THE ‘TERRIBLE TROLLEY’ WILL SOON BE RESTORED AND ADDED TO THE PENNSYLVANIA TROLLEY MUSEUM’S COLLECTION IN WASHINGTON COUNTY | PHOTO COURTESY: PA TROLLEY MUSEUM

What’s black-and-gold, sits on wheels and commemorates the Steelers’ 1970s Super Bowl triumphs?

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington County is bringing back a former Port Authority of Allegheny County staple that carried passengers along Pittsburgh Railways’ Charleroi and Washington interurban lines through 1998. 

The museum recently  welcomed “The Terrible Trolley”  and will restore it to its former glory before putting it on display. According to Jeanine DeBor, the museum’s director of annual giving and marketing, the trolley has already been cleaned inside and out, and is a priority for museum staff to get up and running. There is no timeline on when the exhibit will open to the public.

Built in 1949 by the St. Louis Car Co., the iconic vehicle quickly became one of Pittsburgh’s most beloved symbols, representing its claim to “The City of Champions.”

THE ‘TERRIBLE TROLLEY’ IS REMOVED FROM A BARN IN ASHLEY, OHIO, TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE PENNSYLVANIA TROLLEY MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. PHOTO BY SCOTT BECKER

The car was retired in 1998, and has been stored privately by a collector in Ohio for 25 years.

The museum obtained the trolley through a licensing agreement with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Eamon Foundation, the nonprofit that owns the Terrible Towel trademark.

While the Terrible Trolley isn’t on display yet, the museum offers a full sensory experience for visitors to ride the rails through history. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

For more information, visit the museum’s website.