Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "History of Maryland Transit Administration" in English language version.
Worst of all, not all city systems were built to the standard American and European gauge of 4'-81⁄2". Pittsburgh and most other Pennsylvania cities used 5'-21⁄2", which became known as the Pennsylvania trolley gauge. Cincinnati used 5'-21⁄2", Philadelphia 5'-21⁄4", Columbus 5'-2", Altoona 5'-3", Louisville and Camden 5'-0", Canton and Pueblo 4'-0", Denver, Tacoma, and Los Angeles 3'-6", Toronto an odd 4'-107⁄8", and Baltimore a vast 5'-41⁄2".
In 1949, the National City Lines holding company gained control of BTCO. The NCL has long been accused of being a major player in the so-called 'Great American streetcar scandal', in which front organizations for bus manufactures, tire companies and oil suppliers acquired and dismantled streetcar systems in order to replace them with buses. Soon after the NCL takeover, BTCO began to replace streetcar and trolleybus lines with conventional buses. The 1950s saw decline of the once extensive system, as NCL cut back on service and car maintenance.
In 1949, the National City Lines holding company gained control of BTCO. The NCL has long been accused of being a major player in the so-called 'Great American streetcar scandal', in which front organizations for bus manufactures, tire companies and oil suppliers acquired and dismantled streetcar systems in order to replace them with buses. Soon after the NCL takeover, BTCO began to replace streetcar and trolleybus lines with conventional buses. The 1950s saw decline of the once extensive system, as NCL cut back on service and car maintenance.
