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Former Thurmont Resident Owns Trolley Graveyard — C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
joined one in the Bay Area. Photos by James Rada, Jr. restores the best of the
“I had thought I must be trolleys, sells parts from the
the only one who liked that ones that are beyond hope,
stuff,” Ed said. and lobbies cities to include
Like other trolley museum trolley lines in their tourism
members, he started taking and economic development
pictures of streetcars and plans.
collecting books and The streetcars, which
magazines about streetcar date from 1912 to the
systems. 1950s, come from places like
Trolleys were a slower Philadelphia, Boston, Kansas
form of transportation, City, Chicago, and Cleveland.
primarily designed for urban They are spread throughout
areas that provided mass the property, along more than
transportation around a city. a mile of rail track. Their
However, they fell victim to windows are busted. Leaves
the same problems as trains. and debris litter the interiors.
After WWII gas rationing Former Thurmont resident, Ed Metka, owner of a Trolley Graveyard. Many of the cars are covered
had ended, people began in graffiti. “Mother Nature
purchasing and using automobiles, has taken its toll, as you can well
and trolley ridership declined. imagine, because some of these cars
Thus, by the 1950s, most of have been here since the mid-90s,”
the trolley systems in the United Ed said.
States had gone out of business, The cars sit there, seemingly
including the old Thurmont and forgotten, but Ed remembers.
Frederick trolley. The cars had He can tell you the story behind
been junked, sent off to museums, just about every streetcar on the
or abandoned. property. The streetcars from
Ed worked with the City of Boston used to run on a suburban
Frederick in a failed bid to bring trolley line. The ones from Chicago
a streetcar line back to the city. It were part of the L-system, the
was around this time that he had elevated tracks that run through
the opportunity to purchase ten the city. Two 1912 streetcars from
streetcars from the Philadelphia Grand Rapids, Michigan, had
Transit System (SEPTA). He previously been used for a lakefront
decided that he needed to buy cabin.
them to help keep that vanishing Ed can tell you about the parts
era of history from disappearing of some of his streetcars that
entirely. He rented a railroad wound up in trolleys in places like
siding from the Maryland Midland Dubai, Aruba, and San Francisco.
Railroad in Union Bridge and He has even sold entire streetcars
stored his streetcars there. Then, the the mile of rail track that crosses the to a small trolley system in Kenosha,
opportunity came to buy even more property, although some list to the Wisconsin. Some day, he hopes to
side, seemingly ready to topple over. see those trolleys running again in
streetcars. You can climb on the cars to
“Well, I couldn’t fit them all in my American cities.
driveway, but by then I was retired explore, but you need to be careful.
(You also need to have permission,
and flexible about where I lived.” because the trolley graveyard is
He began searching for a
suitable and affordable piece of private property.) Some of the
property, and found an old coal floors are missing, and most of the Your Good News Community Newspaper
company storage yard in Windber, windows have been broken, so there Serving Northern Frederick County,
Pennsylvania. is a lot of glass on the floor.
Maryland, Since 1995
“It’s kind of amusing,” Ed The site is not advertised as
a tourist attraction, but word of
recalled. “The railyard was all mouth has spread its reputation.
covered over with trees and bush,
and several local Windber residents Visitors come from all over the
didn’t even realize there was a Eastern United States. They come
to photograph the trolley cars and
railyard back there.”
He had the streetcars transported explore what is left of them.
on flatbed trucks to Windber A dozen trolleys that are in
decent shape—and Ed hopes to see
to create what most people call restored—are kept in the repair
the Windber Trolley Graveyard.
Although the site has no official building, out of the elements.
However, such a restoration project
name, trolley graveyard seems is a massive undertaking and
appropriate.
The 20-acre property is filled impossible for one man. So, Ed
keeps those trolleys protected in the
with forty streetcars that are shells hopes that one day they will once
of their former selves, skeletons if
you will. Some lay on their roofs, again run on the outdoor track.
His “hobby” of collecting
others on their sides, a few still sit
upright. Indeed, most are sitting on streetcars is now a business. He
Former Thurmont Resident Owns Trolley Graveyard — C o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1
joined one in the Bay Area. Photos by James Rada, Jr. restores the best of the
“I had thought I must be trolleys, sells parts from the
the only one who liked that ones that are beyond hope,
stuff,” Ed said. and lobbies cities to include
Like other trolley museum trolley lines in their tourism
members, he started taking and economic development
pictures of streetcars and plans.
collecting books and The streetcars, which
magazines about streetcar date from 1912 to the
systems. 1950s, come from places like
Trolleys were a slower Philadelphia, Boston, Kansas
form of transportation, City, Chicago, and Cleveland.
primarily designed for urban They are spread throughout
areas that provided mass the property, along more than
transportation around a city. a mile of rail track. Their
However, they fell victim to windows are busted. Leaves
the same problems as trains. and debris litter the interiors.
After WWII gas rationing Former Thurmont resident, Ed Metka, owner of a Trolley Graveyard. Many of the cars are covered
had ended, people began in graffiti. “Mother Nature
purchasing and using automobiles, has taken its toll, as you can well
and trolley ridership declined. imagine, because some of these cars
Thus, by the 1950s, most of have been here since the mid-90s,”
the trolley systems in the United Ed said.
States had gone out of business, The cars sit there, seemingly
including the old Thurmont and forgotten, but Ed remembers.
Frederick trolley. The cars had He can tell you the story behind
been junked, sent off to museums, just about every streetcar on the
or abandoned. property. The streetcars from
Ed worked with the City of Boston used to run on a suburban
Frederick in a failed bid to bring trolley line. The ones from Chicago
a streetcar line back to the city. It were part of the L-system, the
was around this time that he had elevated tracks that run through
the opportunity to purchase ten the city. Two 1912 streetcars from
streetcars from the Philadelphia Grand Rapids, Michigan, had
Transit System (SEPTA). He previously been used for a lakefront
decided that he needed to buy cabin.
them to help keep that vanishing Ed can tell you about the parts
era of history from disappearing of some of his streetcars that
entirely. He rented a railroad wound up in trolleys in places like
siding from the Maryland Midland Dubai, Aruba, and San Francisco.
Railroad in Union Bridge and He has even sold entire streetcars
stored his streetcars there. Then, the the mile of rail track that crosses the to a small trolley system in Kenosha,
opportunity came to buy even more property, although some list to the Wisconsin. Some day, he hopes to
side, seemingly ready to topple over. see those trolleys running again in
streetcars. You can climb on the cars to
“Well, I couldn’t fit them all in my American cities.
driveway, but by then I was retired explore, but you need to be careful.
(You also need to have permission,
and flexible about where I lived.” because the trolley graveyard is
He began searching for a
suitable and affordable piece of private property.) Some of the
property, and found an old coal floors are missing, and most of the Your Good News Community Newspaper
company storage yard in Windber, windows have been broken, so there Serving Northern Frederick County,
Pennsylvania. is a lot of glass on the floor.
Maryland, Since 1995
“It’s kind of amusing,” Ed The site is not advertised as
a tourist attraction, but word of
recalled. “The railyard was all mouth has spread its reputation.
covered over with trees and bush,
and several local Windber residents Visitors come from all over the
didn’t even realize there was a Eastern United States. They come
to photograph the trolley cars and
railyard back there.”
He had the streetcars transported explore what is left of them.
on flatbed trucks to Windber A dozen trolleys that are in
decent shape—and Ed hopes to see
to create what most people call restored—are kept in the repair
the Windber Trolley Graveyard.
Although the site has no official building, out of the elements.
However, such a restoration project
name, trolley graveyard seems is a massive undertaking and
appropriate.
The 20-acre property is filled impossible for one man. So, Ed
keeps those trolleys protected in the
with forty streetcars that are shells hopes that one day they will once
of their former selves, skeletons if
you will. Some lay on their roofs, again run on the outdoor track.
His “hobby” of collecting
others on their sides, a few still sit
upright. Indeed, most are sitting on streetcars is now a business. He
