Montgomery County’s Trolley Era 1900-1935

Trolleys existed in American cities before the Civil War, but a line did not connect Washington, DC to Rockville, Maryland, until 1900. Lewis Reed had the foresight to aim his camera at early trolley cars, providing rare glimpses of these unique vehicles, as well as views of Montgomery County’s rapidly changing landscapes in the early 20th century.

From the “Washington Star,” regarding the Rockville cars:

The cars do not differ materially from those found on other lines – except no place to hitch horses …. The interior of the car is fitted up with mahogany …seats with springs are upholstered in slate-colored plush.

Trolleys were at home both in the open countryside and in city streets, mingled with pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-drawn vehicles. This scene, taken by Lewis Reed in Baltimore in 1913, shows the trolley in its more typical urban habitat.

Trolley cars played a big part in early county travel. From 1900 to 1935, street cars plied the track from the Washington terminus at Wisconsin and M Streets, NW, up Wisconsin and then Old Georgetown Road, over a steel trestle just before the cars approached Georgetown Prep, through dense woods at Montrose and onto the Rockville Pike, through Rockville on Montgomery Avenue, to Laird Street, and back again.  The cars could be driven from either end.  In 1929, W&R ran 24 trips a day between 6:30 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. to connect Rockville and Washington. Major stops along the line included Georgetown, Alta Vista, Bethesda, Montrose, Halpine, the Fairgrounds, Courthouse Square, and Chestnut Lodge. Six switching stations and side tracks enabled street cars to pass as they went in different directions. As automobiles and buses rose in popularity and availability, trolleys began their descent into the history books and by 1935, they were pretty much gone from Montgomery County.

Below is a collection of photographs taken by Lewis Reed that shows what the old trolley cars looked like, highlighting what riding the trolley car was like in the early 1900s. From wood-paneled exteriors with ceiling fans to advertisements, here’s a nostalgic look back at Montgomery County’s Trolley era through the lens of Lewis Reed. (click on photos to enlarge)

Western Avenue car barn for the streetcars that served the Georgetown-Tenelytown-Bethesda-Rockville line. Photo by Lewis Reed

A car barn is the streetcar equivalent of a garage for buses. It’s a covered facility in which streetcars were stored overnight, cleaned and given light repairs before the next day’s run. The car barn for the trolleys at the time was the second Western Avenue car barn for the streetcars that served the Georgetown-Tenelytown-Bethesda-Rockville line. It was located at on west side of Wisconsin at between Harrison and Jennifer. It was demolished and later replaced by a purpose-built bus garage which is still in use by WMATA. The National Capital Trolley Museum was instrumental in helping to identify the car barn in the photo above.

Leroy King described the street car below as one of Washington Railway’s majestic “Rockville” cars, at 4 switch in 1908. Note multiple unit jumper box under center front window.

Passengers board car #596 heading to Rockville in 1908. These distinctively styled cars, popularly known as ‘Rockville’ cars, were also used on Washington Railway’s Maryland line. Photo by Lewis Reed, 1908

Traveling in snow was sometimes hazardous to trolley cars, as evidenced by the trolley pictured below which derailed the train tracks and plowed into a telephone pole at Montrose Road and Rockville Pike. Lewis Reed was there to capture the accident from two different perspectives using a five-by-four box camera which produced images on a glass plate.

In populated areas, street cars kept speeds to 12 mph (6 mph at intersections), but in open country they could get up to 40 mph.

Derailed trolley at Montrose Road and Rockville Pike. Photo by Lewis Reed

Derailed trolley through dense woods at Montrose Road and Rockville Pike. Photo by Lewis Reed

Rockville Trolley Car #592. Photo by Lewis Reed

A motorman and conductor on a Georgetown trolley car. Photo by Lewis Reed, ca. 1908

Note the “cow catcher” in the front, and the multiple unit jumper box under the center front window. Each car had a two-man crew (a conductor and a motorman) one to operate the car and the other to collect fares.

Two carmen aboard the “Georgetown Only” trolley car. Photo by Lewis Reed

Crew and passengers pose near a Rockville car. Photo by Lewis Reed

Trolley heading south after diverging from Rockville Pike. Photo by Lewis Reed, 1910

In the photo above c. 1910, a trolley (at center) heads south from Rockville toward Tenallytown (as it was spelled then) through open farmland. The view appears to be looking north and shows the area south of where Montrose Road intersects with Rockville Pike. The Pike is the white strip running diagonally behind the trolley car. To the left of the Pike is the William Scherrer farm. The Curtain farm is near the white buildings to the left of the Trolley line. The building in the foreground is the garage for the Villa Roma hotel and restaurant. The elevated vantage point, possibly from an adjacent rooftop or the roof of a barn, affords an excellent view of the rural countryside.

This photo, c. 1911, captures the trolley tracks on Rockville Pike south of Sherrer Farm. Note that one of the young men is holding a bicycle. Photo by Lewis Reed

The photograph below was featured on PBS’s “The American Experience” documentary, “The Great War” that premiered on April 10, 2017 in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into World War I.

Interior of 1920’s Rockville trolley car. Photo taken by Lewis Reed

Panels for advertising line the edge of the ceiling on both sides of the trolley. Instead of AC, the interiors were cooled with wooden ceiling fans.

Rare peak of the inside of a 1920’s trolley car and passengers featured in PBS documentary “The Great War”. Photo taken by Lewis Reed

The rise and decline of trolleys and street railways is another example of the inevitability of change. Now there are no street car lines in Montgomery County and all the car barns and charming little waiting stations have been razed.

In March 1965, ground was broken for construction of the Trolley Museum in Wheaton, Maryland. Built with donated funds, materials and labor, it is run by volunteers under the aegis of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Abandoned trolley tracks off MacArthur Boulevard, 100 years after Lewis Reed’s time. [Photo by Sue Houser]

Rockville Trolley Line 1900-1935 – Peerless Rockville 2002

Sources: Rockville Pike History – City of Rockville
History of the Street Car Lines of Montgomery County
Peerless Rockville