Fun on the Trolley

Trolley cars were named after the "trollers," or four-wheeled cages, on their roofs that were pulled along overhead electric wires. Streetcars ran on rails through city streets and were the first motor-driven means of public transportation to replace horse-drawn vehicles at the end of the 19th century, thus playing an important role in the expansion of large urban areas. After World War I, the use of streetcars began to diminish, and they were eventually replaced by buses, automobiles, and electric railway systems. Today, streetcars can still be found in a few cities, such as San Francisco, California.