Tasty treats might have been a bigger attraction than the sparkling new stations and free rides as Port Authority showed off the rebuilt Overbrook light-rail line Sunday.

Crowds lined up for goodies that were handed out at each station during the afternoon celebration as hundreds of riders checked out the 5.2-mile T line, which reopened last week after an 11-year hiatus.

"This is the O'Henry stop," quipped rider Ted Lutter, of Bon Air, referring to one of the reconstituted stations on the line.

Other stops were unofficially designated by riders as the Twizzler Stop, the Cookie Stop and the Pretzel Stop, where Port Authority employees and volunteers were distributing those specific treats.

"This is like Halloween and trick-or-treat for the kids," said Robert Barnes, of Bethel Park, who brought his young nephew, Jason, along for the outing.

But those weren't the only reasons people far and near took advantage of the free rides and visited each stop. Some came to critique.

"Who picked that color?" said Pam Waigand, of Castle Shannon, pointing to the plum-colored trash cans and benches contrasting with the blue hues the Killarney Avenue station was painted. "They should have painted it red, white and blue."

She lives nearby with her son, Matthew, 7, and husband, Dave. They all were looking forward to becoming regular riders.

"He told about it at show-and-tell in school," she said of her son.

Riders James Gianturco and Sandy Bishop, of Overbrook, ready to board at the McNeilly stop, were disappointed that the Glenbury stop of the old line had been eliminated.

"I would have ridden it every day. Now, after today, it's never," Bishop said.

But others beamed and spoke with enthusiasm, such as Rob Rohe, of Brentwood, while boarding at the Memorial Hall stop.

"It's just great. They put enough money in to do a good job. It's good they eliminated some stops. I remember when the line was bad and signals would go out all the time," Rohe said.

"People love the line. They'll be back," said Wyona Rompala, a volunteer at one stop.

She arrived at 11 a.m., and by 1:30 p.m. had given out 10 boxes of pretzels.

Some looked on the event as an opportunity for a family excursion, like Rick King, of Overbrook, who brought his wife, Maria, his father and three children.

His dad, William King, a retiree who worked for a steamfitters union, won't be a future rider. "It doesn't go to the South Park golf course," Rick King said.

But Katie King, 14, wants to use the line to get to South Hills Village. "That's the only thing she cares about," her father said.

His younger children, Billy and Mattie, were taking one of their first T rides.

"I hit a grand slam Friday," Billy told other passengers and anyone who wanted to know. "He did," his mother said of her son's achievement for the Carrick Athletic Association.

Donna Dugan, of West Mifflin, and Robyn Marsden, of Australia, a former Pittsburgh resident, wanted to take one more ride on the Overbrook line. "We traveled on the line before they pulled it down," Matsden said.

They had their hands full with Donna's son, Mike, 3, who ran all over the Denise station exploring.

"He likes this stuff because he plays with Thomas the Train all the time," his mother said.

Robinson retirees Rudolph and Fran Johnson were looking forward to seeing each stop and getting their tickets punched for an opportunity to win a trip to New York.

Bryant Schude, one of several Pennsylvania Trolley Museum volunteers, was posted as a conductor at the Willow station and shared bits of history with those who boarded.

The Willow station was the original location for a stop on the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon railroad in the 1870s, a line serving passengers and a coal company. It was modified for trolleys in 1909, Schmude said.

He believed the day's celebration and ceremony with city council members was historically appropriate.

"There was a time when there was a lot of ceremonial stuff whenever a railway or trolley line opened," he said.

Schmude is known as "Mr. Conductor" at the trolley museum for birthday parties arranged there for children.

By coincidence, he encountered a couple that day who had scheduled a museum party by phone for their 4-year-old son, who seemed really excited about riding the T.

"That would have been me at that age," Schmude said.