Sprague Railway Motor, Used by the Richmond Union Passenger Railway, 1887

The Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company created this motor for the Richmond Union Passenger Railway in 1887. Most streetcar systems at this time, like the one in Richmond, Virginia, relied on horses or mules to move people. Richmond's new 12-mile streetcar line--effectively powered by motors like this one--became the first successful large-scale electric street railway system and the prototype for future systems in other American cities.