Currently sitting at Turners Farm Market, five miles west of Waupaca on Highway 54:
Anyone know if it's the real thing?
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| Waupaca, WI Trolley https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21470 |
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| Author: | Boyd Owens [ Thu Oct 12, 2006 10:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Waupaca, WI Trolley |
Currently sitting at Turners Farm Market, five miles west of Waupaca on Highway 54:
Anyone know if it's the real thing? |
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| Author: | JohnCloos [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Waupaca, WI Trolley |
It does indeed appear to be the real thing. From misc reading on and about the 'net... Car was bought by the Waupaca Electric Light & Rwy Co in 1899. It ran on the line from 1899-1925, converted to a lakeside cabin in 1927, eventually being abandoned and pushed off into the woods when the owner built a new cottage. The car was acquired by the Waupaca Area Model Railroaders, LTD, a local model railroad club, in 1991. Work began on restoration in 1996 According to what I've found a complete exterior restoration was done, at which time it was determined that the car was not originally a baggage/express car as it is today, but was likely rebuilt from a passenger car. Most photos I've seen of the line's passenger cars seem to be typical open air type cars of the period. Inside the car is supposed to be displays of the history of the electric line, restoration having been completed in July 1999. Based on the information found, the car is supposed to be housed in a storage building owned by one of the model rr club members and it is taken out for special occasions, which doesn't exactly seem the case as it is portrayed in the photo, although the setting may be misleading. The car does not have a truck, and one would presume electrical components. The group is said to have a set of St Louis Car Co spoked wheels and axles, planned for future installation. Currently the car sits on a rubber tired trailer, built to the proper wheelbase and car height. Future plans are for installation of the St Louis wheels and trucks and eventual display on original rails, which would have to be removed from under present day pavement. The source of most of this info is from a webpage by a gentleman named Mike Kirk who is also apparently working on a book covering the history of the Waupaca Electric Light & Rwy Co. The webpage is located at http://railnutternews.home.att.net/TFCaboose.html |
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| Author: | MRKirk [ Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:06 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Waupaca, WI Trolley |
I just learned about Railway Preservation News when a couple of people sent e-mails to me after seeing the posting about the Waupaca Electric Light & Ry Co. baggage car. As J. Cloos learned, the car is indeed real. I even have the 1926 newspaper article about how it was made into a lakeside cabin. When the Waupaca Area Model Railroad club got the car in 1992, it was still setting near where it had been placed in 1926. In doing the restoration, we preserved as much of the original car as we possibly could. Over half the siding is original For the past two summers, because I have been busy restoring the old Soo Line freight house and the passenger station in Waupaca, I have not had time to show the car at area events. The club has displayed the car at the farm market where the wife of one of our members works. Usually, there are not corn stalks in front of the door. There is a nice display about the history of the Waupaca trolley line inside the car. The web site mentioned in the posting is old. In 1999, soon after I went on-line, a man from out east asked if he could do a story on the baggage car and my DM&IR caboose. I have not heard from him since. Mike Kirk Waupaca, Wis. |
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