Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner, who designed a model of streetcar known by his name,[1] and used in many North American cities, most notably in Toronto and Cleveland.
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This design was distinguished from other streetcars of the era by its use of the center door as an exit only, with a conductor stationed inside just in front of the door. Passengers could board through the front doors without waiting; they could pay the conductor immediately and sit in the rear of the car, or wait in front and pay just before they exit.[1] This had the effect of reducing the car's dwell time at stops, improving schedule times and increasing capacity. Many vehicles were later converted to pay-as-you-enter operation in order to reduce the number of staff needed, but they continued to be known as Peter Witt cars.
Mr. Witt completed the first prototype in 1914 and filed his patent for the car design in 1915. G.C. Kuhlman Car Company then delivered 130 cars of this design to Cleveland in 1915 and 1916. From this point the design was licensed to a number of cities that needed large capacity trolleys. Production continued until the availability of the PCC streetcar in the mid 1930's.
Peter Witt cars were also built in Italy and used in several Italian cities, including Milan, where 200 out of 502 originally built Ventotto (‘twenty-eight’) vehicles (introduced in 1928) are still in use up to this day. Additionally eleven ex-Milan cars can be seen today on the streets of San Francisco, where they operate on the F Market & Wharves streetcar line.
Besides their continued use in day-to-day service in Milan and San Francisco, Peter Witt cars have been preserved in several locations. Gomaco Trolley Company, a US streetcar renovation specialist, has bought 70 ex-Milan cars which it is offering to museums and heritage streetcar operators.[2]
Operators that used Peter Witt streetcars included:
| Company | City | State/Province | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| J.G. Brill Company | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | United States |
| Canadian Car & Foundry | Montréal | Québec | Canada |
| Cincinnati Car Company | Cincinnati | Ohio | United States |
| G.C. Kuhlman Car Company | Cleveland | Ohio | United States |
| Ottawa Car Company | Ottawa | Ontario | Canada |
| Preston Car Company | Preston | Ontario | Canada |
| St. Louis Car Company | St. Louis | Missouri | United States |
| Carminati & Toselli | Milan | Milan | Italy |
| Officine Elettroferroviarie Tallero | Milan | Milan | Italy |
| Officine Ferroviarie Moncenisio | Condove | Turin | Italy |
| Officine Ferroviarie Meridionali del Vasto | Vasto | Chieti | Italy |