Under Boston · STOP 12 · Boston Common / Chinatown edge
The Centennial Car
Inside one of America's oldest subway stations, past a fence on the platform, two retired streetcars sit on a track that closed in 1962. One was leased to the T in 1979 for a dollar a year. They ran fan trips for years, and then nobody moved them. You need a fare to see them.
This is stop 12 of Under Boston. Walk it - any two stops are free.
The plate
Collected on site
Boylston station, Tremont St at Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116
Directions
In January 2014 vandals tagged both cars. An MBTA crew cleaned them overnight, Boston Magazine reported.
More footnotes on the story card, in the app.
In these collections: After Dark, Under Your Feet
Near Boylston · Near Chinatown · Near Tufts Medical Center · Near Downtown Crossing · Near Park Street · Near Arlington
Sources (13)
- Third Annual Report of the Boston Transit Commission (year ending Aug 15 1897)Boston Transit Commission · 1897
- America's First Subway (Park Street plaque)Read the Plaque · n.d.
- Boylston stationWikipedia (following citations: Clarke 2015; Chasson, Headlights 1987; MBTA 2025) · accessed 2026-10-10
- Tremont Street Subway - National Historic Landmark nomination (Rettig)National Park Service, NPGallery 66000788 · 1976
- Park Street Subway StationSAH Archipedia (Buildings of Massachusetts) · n.d.
- Fifth Annual Report of the Boston Transit Commission (year ending Aug 15 1899)Boston Transit Commission · 1899
- Pleasant Street inclineWikipedia · accessed 2026-10-10
- Orange trolley 5734 (Boston Elevated Railway Type 5)Seashore Trolley Museum collections · n.d. (page says on display as of 2018)
- MBTA Crew Gets Graffiti-Covered Trolleys Squeaky CleanSteve Annear, Boston Magazine · 2014-01-16
- Boylston (Green Line) station photo setsubwaynut.com · photos 2011-06-29
- Boylston (MBTA Station)Clio (Carolyn Bean, Boston University) · 2019-10-18 (updated 2019-12-10)
- Historic Boylston trolley spray painted againUniversal Hub (Adam Gaffin) · 2023-11-21
- Boylston station pageMBTA (mbta.com) · accessed 2026-10-10