▁street c ars ▁purchased ▁new ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁Dan ville ▁Car ▁Company ▁( of ▁Dan ville , ▁Illinois ), ▁while ▁later ▁purch ases ▁were ▁from ▁the ▁John ▁G . ▁Steph enson ▁Company ▁( El iz abeth , ▁New ▁Jersey ) ▁and ▁the ▁J . ▁G . ▁Br ill ▁Company ▁( Ph il adel phia ). ▁ ▁Y V T ▁began ▁experiment ing ▁with ▁bus es ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁the ▁company ▁sought ▁permission ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁to ▁replace ▁all ▁street car ▁service ▁with ▁bus es , ▁but ▁the ▁request ▁was ▁denied . ▁ ▁In ▁later ▁years , ▁rid ership ▁on ▁the ▁street c ars ▁decl ined , ▁and ▁autom ob iles ▁pro l ifer ated , ▁creating ▁con g estion ▁in ▁dow nt own . ▁ ▁Street car ▁service ▁operated ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁Y V T ▁continued ▁operating ▁the ▁local ▁bus ▁service ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁under ▁a ▁ 1 0 - year ▁franch ise ▁it ▁had ▁received ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁city ▁itself ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁bus ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁ ▁Fre ight - only ▁period ▁ ▁The ▁Y V T ▁rail road , ▁however , ▁continued ▁operating ▁for ▁many ▁more ▁years , ▁as ▁a ▁fre ight - only ▁operation ▁feed ing ▁the ▁Union ▁Pacific ▁main ▁line . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁