A hidden gem at Seashore. She is about an Interurban (Indiana Railroad) trying to beat out buses and automobiles -- about luxury travel -- about 70 mph speed. She failed. A history lesson missed.

Click here only if you want to see a wonderful car's interior.

A "modern" beauty indeed--but how is the history lesson missed, and indeed, what lesson are you thinking of? There could be several lessons there. . .

It's normally hidden in a car barn where visitors can only walk along the side and not see in. That's the missed lesson. If you can't see what my pictures show, you can't begin to understand. Of course seeing in is just the beginning of the lesson.

WOW! What an amazing car. I'm blown away, simply amazing. Thanks so much for sharing.

While car 1030 did indeed begin its service on the Indiana Railroad, it was later sold the Lehigh Valley Transit Co. of Allentown, Pa. After refurbishing, it entered service on the LVT's famed "Liberty Bell Route" between Allentown and Norristown, where it joined the Philadelphia & Western's high-speed line to 69th Street, Upper Darby, just outside Philadelphia.

Near the end of its service on LVT, it was reconfigured to all coach seating. When LVT received permission from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to "suspend" service on the Liberty Bell Route in September 1951, 1030 and a dozen other high speed cars from the Cincinnati & Lake Erie were sent to scrap at nearby Bethlehem Steel. 1030 was saved by a last minute intervention, details of which are unknown to me, and taken to Seashore in 1951.

I had a small part in the restoration of 1030, spending a few days working on it and making a couple of small monetary contributions. The restoration included not only renovations to the interior, but also substantial structural work to both ends of the car to repair collision damage, rewiring and repairs to piping and control systems. The reproduction lounge chairs were manufactured at the Buehler Furniture Co. in Allentown, which was owned by Louis J.G. Buehler, president of Railways to Yesterday Inc., now known as Rockhill Trolley Museum.

What a nice car! It should be noted that the LVT changed the trucks on the car, to Cincinnati ABC type trucks from an ex C&LE car that burned (eek!). The other major structural change was the inclusion of a vestibule door on the left-hand side of the car. On the IRR this is where the Motorman's seat was bolted to the floor.

Still a very neat car, I like the self-lapping brakes.

1030 did not arrive at scrap at Bethlehem Steel, but was shipped to Seashore from LVT property in Allentown. LV Chapter NRHS history books claim that another truck swap was made just before shipment.

I recall hearing that the Cincinnati trucks were installed on 1030 by LVT because the IRR Commonwealth trucks would not clear the 3rd rail on the P&W with 3rd rail shoe beams and shoes in place.

I was not presenting a detailed history of 1030. When I referred to it and its sisters being consigned to scrap at Bethlehem, I was attempting to make the point that it was a very last-minute act that saved the car from that fate, regardless. Other museums wanted to save other Liberty Bell cars but were unsuccessful for whatever reasons. I knew of the modifications and truck swaps that took place but did not think them germane to the discussion.

We have a letter in file at National Capital Trolley Museum from that era seeking one of the LVT/C&LE cars.

Wesley

Looks more inviting than a bus any day!

Kinda stunned that people actually traveled like that! Compared to what I get to ride on today, that is definitely posh!

Hi folks,

I love the photos of the IRM/LVT car.

I have an o scale ashland IRM car (A model of this very car) that I am about to paint in the original colors. I was wondering what would be close matches for the outer orange, the green roof, and the lemon yellow interior.

Thanks,

Charles

David -

Thanks very much for including this explanation of the front end of LVT 1030. The interior is so beautiful, I couldn't imagine that the patrons would have had to enter the car directly through the motorman's compartment. Now you have explained that the original configuration obviously had the motorman in a separate enclosed cab on the left-hand side. That makes more sense. Thanks again.

Les

The new door on the left side of LVT 1030 was necessary for passengers to enter and leave the car at Norristown, Pa. The station was on the left side of an elevated structure, with a platform only on the left side. At this point, the LVT climbed a ramp from street level up to the station and changed over from trolley pole to third-rail current collection so it could run down the Philadelphia & Western to 69th Street Terminal. The car's original configuration was for right-side street loading only. As far as I know, the motorman was never in a separate cab, since he had to collect fairs, make change and issue tickets in addition to running the car.

The left side door was also used at the stations at Lansdale and Souderton on northbound runs so passengers could leave the car on the curb side, rather than stepping off into the path of on-coming traffic. I've seen a photo of the motorman assisting a woman with packages off at Lansdale, while other folks wait to board. There are also Frank Schlegel movie scenes of people leaving and boarding from the left side at both locations. The same scenario would probably have taken place at Quakertown northbound and at Perkasie southbound.