The keeper of the Akron RR Club blog got around to posting this before I did; it seems a LOT of sharp-eyed folks saw this from Rt. 22 during several days of chasing NKP 765 on the Middle Division:

http://akronrrclub.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... nsylvania/



What I was able to determine, from asking about a few folks and looking in Gordon P. Frederick's book on the Lewistown & Reedsville Electric Railway: This car is a former Lewistown & Reedsville Electric Ry. car, one of three such cars, L&R 21-23, purchased from Jersey Central Traction in 1915 only a year after its 1914 construction by Brill (JCTC cars 48-50). They were deemed too fast and heavy for the line, and saw only rare service until retirement at the shutdown in 1930. This car survived as a “clubhouse” in Lewistown Narrows at least into the mid-1980s, and the locals/neighbors say it was moved to this location “a couple of years ago”.

It's located northeast of Mcveytown, Pa. along U.S. 22/522; a good searcher should be easily able to find it on Google or Bing aerial views. It's still private property; respect said property, please.

A future project for Rockhill Trolley Museum or PTM?

Owned by the same person who owns the M&H RR. If I'm not mistaken he outbid the Rockhill folks for it.

Dave

I first noticed the car there about 10 years ago. It was in much better condition then.
Was given permission to get close and take a few photos.

Lee Carlson

If this is correct, that makes it one of two (by my count) surviving trolleys that served Monmouth County, NJ.

Rob

This is indeed owned by Wendell Dillinger of the Middletown & Hummelstown. Wendell had the car moved because of the US22/322 widening project. (Either move it or it'd get demolished). Several groups have shown interest, but Wendell doesn't want to sell. Wether or not it ever makes it to Middletown is up for debate.

Well, if it sits out in the weather like it is now, this rare car will slowly sink into the turf. And that would be a crying shame.

I'm no expert, but I think there are very, very few streetcars or suburban/interurban cars that were "preserved" with their original center entrance/exit door configuration. The Washington (DC) center door car recently "repatriated" to the National Capitol Trolley Museum comes to mind. Then there are a couple of Cleveland trailers and the couple of Boston type CEM "crowd swallowers" at Seashore Trolley Museum. Orange Empire has a Pacific Electric "Dragon" city car I believe (body only).

Please, even if the fellow who owns it doesn't know what to do with this great artifact, put it in a building!

Please!

Jim, I don't hold out a lot of hope for that happening. Wendell loves traction but is often overwhelmed with the operations of The M&H. They have recently built a 2 track storage barn, but many rare and interesting cars sit out. This L&R car is actually probably better off as it is for now because the Middletown cars that aren't in the new barn are either A) Tightly tarped which is trapping moisture against the wood roofs/bodies or B) buried behind their offices rotting into the weeds. When I worked there, we scrapped a couple cars that had deteriorated too badly (after we got usable parts off). Some of the more interesting examples are a former Boston double end PCC, a steeple cab freight motor of unknown origin, a single truck Rio open car (that he runs with the Charlotte Trolley generator trailer), a wooden snowplow, a curve-side car (similer to Rockhill's York 163) and a Brooklyn car (looks like a semi-convertible car). There are others too including 2 Septa interurbans, a Septa (former CTA) 'married pair', a couple line cars/mow cars, and 3 Septa PCCs. It's a shame, but it is what it is. When the day comes that Wendell goes to run trolleys in the sky, be prepared for an auction. (I don't have any inside info on that, just my own speculation as Wendell is the only one there who likes trolleys).

Start saving now.

I should also mention there's 3 freight cars full of parts. (Hangers, pole arms, wire, controllers, compressors, etc)

That steeple cab was built by GE for the Kansas City Public Service freight operation in 1948. It was their #2. It passed briefly to the Iowa Terminal before Wendell bought it. It is interesting as it is probably the last interurban-style steeple cab built by GE. It also features some similar features to a GE 44 tonner, including the trucks.

If that Kansas City Public Service electric loco was sold to the Mason City & Clear Lake RR and then acquired by Iowa Terminal when they bought the MC&CL's interurban line, then it is back with its 2nd owner. Wendel bought the MC&CL after it had sold everything but its existence, and had that corporation buy the railroad between Middletown and Hummelstown, Pa. from the Reading Company.

I do not want to get into a discussion of the desirability of preserving this particular car. However, I would like to point out that there are 12 center door cars, 6 from Cleveland/Shaker Heights (not including trailers) and 6 of the Red Arrow cars. preserved in complete condition. At least two of the Red Arrow cars are operated regularly, at PTM and at Electric City TM, and several others are in operable or near operable condition.

Didn't the above-mentioned center cab electric locomotive spend some time at the Hutchinson & Northern before it went to Iowa? The story I heard was that Wendell Dillinger purchased it for the Iowa Terminal when the H&N went diesel. The owner of the IAT refused to pay for it, so Wendell was stuck with it.

Yes, the locomotive went to the Hutchinson & Northern in 1960 and was there until 1972. It was their #3. Kinda neat that all 3 of the H&N electrics are preserved.

I've seen a photo of it in the IAT shop, painted in a faux CA&E scheme.

Here's a photo of it in its KCPS days:

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr0108/kcps2a.jpg

Here is a more recent photo. Not great, but not horrible either:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2408030

I think it uses the same traction motors as a 44 tonner as well. Quite an interesting locomotive.

Regarding an earlier post by a colleague in this thread. There are lots of us on the M&H who love trolleys! Car 77 the Brill Master Unit has had a lot of work done recently, including now being standard gauged and we hope it will run soon, as time and money permits. There are at least 5 of us who will assure Wendell always has a flagman and conductor when he wants to run the 441. We know he loves to run it. So no, he is not the only one on the M&H who loves trolleys. But he does inspire all of us who work there or volunteer there with his preservation and work ethic.