Tuscaloosa Trolley on Broad Street

Blacks 001.jpg

Title

Tuscaloosa Trolley on Broad Street

Subject

Trolley buses

Description

The trolley is shown on Broad Street (now University Boulevard). Behind the trolley in the building with the white awning is the Charles Black Company, a clothing store. To its left is the Merchants Bank and Trust building. At the other end of the trolley is the First National Bank, located in the building that in 2014 is the site of DePalma's restaurant.

Streetcar service began in 1883 with the arrival of the town’s first horsecar trolley. Operated by the Tuskaloosa Street Railway, streetcars were pulled on rail by mules and mustangs.

The steam dummy train began operation in 1888 by the Tuskaloosa Belt Railway. There’s an overlap of about 8 years in which the dummy and the horsecar trolley were both in use. The horsecar trolley was no longer needed in the late 1890s when the dummy line was extended to Riverview.

"The Dummy" operated until 1915 when the street rail was electrified. In 1923, the Tuscaloosa Railway and Utilities Company sold the electric trolley line to Alabama Power Company for $1.1 million. In 1941, most electric streetcars were pulled offline during the transition to a bus system operated by the power company. All passenger service ceased in 1942.

Source

Personal Collection of Victor Morris Friedman

Contributor

Betty Slowe (Description)
Jason Townsend (Description)

Type

Photograph

Identifier

1124

Coverage

Tuscaloosa (AL)

Original Format

Photograph

Physical Dimensions

3 inches x 5 inches