Pennsylvania Trolley Museum to unveil 鈥楽pirit of 1776鈥�
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) is celebrating America’s 250th birthday by revealing “The Spirit of 1776”, a tribute to the historic trolley with the Bicentennial paint scheme that operated throughout the Pittsburgh region in the 1970s.
PAT PCC Car 1776 debuted as ‘The Spirit of 1776’ in 1973 to celebrate the
American bicentennial and operated for years in the patriotic paint scheme. The original car did not survive a downtown Pittsburgh collision in August 1982. PTM has selected a similar car from their collection for cosmetic restoration done by the museum’s Next Gen Committee to celebrate the country’s semiquincentennial.
“Trolleys obviously did not run in 1776, but they were still running in the Pittsburgh region in 1976, so we felt this was a wonderful way to contribute to the America250 celebration,” said Jeanine DeBor, the museum’s executive director and CEO. PTM’s version of The Spirit of 1776 will be revealed Friday at 2 p.m.
Also this weekend, PTM will host Anything on Wheels Saturday and Sunday. An annual event for car enthusiasts and history buffs, It will feature trolley parades, a car show, and more. The car and truck show will showcase antique automobiles, hot rods, classic cars, and other vintage vehicles, as well as streetcars and other work cars in the museum’s collection.
Along with cars and trucks, other large vehicles will make special appearances including buses, construction equipment, delivery trucks, tractors, and more. The first 50 exhibitors each day will receive a complimentary dash plaque, and all exhibitors receive two admission tickets to the museum.
The weekend will feature trolley parades on Saturday, rides on restored antique streetcars, as well as food trucks and entertainment. It is open both days from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
For information, go online to www.patrolley.org or call 724-228-9256.