Quiz: A Trolley’s Trucks and Frogs

Although streetcars are more of a novelty these days, innovative engineering made them possible. See what you know with this ASME quiz.

The sound of a trolley car coming down the street is distinct, then there’s the way that the ground vibrates as the tram comes rolling by. New Orleans, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and a few other major cities still boast historic lines, which are more often tourist attractions than not nowadays.

But the history of streetcars runs deep across America. The modern electric streetcar was invented by engineer Frank J. Sprague, who launched the first practical system in February 1888 in Richmond, Va. By 1890, there were 5,783 miles of streetcar track across the country, which grew to more than 34,000 miles by 1907.

Of course, with the invention of the automobile, government-funded highways, and the advent of buses, trolleys found themselves being replaced. By the 1960s, the original streetcar era had passed. Some cities are starting to bring them back, such as Portland, Seattle, and Dallas.

Do you know how this historic mode of transit works? Test your knowledge with this ASME quiz.