For the third time I spotted a traction unit on a flatbed parked on the I 95 rest area in DE near the MD line. It was headed south.The unit looks to be a snow sweeper of some type. It was in much better shape than the one I reported two weeks back.Anyone have any info. Mr. Mitchell???-Alan S. Levy

And while we're discussing shipping streetcars, does anybody know the approximate shipping weight of a PCC body with no trucks? Ex-Washington DC St. Louis Car Company Capital Transit #1560 1945-1956 / DC Transit #1560 1956-1963.Thanks.

This one is the Phila. sweeper that the Baltimore Streetcar Museum intends to restore. The one you saw previously is to be used for parts.By the way, this car is on its way to its 6th owner. It has belonged to transit systems in Phila.(1st and 5th owner) and Pittsburgh, and 3 different museum groups. The 3rd owner (Port Authority Transit in Pittsburgh) removed the broom on one end and repalced it with a plow.

Yeah, that's supposed to be the BSM's "keeper" snow sweeper. Got delivered today while I was fighting with a recalcitrant brake system elsewhere. I plan to stop in tomorrow.I dunno what ther hell we're doing with a snow sweeper, anyways. Bawlamer has now officially become "The City That Panics" when it comes to snow. I don't even watch weather forecasts anymore--I just watch the supermarket across the street when all the panicked locals run in for milk, eggs, bread, and toilet paper. As near as this Pennsylvanian can figure, when it snows, Baltimorons sit on the crapper and eat French toast. I'm watching for the first electric skillet in the bathroom, I swear.You know that Ma & Pa roundhouse up from the Streetcar Museum, the one full of road salt? They start scattering that stuff in advance of the first frost, I swear. But you ever looked at those snowplows? They were all made of papier-maiche by kids in art classes (before Baltimore cut art classes) just so the TV cameras would have something to shoot. And the roundhouse continues to be the favorite spot for those TV reporters, because it's right down the hill from the TV studios. Seriously, the crews just flop down the bank otter-style and prop themselves up outside the salt shed, so they can tell you about this "Alberta clipper" currently pounding Montana, expected to make its way to Baltimore by the end of the winter, so the trucks and crews are getting a jump on the storm NOW........What's today, July 27th? I don't think the schools have made up all the days they cancelled because of "snow" yet this past school year. I'm serious. They cancel school if they see snow on a TV set when the cable goes out, I swear......I swear, I just gotta move back to Pennsylvania, where we went to snow in SPITE of snow.........Now if y'all excuse me, I'm gonna go crawl in the freezer for the night.........

PCC trucks with motors weigh 8650 lb each. Thus if you know the weight of the whole car (typically 39,000 lb for cars of that era) deduct the weight of two trucks and you'll be close enough for practical matters, such as shipping.Dave Hamley, PresidentPennsylvania Trolley Museum, Inc.Washington, PA

Mr. Mitchell,You paint a rather inaccurate portrait of Baltimore and Baltimoreans (note the correct spelling!).The old Baltimore Transit Company and its predecessor, The United Railways and Electric Company, did, indeed, roster a number of snow sweepers and other workcars. Unfortunately, no snow sweeper was earmarked to the museum collection when streetcar operations ended in November 1963. Thus, it is understandable that the Baltimore Streetcar Museum would like to have at least a "replica" so to speak of a Baltimore snowsweeper.As for the panic that seems to set-in when a snow flurry is noticed, this is a somewhat more recent phenomenon. I grew-up in Baltimore and I can assure you that snow DID NOT keep us home from school! In fact, an all-out blizzard would need to occur before the school system would even close the schools! I think the current "snow panic" situation has been imported by those who have moved to this area from warmer climates over the past couple of decades. In the future, I suggest you keep your commentary on this board to railroad preservation--and I shall do the same! -- Ray

Did Baltimore have anything as modern as the 1923 double-truck sweepers that their museum just aquired from Philadelphia? Or, were their's more like late 1890s single truck models?

My recollection is that Baltimore had one double truck sweeper. All of the others were older single truck cars. By the way, the single truck sweepers were built well into the 20th century. Pittsburgh got 6 in 1918, plus one for affiliate Beaver Valley Traction, and the CNS&M got 1 in 1924.However, the double truck Brill sweeper was unique to Philadelphia, as far as I know. All other double truck sweepers that I am aware of were built by Russell or McGuire-Cummings, except for the home made ones in Milwaukee.

I exaggerate only slightly.I know several fellow ex-Pennsylvanians in this area, and we're all in slack-jawed disbelief every winter at the area's utter fear of snow--every one of us has several tales of winter incredulity, such as being the only one to even bother going to work in spite of living the furthest away, or being greeted when arriving as if they had just arrived by dogsled from Nome, Alaska. We will concede that the whole snow-panic syndrome is really a more modern development, spurred on by a combination of TV-news-induced hysteria, school districts unwilling to take any risk with transporting children in less-than-perfect weather, and traffic chaos. When it snows, about 45% of the drivers slow down to a safe, prudent speed of 3 mph; another 45% speed up to 95 mph to get home before they're stuck in a snowdrift (blissfully unaware that driving an SUV doesn't make you any less able to fly off the road), and the other 10% stop their cars, set the tires on fire in hopes the rescue helicopters will find them, and then hopefully perish by eating yellow snow..........I related my anecdotes to one of the senior BSM members, and he said, "Who cares about the rest of the city? We're always open! Remember, every snowplow and salt truck in the city goes right by here!"