FYI- saw this item on E-Bay. Looks like a real trolley body as opposed to one fabricated for a restaraunt, but I can't say for sure.

Located in Providence R.I.

I have no connection to the sale, but though others might find it interesting.

trolley on EBay
jsmatlak@earthlink.net

Looks like a ex-spaghetti factory job. And they want the successful bidder to "disassemble" it. That will be quite a job.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

Yes, it looks like a built-for-chain-restaurant carbody, but it's cheap. Might it make a good interpretitive exhibit or highway signboard... you know, the kinds of uses a priceless relic should not be used for?

Just an idea. For $999, it's a steal.

Rob

trains@robertjohndavis.com

> Yes, it looks like a
> built-for-chain-restaurant carbody

I think it was for real, and the ad states it was .
Cheap it ain't if you have to disassamble and slide it out a doorway. One of the other museums got a spaghetti factory carbody and has it is a barn.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

> I think it was for real, and the ad states
> it was .
> Cheap it ain't if you have to disassamble
> and slide it out a doorway. One of the other
> museums got a spaghetti factory carbody and
> has it is a barn.

It looks real enough to me - check out those drop platform knees, for instance. Of course, the "restoration" work done to it is all wrong, but nothing that couldn't be fixed if you don't have to disassemble the body. Obviously the car was brought into the building in one piece, why can't it be removed the same way?

The poor thing is probably doomed, but it would be nice to know its actual history before it's too late.

I would definitely concur that the carbody looks quite authentic. It is a Stone & Webster "turtleback" design, a type of car fairly rare in most parts of the country but once very common on the Dallas Railway & Terminal system. There are several other Dallas cars of similar design in operation, including one still running on McKinney Avenue in Dallas.

I think it's pretty likely that this car actually is from Dallas, despite its current location in the northeast. A spaghetti factory in Rochester, NY had a Texas interurban body in it until the restaurant closed and the car went to a museum. I think this is due to one of these spaghetti chains being headquartered in Texas. In my mind, the biggest obstacles to this car being preserved are 1) the EXTREMELY difficult proposition of disassembling/cutting up a car like this and then reassembling it later, and 2) the likelihood that this car's history could never conclusively be determined. If you're lucky, you might find some green and cream paint that says it's from Dallas - but what number was it? Its best use might be for parts; McKinney Avenue has a couple of similar cars in poor shape, and I'll bet they'd love the parts from this thing to use in a future restoration.

Frank Hicks

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority

frank@gats.com

Yes, this is a Dallas Stone & Webster, it is a real car. It is either of the 100 series or the 400 series. Other than MATA's No. 186, there is only one other car like this in operation anywhere and it is at the Seashore Trolley Museum. They have the only complete, all-original Dallas Railway & Terminal No. 434 (see photo). This style car was used on many Stone & Webster properties across the United States (Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Portland, and Savannah GA come to mind).

Dallas cars that still have their wood window trim are very easy to identify the car number. The company had the tradition of stamping the car number in the window trim so when they refinished several cars at a time, they could tell where a particular piece of wood went (since the screw holes were hand drilled, each piece of wood was a custom fit). Just take a flat blade screwdriver with you and you can identify it in a few seconds.

You are not likely to find much evidence of the original paint on the car. The guy who had the contract to refurbish these cars started with a good sandblasting inside and out. The interior wood on these restaurant cars is usually rough because it has been sandblasted.

Dallas has 3 Stone & Websters (including a 13 window car) in line for restoration, and we know of several, several more cars "in the field". They have No.s 183 and 189, which were removed from the interior of a building and are in exceptional condition. I am not aware of an immediate need for a parts car, but I will alert them to the fact that this car has come back on the market (MATA traded carbodies with the Spaghetti Warehouse for a complete Perly Thomas car w/controls and motors (954) this carbody may have been one of them).

I would definitely concur that the carbody
> looks quite authentic. It is a Stone &
> Webster "turtleback" design, a
> type of car fairly rare in most parts of the
> country but once very common on the Dallas
> Railway & Terminal system. There are
> several other Dallas cars of similar design
> in operation, including one still running on
> McKinney Avenue in Dallas.

> I think it's pretty likely that this car
> actually is from Dallas, despite its current
> location in the northeast. A spaghetti
> factory in Rochester, NY had a Texas
> interurban body in it until the restaurant
> closed and the car went to a museum. I think
> this is due to one of these spaghetti chains
> being headquartered in Texas. In my mind,
> the biggest obstacles to this car being
>

Dallas 2002 ARM Convention - October 23-26, 2002 -

tnold@bigfoot.com

Yes Andy, I did consider it (until I read about the some disassembly required) for Savannah since we have two spare trucks and controllers and eventually want one of these. If it needs to be cut apart and then reassembeld it doesn't pass the gift test from our POV. Toss up even if it could be removed intact. Rigging isn't cheap, even though using our trailer transport wouldn't be too bad.

Yeah, I think one of your Texas chicken coops probably would work out better.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Gents:

The car sold for 2,550. Likely as not, it'll be scrapped. You can see in one of the photos the window opening the car was brought in. It would've seemed that one could bribe the building owner to allow popping the window out to get the car out.

Of course that means you've spent 10-15K for a carbody, but it doesn't look too bad and that doesn't amount to a bad deal.

Oh well.........

Michael Seitz

Missoula MT

> FYI- saw this item on E-Bay. Looks like a
> real trolley body as opposed to one
> fabricated for a restaraunt, but I can't say
> for sure.

> Located in Providence R.I.

> I have no connection to the sale, but though
> others might find it interesting.


mikefrommontana@juno.com