat, these trolley companies often diversified their assets by buying local electric companies and selling power to urban ratepayers. This investment strategy was also a cost-saving measure that provided trolleys with inexpensive power.

Trolley companies were also real estate investors. Wherever these businesses planned to lay track and received rights-of-way, they bought land along the intended route. The trolley companies then sold the land to other real estate investors, or built housing along the line for sale to laborers and their families. Occupied housing provided the trolley company with a ridership on its routes into the city.

Yet the trolley companies were susceptible to changing attitudes about commuting. Soon, the public shifted its attention towards an even newer transportation marvel - the automobile.

Editor's Note: Part 12 of this multi-part series will run in two weeks.

Resources:

Photo Credit: American Studies Dept at The College of William & Mary

Trolleys Down the Mohawk Valley, Charles Gordon, 1968

Previous Blog Entries in This Series

The American Streetcar (Part 1)

From Stagecoach to Streetcar (Part 2)

From Horse-Drawn Streetcars to Cable Cars (Part 3)

The Birth of the Electric Streetcar (Part 4)

Electric Streetcars and Trolley Technology (Part 5)

Electric Streetcars: Private Lines and Public Roads (Part 6)

The Rise of the Electric Streetcar (Part 7)

Electric Streetcars and the Industrial Revolution (Part 8)

General Electric and the Schenectady Streetcar (Part 9)

Streetcar Suburbs and Interurban Trolleys (Part 10)