"Just north of the cabin, volunteers for two years have been constructing what will be the museum's transportation building. Inside is a small rail, which will hold a trolley restored by a Big Sandy man. Restoration cost about $100,000, and was paid for using a federal transportation grant."

Other info about the museum is here:

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007 ... news06.txt

Sloan

This is at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, which also has the Milwaukee Road Dept from Drummond Montana with a very nice agents/office display. The Western Montana Chapter NRHS has put up a pair of ex-NP semaphores and built a two stall handcar shed next to the depot.

The trolley is Missoula Street Railway #11 (IIRC) and the building is a carbarn for it's display upon completion of restoration work. One rather large problem is cleaning up the two Brill MCB trucks (secured from another museum on the East coast). They are very rusty and I wouldn't mind some guidance in getting them apart. Some non-railroaders are interested in just sandblasting them and calling it good. I would like to do something more--but without proper shop facilities, it is rather difficult. If anybody has taken apart a set of these trucks (some portions require straghtening/repair) your assistance would be of use. These trucks DO have motors (just to make it a bit more difficult).

Pretty straightforward, Mike. MCBs are mostly bolted together. Motors come out by removing the gear cases, then the clamp holding the nose mount to the frame, then the bearings holding the motor to the axle. Motors are lifted out, which can be done with a chain or two and a forklift. Depending on the model of the truck, unbolting the frame members that go below the pedestal jaws will then allow you to lift the truck frame off the wheelsets (removing brake rigging may be necessary first). Tearing down the truck frame completely is not necessary unless you have a reason to do so. You can drop out the stuff that is easily removable by pulling pins out and sandblast the frame as a whole, wheelsets as a whole, small parts seperately, then rust kill, prime and paint and reassemble for a really nice job. You can leave the motors off or manually clean, mask, prime and paint then reinstall them if you wish.

Best wishes. Remember, if it looks complicated it is probably the wrong way.
dave

Contact the Pennsylvania Trolley Mueeum and get in touch with Bernie Orient. He is usually there on weekends. If you have Brill 27MCB trucks, as I suspect, he has a lot of experience rebuilding these for operation.