page_title: Twin City Rapid Transit Company
section_title: Rise of the system
hierarchical_section_title: Twin City Rapid Transit Company / Rise of the system
context_page_description: The Twin City Rapid Transit Company, also known as Twin City Lines, was a transportation company that operated streetcars and buses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Other types of transportation were tested including taxicabs and steamboats, along with the operation of some destination sites such as amusement parks. It existed under the TCRT name from a merger in the 1890s until it was purchased in 1962. At its height in the early 20th century, the company operated an intercity streetcar system that was believed to be one of the best in the United States. It is a predecessor of the current Metro Transit bus and light rail system that operates in the metro area.
context_section_description: In 1890, the two cities were connected with a railway along University Avenue, the first of four rail lines linking them together. A merger of the two city systems, the St. Paul City Railway Co. and Minneapolis Street Railway, formed the Twin City Rapid Transit Company. It went on a building spree, quickly doubling the amount of electrified track in the system.
  The company continued absorbing smaller competitors for the next 40 years. In 1898, the company began a transition to using company-built streetcars and machinery (such as cranes and snowplows) rather than purchasing the cars from other companies. The first such car was built as a personal streetcar for company president Thomas Lowry, although his was a special-order. The car featured one end with large windows, to make the scenery more visible. This car was used on special occasions, such as the opening of new lines and a visit by United States President William McKinley.
  TCRT built some of the largest streetcars in the country. The Twin City Rapid Transit Company got into the business of building street cars at its Nicolett Shops in 1898 after concluding that cars it was operating from Eastern manufactures couldn't hold up to Minnesota's harsh winters. By 1906 they opened a manufacturing facility at its Snelling Shops where they not only manufactured cars for TCRT but also Chattanooga, Duluth, Seattle and Chicago among others. These cars were larger than traditional streetcars, being 45 feet (13.72 m) long and 9 feet (2.74 m) wide.
  Old track was also upgraded. In the early days, a number of lines had been laid down with narrow gauge track. These were all upgraded to 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge). In addition, the basic construction of the lines improved. The rails of the Twin Cities were upgraded to the most expensive track in the country, running US$60,000 per mile. Tracks featured welded (thermite) joints, and were commonly surrounded by cobblestone or asphalt. By 1909, 95 percent of the rails were of this type of construction. They were used until the company ended streetcar service.
  From 1906 to 1926, TCRT experimented with "streetcar boats." Officially known as Express Boats, they were steam-powered vessels with designs reminiscent of the streetcars of the day. The boats operated between communities on Lake Minnetonka, but improved roads in that area hit ridership hard in the 1920s. Ultimately, seven were built, but most of them were scuttled in the lake in 1926.
  TCRT also expanded into the suburban amusement park business by opening the Wildwood Amusement Park on White Bear Lake and Big Island Park on Lake Minnetonka. The park on Big Island was serviced by three large ferry boats from Excelsior. 
  The internal combustion engine didn't escape notice. The Twin City Rapid Transit acquired several bus lines that began to pop up around the time of World War I. They also acquired a taxicab company in the 1920s.
  When the transportation system peaked in 1922, it had nearly 530 miles (850 km) of track and 1021 streetcars. Rail extended a distance of about 50 miles (80 km) from Stillwater on the bank of the St. Croix River in the east to Lake Minnetonka in the west. For a time, TCRT was the largest employer in the area.
  It is rumored that anyone who lived in Minneapolis was no farther than 400 yards (370 m) (less than ¹⁄₄ mile or 0.40 kilometers) from the nearest station at that time.
caption: Streetcar in downtown Minneapolis, 1939.
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