Shamokin & Mt. Carmel Trolley Body Heads to Pa. Trolley Mus.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sat Aug 19, 2023 2:56 am

https://www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniatr ... E7YGzLRpcl

Quote:

We had a special delivery this past Wednesday: Shamokin and Mt. Carmel #33!
This trolley is a rare, 1906 vintage semi-convertible streetcar built by J.G. Brill for the Shamokin & Mt Carmel Electric Railway Co. to serve the anthracite coal communities in Northumberland County. In 1938, it became a cottage at Knoebels Amusement Resort; it was recently re-located for storage. The PTM will initially restore and display this car as a cabin to tell the story about how trolley cars lived on after they were no longer used as transit vehicles.
Our thanks to Knoebel family for entrusting #33 to us as well as our friends at Brownlee Trucking! For information on how you can support the restoration of this and other historic cars in our collection, visit our website: https://pa-trolley.org/support/ptm-donation-form/

The carbody's existence, sans wheels and underframe, had been known to most of the region's traction preservationists and local historians for decades, but no one ever managed an agreement to get the car out, as it had been snug under a roof and still used as "crash space" for a succession of Knoebels vendors, the most recent a recently-retired "chainsaw artist." I was recently told "stay tuned....." My presumption had been that Electric City Trolley Museum or Rockhill Trolley Museum, but instead PTM is the new home. And I'm happy to see that someone followed my long-ago suggestion of saving at least one carbody for now as an actual "chicken coop/hunting cabin" to represent how so many traction relics were initially "preserved."

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Aug 20, 2023 2:55 pm

Knoebels Amusement Resort FB post with more photos:

https://www.facebook.com/KnoebelsAmusem ... v9n1cPPyNl

Quote:

We've seen some chatter about the trolley missing from the location formerly known as "Lost Logger."

Shamokin & Mount Carmel Trolley #33 is a rare, 1906 vintage semi-convertible streetcar. It was built by J.G. Brill for the Shamokin & Mt Carmel Electric Railway Co. to serve Northumberland County's anthracite coal communities. At one point, it was used by the company to shuttle coal miners during shift changes.

In 1938, it became a cottage at Knoebels. The car was later moved under the Lost Logger pavilion for use by our woodcarver and was recently relocated for storage.
We’ve loved having the trolley in our park for over 80 years. And while we’re sad this rich piece of history has left Knoebels, we are so happy it will be in great hands in its new home at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM)!

The museum will initially restore and display this car as a cabin to tell the story about how trolley cars lived on after they were no longer used as transit vehicles. PTM will also work to find the missing mechanical equipment and running gear, which was removed when it became a cabin, so the car can eventually become operational on PTM’s trolley line!

Thank you so much for preserving this piece of local history, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum!

Larry Lovejoy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 21, 2023 9:28 pm

To give credit where credit is due, it should be noted that the Knoebles family originally offered the cars to our colleagues at the Electric City Trolley Museum. ECTMA has space constraints and, realizing how they could not do the car justice, generously told Knoebles that PTM would be a better custodian of the 33. We thank our friends at ECTMA for both their generosity and their confidence.

The body of the 33 is remarkably solid, having spent most of it's time at Knoebles Grove beneath a pavilion. The attached photo shows the car shortly before the end of service on the Shamokin & Mount Carmel.

/s/ Larry
Lawrence G. Lovejoy, P.E.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Mon Aug 21, 2023 10:05 pm

Thanks, Sandy, for posting this.
Thanks, PTM, for taking the car to ensure its preservation.

Note the car has 39E trucks with its ancient-looking carbody. [they were modern in 1905]

Shamokin and Mt. Carmel were major cities in PA's Western anthracite field. Shamokin was the destination of Reading's first Iron Horse Ramble.

In the mid-1950's Shamokin to Mt. Carmel was famous for PRR ore trains moved by four I1sa 2-10-0's. Route was boat to Sodus Point NY, PRR to Mt. Carmel and LV to the Mill in Bethlehem. At Mt. Carmel, four LV F-units replaced the four I1sa's. It was downhill mostly from there.

Phil Mulligan

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:05 pm

News coverage:

https://observer-reporter.com/news/loca ... 15779.html

Shamokin & Mt. Carmel Trolley Body Heads to Pa. Trolley Mus.

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