Today is moving day at National Capital Trolley Museum as we take delivery of Red Arrow 85, acquired from Electric City Trolley Museum, and say farewell to NJT 5221 and 5223 with the end of their loan from Friends of NJ Transportation Heritage. Red Arrow 85 is not operable at this time. The car is a work in process dating back to Ed Blossom's shop in Topton, PA. The NJT work cars are going to a contractor in Pennsylvania for restoration. Also on the move this week are the body and trucks for Scranton 505, an Osgood Bradley Electromobile - headed from Rockhill Trolley Museum to Electric City.

Links to the cars involved:

NJT 5221
http://www.bera.org/cgi-bin/pnaerc-query.pl?sel_loc=Maryland&match_field=num_now&match_target=5221&Tech=Yes&pagelen=200

NJT 5223
http://www.bera.org/cgi-bin/pnaerc-query.pl?sel_loc=Maryland&match_field=num_now&match_target=5223&Tech=Yes&pagelen=200

PST 85
http://www.bera.org/cgi-bin/pnaerc-query.pl?sel_loc=Pennsylvania&match_field=num_now&match_target=85&Tech=Yes&pagelen=200

Scranton 505
http://www.ectma.org/505html.html

Thanks to our friends at Electric City for working on this trade, Friends of NJT for the loan of the NJT cars, and to Bill Wall for his usual role in pulling all of the details together for a complex move.

Wesley

Why did they want the cars back? There is no museum in NJ and none on the horizon. Why pull them back and restore them since when they are done there isn't anywhere to use or display them.

Not knowing much of anything about the New Jersey museum folks but, perhaps some benefactor wanted the cars restored, or there is an interpretive mission for the cars that does not exist for other objects in their collection at this time.

I seriously doubt the cars will be restored and then left outside to rot. Possible, yes; probable, well I hope not.

Perhaps somebody in the actual know can post a practical response.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

TTC 4602 prepares to tow PST 85 after the car was unloaded by the crew from Silk Road. PST 85 rides on a set of shop trucks. The car has a new canvas roof. The rest is a work in process as noted earlier. John Novack photo.

Mike from Montana - you guessed correctly as to why Friends of NJT ended the loan - they have found funding to restore the cars.

Wesley

For those restoring Osgood Bradley equipment (or modeling it) keep in mind that quite possibly the Pullman Library at the Illinois Railway Museum may be your answer for nearly complete sets of drawings, as for the case of Scranton 505. We are constantly updating, improving archive storage, and finding new areas in the collection. TBD's (To Be Dones) are Standard Motor Truck drawings (no master list), Middletown Car, Seims Steibel, Pullman passenger car interior glass plate negatives. Completed are Haskell & Barker freight drawings about 1903 - 1922, Pullman passenger wood car drawings, very large collection of Pullman passenger 1896 - 1950 including in later years, photos. In process are P-S freight car correspondence 1930's - 1960. Just drop a line and we will get back to you whether we can help. Kudos to Electric City Trolley Museum for getting a start on funding Scranton 505. We have had lengthy restorations completed from a body shell at IRM and it is always a boost to see one under wire!
Ted Anderson, IRM Pullman Library curator

Ted's post about drawings for Scranton 505 causes me to ask if anyone saved any archival materials, including car specs and drawings, from Red Arrow's Llanerch shops and other company locations at 69th Street? Or is any of this material still stashed away at SEPTA? It would be helpful to find a set of drawings for the "80 cars" as they are known.
Note: The Brill archive in Philadelphia is a collection of builders photographs and some order information - been there, done that.

Wesley