The L.M. & W. Trolley Company

The L.M. and W. Trolley Company. Transportation. , Electricity made its debut in Milton in the latter part of the 1800's, when in 1891 a small power plant was built by the Pennsylvania General Electric Company. The power plant was taken over by the Lewisburg, Milton, and Watsontown (L.M.&W.) Passenger Railroad Company to power its new passenger service to the area, the electric "trolley car." , The L.M.&W. trolley company's 1898 arrival in the community during the "horse and buggy days" sparked quite the competition for transportation between the local towns. At that time Milton, like all communities, had livery stables where the town's people could have their horses cared for and kept in a stable. The stables also provided horses and carriages for hire for out-of-town business people who traveled from place to place. Some stables rented out elaborate coaches for weddings and funerals as well. , The L.M.&W. trolley lines originated at the "trolley barn," located on the north side of Locust Street between North Front and Arch Streets. Numerous streetcars were stored and maintained there. Heading south, the trolley tracks along with the overhead electrical lines, proceeded east to Arch, south on Arch to Broadway, west on Broadway to Front, then south onto Lewisburg along River Road. Northern-bound trolleys headed west on Locust to North Front and proceeded to Watsontown along the Milton-Watsontown road. The conductor was able to operate the car from either end, thus the trolley car went on its way in the opposite direction without the need of a turnaround. , The service included open cars in the summer and closed, heated cars in the winter. A trip from downtown Milton to Watsontown took about one-half hour. While the tracks were somewhat erratic, the trolley would hit a top speed of twenty miles-per-hour and even at that speed the heavy car would sway from side to side quite noticeably. The winter cars had two long seats from front to back, one on each side, while the summer cars had a running board that served as a step for the riders to enter the car. The seats ran side to side and face to face. The L.M.&W. trolley company also owned and operated Riverside Park, which was located between Milton and Watsontown at the mouth of Muddy Run Creek. It was an attraction to increase the usage of the trolleys as well as to supplement the cost of operations. , There were some inconveniences experienced by the trolley system. On occasions when there was deep snow, the trolley company hired crews of men to hand shovel the tracks from end to end. Also, because the drive train had no slip differentials on the wheels, it was necessary to pour heavy oil on one side of the rails at sharp turns so the one wheel could slip without screeching. There were accidents along the rail line, including derailments, a few head-on collisions, and the death of one operator when a trolley car overturned. , With the automobile entering the scene in the early years of the twentieth century, the trolley business began to slack. After a sharp decline in business, the L.M.&W. trolley company changed to gasoline buses in 1922. Even the buses couldn't compete with the automobile, and service ended in the early 1930's. , As a part of municipal development at that time, some of the town's streets were paved; brick paved that is. The first automobiles in Milton were owned by the "who's who" of the community. , Driving conditions in the early years of the auto were terrible. Mud that was inches deep that mired the best of cars or the dust so thick that it was making it almost impossible to see the road. Because of the dust hazard, drivers and their passengers wore cover-all dusters, caps that covered much of the head, and huge goggles to protect the eyes and the rest of the face.