MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

In the 1920s, the great rise in the popularity of the automobile prompted a desperate effort to save the dying streetcar industry. The automobile's success dictated that any successful modern streetcar be designed both for comfort and for ease of travel in increasingly crowded streets. The Electric Railway Presidents' Conference Committee began in the early 1930s to research a streetcar that could meet these criteria and save the flagging urban transit industry. These efforts resulted in the PCC Electric Street Car, which gave streetcars a new, progressive image. Although most systems noticed an immediate increase in ridership and revenue, the PCC was ultimately unable to rescue an industry in crisis. While it was not a financial success in U.S. cities, the PCC car was a triumph of performance, efficiency and reliability. Its descendants are still in use in countries around the world. Did You Know? The name PCC comes from President's Conference Committee, the group that initiated the car's creation.