Hokie:
Indeed, Richmond, Virginia installed the first successful large electric street railway system in the US in 1888. However, I don’t believe they had two-truck 8-wheel cars like the Bowser car in the posted photo way back then. I’m not sure when the prototype of that Bowser car first ran, but the first electric 2-truck trolley cars anywhere didn't come until a few years later in the mid-1890’s. It looks like that car was numbered “1888 & 1988” to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the Richmond trolley system rather than the 100-year anniversary of that type of car.
Here’s a link to a Wikipedia article about Frank Sprague, an inventor who helped to develop the Richmond system and others. Included in that article is a postcard which shows 8-wheel streetcars running in Richmond in 1923:
Click here: Frank J. Sprague - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Those Bowser O gauge trolleys came decorated for many different systems and were available in 2-rail or 3-rail. I used to see them often at train shows and Hobby Shops. There are several for sale on the bay right now.
HTH,
Bill
