The last trolley car of the LSE (Brookins) collection that was stored on the lakefont at Dock 32 left this morning at 9am bound for a temporary home at IRM. MBTA 3334, ex Dallas double ended PCC, will eventually find her way back to Dallas. The dock is now empty except for some trucks, heavy shop machinery, and a few parts belonging to a couple of consortium members.

The next chapter in this tale will be the move of the interubans from C.U.T. to RTA Brookpark shops for shipment to their new homes. Stay tuned!

Steve Heister

Chicago, Aurora and Elgin cars 303, 319 and 36 departed the GCRTA Central Rail Shops for Brookpark yard at 2am on 12-17-09.

Steve Heister
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
http://www.northernohio.railway.museum

was the lakeshore museum keeping a few cars or was all the equipment going?
Glad to see the equipment finding the right homes.

Steve,

Did they run the cars over under their own power (or use one as the power car)? Anyone get photos?

Wesley

To answer some questions.

The Brookins Family kept one operating car #1218 to become a static display in the University Circle area of Cleveland.

The cars ran under their own power. #303 has a pantograph and is the power collector for the train. The order was 303, 319, and 36. 303 and 36 had lights on in the pictures. Last I knew 319 had a bad motor and had not been operated in some time. I don't think it has been operated on the RTA. I have seen pictures of the departure form the shop at 2am and of the cars parked in the RTA Brookpark yard. They are parked on a track for holding the cars, not loading them for a road trip.

Steve

I believe that 319 does run, 36 is the one that has a missing motor and also has other parts disassembled. I believe 319 got power from 303. I could be wrong and that just 303 pulled the train by itself.

Would be nice to get a copy of any pictures of this move for our archives and record on 303. Looking forward to running this car on our line early next year.

My understanding right now is that 36 and 319 will be loaded before christmas with a hope transit to IRM between christmas and New Years. The body of 303 will be loaded and put in storage until the steel car going to scranton is loaded. This won't happen until the steel cars are moved to the rail yard and there is no confirmed date yet.

The 319 is complete but not operational. One of its motors is bad. Fortunately, IRM has sister car 321, which has a largely stripped body but fully operational motors and control. The plan is to place 319 on 321's trucks (and motors) upon the former car's arrival, which in theory should make the 319 an "instant runner."

Also, the 36's motors are not missing per se, they were just removed from the car for rebuilding and have not yet been placed back under the car. My impression is that 303 towed the other two cars to Brookpark.

I heard from an individual that was present for the run from the RTA shops to Brookpard Yard. They read this forum but have not posted the info, so I will respect their desire for anonymity. This person told me that 303 with its 2 motors and 319 with all 4 motors cut in pulled the train. They ran in full series at about 35 MPH.

Concerning pictures. I have hundreds of images of the break up of the Brookins collection that are only possible from being in town and therefore close to the situation. I am willing to share these images with the participating museums. Any consortium member museum may contact me via Private Message and we'll work forward from there.

Also if consortium members wish to keep me in the loop on final car moves, loading, etc., I or another N.O.R.M. member will endeaver to provide photo coverage on this end. Again send me a Private Message.

Steve Heister
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
http://www.northernohio.railway.museum

Picutres taken at Cleveland's Brook Park shops this weekend showing the IRM work crew preparing the 36 and 319 for trucking (They will be dollied) are posted at:
http://www.irm.org/gallery/album208

I was at Brookpark Yard late Monday afternoon. 319 was already loaded on a set of dolly wheels. 36 was up on the jacks with a severe case of reverse swayback. As I left she was secured to the dolly wheels. Fortunately the car straightened out when secured to the dolly wheels. The two semi's with the trucks from these cars departed Brookpark at 4:30pm. Car 303 was placed back into the shop building over the pit and Silk Road departed until after Christmas.

Steve Heister
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
http://www.northernohio.railway.museum

More pictures of the prep work for loading here and a blog entry from the IRM guys who did the prep work here.

Was that SHRT 1218 in the background? Did that car get trucked over to Brookpark, or was it transferred at some other location and run in under its own power?

Wesley

1218 was moved by Silk Road on 12-7-09 to Brookpark. As I understand it, it will be staying where it is until the shuffle of Interurbans out of CUT is completed. Then 1218 will be moved to join 12 and 109 on the stub end storage track there.

Steve Heister
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
http://www.northernohio.railway.museum

On Saturday 12-26-09 at 11:50am, Chicago, Aurora and Elgin interurbans #460, 409, and 451 were observed leaving the Tower City Station of RTA headed east on the Rapid. These cars were parked on a storage track at this location. 451 needs to go to the shop for some compressor work before these cars and the 453 and 458 can be moved to Brookpark Yard. The RTA shop complex is located east of this location near the E.55 St. station.

I observed this move on a traffic camera that the TV station I work at has. With proper manipulation, this camera has a view of the rapid tracks. Nothing like railfanning at work!

Steve Heister
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
http://www.northernohio.railway.museum

Steve -

Did any of the 400's have a pan? Or was this moved accomplished using trolley poles? Any chance the video is on archive at the traffic cam and available by web?

Thanks for the updates!

Wesley