Streetcar Vehicles Cities Cable Electric Systems Period Eslpod 1161 Cn

Beginning in the 1800s, "horse-drawn" (pulled by horses) "trolleys" (vehicles for many passengers, riding on tracks) were a common sight in large cities in North America. Between the 1860s and 1890s, some of the horses began to be replaced by other sources of power, such as steam engines and "cable cars" (vehicles that are pulled over tracks because they are connected to a cable that moves underneath them), and eventually electric systems.

By 1895, there were 900 electric street "railways" (systems of trains) in the United States. This was the "heyday" (the period of time when something was most popular) of streetcars. But many of those systems were closed and/or "dismantled" (taken apart) during the Great Depression (a period of very bad economic conditions in the 1930s; see English Café 327). "Automobiles" (cars) became increasingly popular, and busses were seen as a better "alternative" (option; something that could be used instead) to streetcars, because they did not require tracks. Many people believe that oil companies and automobile manufacturers were responsible for the "demise" (death and destruction) of America's streetcars.

Today, the streetcars and cable cars in San Francisco, California are the "best-preserved" (kept in its original state or condition) system. And the St. Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans, Louisiana may be the world's oldest "continuously operating" (never having stopped) streetcar line.

Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Dallas, Texas; and other cities have recently introduced modern streetcar systems. And several other systems are "under construction" (being built) in Washington, DC; Detroit, Michigan; and Cincinnati, Ohio.