05/31/2026
Trolley Rule Books: In order to operate efficiently and safely, trolley companies adopted procedures and rules to guide employees in performing their duties. The American Street Railway Association developed an extensive set of recommended rules based on experience, and many companies based their own rules on these recommendations, modified according to the individual companies' needs. They printed these rules, that employees were required to know thoroughly, in books that crews were required to carry with them when operating the cars.
Many rules concerned car operation: "Do not feed power to the car more than necessary to keep to schedule." In other words, save power by allowing the car to coast as much as possible.
Rules also were intended to maintain the company reputation: "Conductors and motormen must be clean and neat." "Employees are prohibited from entering saloons when in uniform." "Crews must treat passengers with politeness and must not make threatening gestures nor use loud, uncivil, indecent or profane language, even under the greatest provocation."
Safety also was of great concern: "Cars must never be operated at an unsafe speed, even to keep on schedule." "Conductors and motormen must, in a polite way, endeavor to keep people from jumping on and off cars when in motion."
Not only did these rules support safe, courteous, efficient operations but they also provided the companies with protection against possible legal claims that might be brought against the company for negligence. Were these rules ever cleverly written so as to “pin the rap” unfairly on employees when something went wrong, or to make sure blame didn’t rise to more senior employees? Anybody who’s ever dealt with company or agency rules can answer that question!
Pictures: 1) Rulebook, Living in Lynchburg, Sandra Phlegar Weigand. 2) Cincinnati St Ry and neatly dressed crew, Columbus Metropolitan Library.
