West Penn Railways - Operation

Operation

Like most interurbans, West Penn's trolleys were powered from an overhead electric wire. The cars themselves were larger and heavier than typical city streetcars and were painted in a standout bright orange. West Penn's broad gauge (5' 2") single track was laid in streets in towns, but out in the countryside the track often ran on a right-of-way separate from roads. At some points, the West Penn's single track would reenter a road in order to use a road bridge and run not in the center but on one side, and motorists had the unusual problem of having to face a trolley approaching them head on in their lane. This odd arrangement also existed in some of the towns with the trolley running alongside the curb. In the country, sidings allowed opposing cars to pass at various points, and a crude but effective block signal system existed which required the motorman to reach from his trolley's window and throw a toggle switch. West Penn had some very substantial long bridges crossing ravines and valleys. As was typical for interurbans, stops were more frequent than for a conventional railroad, curves were tighter, and gradients (slopes) could be much steeper. West Penn Railways as a vibrant transportation system played a key role in the pre-automobile unpaved poor road era and were an important factor in the region's economy.