Thanks to another collaborative effort between the volunteers of the National Capital Trolley Museum and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, one of the two oldest electric streetcars from Washington, DC is once again in operational condition.

After volunteers worked through the through the brutal heat on July 15, 2023, Capital Traction Company #522 made several successful test runs on National Capital's demonstration railway, returning this car to operational status for limited demonstration purposes.

CTCo #522 was constructed by the American Car Company in 1898 for use on Pennsylvania Avenue in the District of Columbia and is a sister car to CTCo #303 preserved in the Smithsonian Institution. Converted to a rail grinder in 1937, the exterior carbody was restored and re-lettered by specialty contractors roughly a decade ago, and thanks to an exchange of components between National Capital and Baltimore, an original style Lord Baltimore truck was reconstructed for the car by Lyons Industries. Since completion of these tasks, the car had been a static display prior to today's work which involved readjusting the handbrakes and verifying the wiring of the car's control system. The interior restoration of the car remains to be completed, but today's successful efforts provides a large morale and enthusiasm boost to help push this remaining work forward.

This is the second time collaboration between the National Capital Trolley Museum and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum has returned a pre-1900 vintage streetcar to operational condition. Capital Traction Company snow sweeper #09, constructed in 1899, was made operable again in 2019 following rebuilding of a set of control resistors and other general maintenance work thanks to Baltimore's donation of parts and some of the labor to complete the work involved.

Although operation of these two 19th century vehicles will remain limited, National Capital plans have cars #522 and #09 make future demonstration trips during select special events.

The return of CTCo #522 to operational condition also fulfills a promise made to the late Ken Rucker, long-time President of National Capital Trolley Museum. When the idea of returning CTCo #09 to operation as joint effort between National Capital and Baltimore was proposed in 2019, Ken supported the endeavor with a request that the same type of collaborative effort ensure the return of CTCo #522 to operational condition as well after the work on CTCo #09 was completed. That promise was happily and appropriately fulfilled today.

A short video of CTCo #522 on a test run can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/845583269. Photos are attached to this message as well.

Sincerely,
Matt Nawn

Outstanding cooperation that benefits everyone. Well done!

Fritz in MD