solid bronze hardware –- even the push buttons passengers used to alert the motorman were inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The first of these cars went into service in 1912. The fleet of twenty-four Class 1 streetcars went on to serve the patrons of the Panama-California Exposition and the citizens of San Diego for a number of years. The streetcars in operation in San Diego Following the success of the Panama-California Exposition, the Class 1 streetcars became a mainstay of early 20th century public transportation in San Diego. The improved design was met with enthusiasm from the general public and these streetcars became a popular mode of transit, often carrying over twice their intended capacity in passengers. One of the most significant features of the Class 1s was the development of the “center entrance”, a large opening door in the center of the streetcar that also lowered spring-loaded steps for ease of entrance. This improved safety a great deal and made it easier for women in their fashionable “hobble skirts” to enter a streetcar with a greatly reduced risk of falling over. This new center entrance was also combined, for the first time in the Class 1 streetcars, with the “P.A.Y.E”, or “Pay As You Enter”, system. Soon after San Diego’s streetcars were developed, New York City followed suit and commissioned their own center entrance, “P.A.Y.E.” streetcar line. The various advancements made with the Class 1s ensured their widespread expansion across San Diego, with lines ultimately running everywhere from Downtown, to Coronado, Ocean Beach, Mission Hills, Old Town, Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park, South Park, Golden Hill, Kensington, Chula Vista, and even to the U.S.-Mexico border (until 1916). The Great Depression leads to the retirement of the Class 1 streetcars Ultimately, after some updates and improvements in the mid-1920s, the San Diego Class 1 streetcars met the same fate as most light rail as The Great Depression began to take hold in America. As the government moved to economize public transportation systems in order to reduce the financial burden of public transit budgets, many cities decided to make the switch to the cheaper, utilitarian Presidents' Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars. Developed by a collaborative committee of streetcar company presidents, this mass-produced vehicle was designed to look like a then modern city bus and represented a necessary shift during the tough economic times. As a result, the Class 1 streetcars were retired and some