Small town trolley systems and branch lines in larger towns often operated on a singe track. More important lines, especially in large cities, generally were double track. But there were a few places where more tracks were used.

In one case, Los Angeles’ Pacific Electric Railway had a four track line simply because traffic was heavy enough to require it.

In New Orleans, four tracks ran on Canal St because of the complexity of traffic patterns. Two central tracks carried the cars of the busy Canal St line and two additional tracks on the outside carried cars that came in on numerous side streets, ran along Canal for a block, and then turned off to return to their outer terminals.

In San Francisco, a multi-track operation had to be adopted when two companies each ran a major line over busy Market St. Privately owned Market Street Railway and San Francisco Municipal Railway each operated a double track line along the same street.

Cleveland had a section of four-track operation on Euclid Avenue that ran west from public square and through the Memorial Bridge Subway because these comprised what actually were two separate lines, one that turned south on W 25th St and one that continued west on Lorain Ave.

But Canton, Ohio may have set the record. City and interurban cars of Northern Ohio Traction and Light Co and interurban cars of Stark Electric Ry operated on five parallel tracks! Ha ha, Los Angeles, New Orleans, San Francisco and Cleveland!!

Reading about these historic railways is only half the story. Seeing (and riding!) them is the other. The Northern Ohio Railway Museum is a living history destination where you can step aboard the very cars that built our region.

We are located in Seville, OH, and our 2026 Season kicks off on May 23rd. Visit our Calendar of Events to plan your visit and help us keep Ohio’s electric railway heritage on the tracks.