



































































































Pennsylvania Streetcar Graveyard

In 1992, Ed Metka, a retiree with a passion for streetcars bought 14 retired green Line trolley (or streetcars) from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for $500 to $1000 apiece. The cars were trucked by flatbed from Boston to his railcar repair shop in Windber, a small coal mining town in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Over the years cars from other lines were added to the collection, which grew and shrank as some cars were sold to other cities.

Much of the collection is now surrounded by woods, with trees grown around or through the oldest cars. Today there are about 46 or 47 streetcars, trolleys, and train cars on the property. Ed Metka can usually be found there as well, keeping a close eye on them. The best way to see them is by a sanctioned tour, though people are still drawn from around the country to explore it solo.

The "streetcar graveyard" has been the subject of controversy in the exploring community, the open debate of which is typically followed by the sort of scorched-earth conflict usually associated with the assassination of an Archduke in the Balkans. Up until a few years ago, the location of the streetcars was mostly unknown, but has been actively discussed in articles on Boston.com and Atlas Obscura. Unfortunately the increased attention has also drawn some vandals and taggers to the site.