Definition: One Man or Two Man

In the early days of streetcars each car always carried a two-man crew:  A “motorman” to operate the car and a “conductor” to collect fares and give the signal to start or stop, plus to provide a measure of safety should something happen to the motorman. Around World War I, in order to reduce labor costs, streetcar companies started experimenting with one-man cars in which the operator also collected fares, much as is common on buses today. In most places the one-man car became standard. Heritage trolley systems tend to have one man crews, though in some cases a second person is carried—sometimes a volunteer—often to serve as a guide or help passengers with information.