This veteran is the oldest car in the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum collection and while we do not have records of its sale, delivery, or operating assignment we do know that the body style is typical of Stephenson cars built in the 1870s. There is also proof that cars like 101 were used on lines serving Allegheny City, (presently, North Side of Pittsburgh).

In Pittsburgh, the first street railway was built in 1859 on Penn Avenue in the Strip District. Horse cars were used from 1859 until 1923, though most were gone before 1900. The last line, on Sarah Street on the South Side, survived largely to protect a franchise on that street.

Car 101 (renumbered M3 after 1902) was used on a line which operated to the western end of Allegheny City by way of the wooden covered Union Bridge that spanned the Allegheny River at the Point. In 1909 that bridge was replaced by a modern steel Manchester Bridge which permitted use of heavier electric cars and M3 was retired as a display at the Exposition Building located in present day Point Park. At the Exposition the car was painted and lettered in the scheme you see it today.

During the 1920s the car was taken from display repainted and re-lettered and used in parades. In 1934 the car was given to Allegheny County and again becoming an exhibit, this time at the South Park Fairgrounds where it remained in various locations until it was donated to the museum in 1971.

From 1971 until 1977 it was housed at Meadowcroft Village. Starting in 1977 it was rebuilt, cosmetically restored and placed on display at Station Square in Pittsburgh. After the sale of Station Square in 2000 it was moved to storage in Stowe Township through the kindness of Frank Fairbanks. It remained there until 2004 when it returned to the museum for display in the Trolley Display Building.