Port Authority “Spirit of 1776” Streetcar, Drake’s Loop

Celebrate a colorful chapter of American rail transit history with this collectible railroad postcard featuring car #1776 at Drake’s Loop in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

This image showcases the “Spirit of 1776” trolley, operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County. Car #1776 was a classic PCC streetcar, an early version built without standee windows. PCC (Presidents’ Conference Committee) streetcars were a standardized design widely used across the United States from the 1930s through the 1950s, with nearly 5,000 cars constructed during that period.

Repainted in patriotic red, white, and blue with star accents to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial, car #1776 became a memorable sight along the line. The photograph, taken in December 1973 at Drake’s Loop, captures the streetcar in a snowy setting near the end of its route in Allegheny County. This distinctive trolley remained in service until its retirement in the late 1980s.

This collectible railroad postcard preserves the charm of mid-20th-century American street railway history and would display beautifully framed or make a wonderful addition to any trolley, streetcar, or Pennsylvania transit collection.

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