I found this link indicating you can visit the museum on the pier in Cleveland. I wonder if there are any announcements or plans for the future of this collection?

http://www.cwru.edu/affil/NEOIMC/institution-pages/Lakeshore-railway.html

Perhaps, but the isery.org link is dead. This may be a belated directory listing.

I'm fairly positive that LSE is (at least from a visiting public standpoint) dead.
As noted, the LSE link is no longer valid, and hasn't been for several months now.

Last official word was that the entire collection was to be put up for public auction with the intent to sell the collection and use the monies to reduce their accumulated debt load. Not sure if that has been done or not, it was to have been announced in July and with the month winding down, I have personally not seen any mention.

I do know that several of the more likely players are fully in the know as to what's going on, what needs to be done, etc, and no doubt there is a fair amount of quiet, behind the scenes negotiating going on.

It's a sizeable collection and just the money needed to move all of this is pretty substantial in itself, far less purchase costs, track/storage costs, and/or any necessary future restoration/maintenance costs. Given the state of our economy these days the timing couldn't be much worse, but we'll all have to hope for the best.

Be prepared to dig deep when the call goes out from your friendly local (or not-so-local) museum to help out, how much gets saved and where will be directly related to dollars.

John has sound advice: save up your nickels.

Though as I've said, I don't think there are enough nickels in preservation to move those cars in a timely way. That means that such an auction is going to attract a lot of bidders who won't be prepared to move their winnings.

My understanding is that while the LSE group is looking to sell and get the needed cash, that moving the cars on an immediate/post sale basis may not be required.

Short version, the entire lakefront development is something of a dead issue there, economic woes and all, and as such, there isn't anyone in a great hurry to empty the warehouse. The cars on the RTA property, that may be an entirely different issue.

Having said that, not sure how comfortable any museum group (or individual for that matter) might feel having their new prized possession miles away under what may become questionable security circumstances. Clearly whatever resources the LSE group may be expending at present to maintain the collection will go away the minute title is transfered.

Save those nickels folks,, (and dimes, quarters, gold buillion,,,,)

I hate to be pessimistic; but most of those cars are already represented in museum collections.

What with the down economy it seems to me that the scrap man is going to be the big winner in the auction.

Some museums may have need for parts like trucks and motors; but more than likely the bodies will be scrapped.

I have a nice set of 19 post cards showing the collection; it is too bad that Gerald Brookings did not make better arrangements for his life long collection of Interurbans.

Trailer Parks may come and go but early 20th Century Interurban cars are not something that grow on trees.

Ted Miles

Ted.
I have to agree with you to some extent. My personal guess is that around half of the Brookins collection will end up with responsible museums who can afford to properly preserve them. Others may end up in "rust in peace" collections while some will definitely be scrapped, most likely the PCC's and rapid transit cars. It appears that most of the CA&E cars will find homes. One car, Pittsburgh 4145, has already been sold to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.

Some agreement with Ted's assessment as well, perhaps as much as 1/2 of the collection may simply become scrap, or at best parts depots for other projects.

Double edged sword here, I was just looking at some of the photos from the move
and just after, the Toronto PCC is good example. Not sure of it's mechanical condition, but the car (circa 2005) was in excellent cosmetic shape, beautiful paint, etc. It would be a shame to see a car in such good shape lost, simply in that there are so many other PCCs about. Is the Kenosha operation stable enough to add another car ??

The CA&E cars and the Iowa cars are really the prizes of the collection (one man's opinion) The only CA&E Pullman, and the only CA&E St Louis cars make them both rare examples and matched with IRM or Seashore's Cincinnati cars, would allow for someone to have the full representation of steel cars built for that railroad. (Disclaimer, I specifically said "built for", that elminates the 2nd hand WB&A cars)

On the other hand, the above argument could (and likely will) be interpreted by someone as a "collect the whole set" mentality.

How does one determine rare, or worthy of preservation, especially viewed through the harsh prism of a tough economic period ?

The AE&FRE 300 series lightweights, are those worthy of saving ?
An argument could be made that IRM has the other remaining example, so no need.
An equal argument could be made to have one/both at the Fox River Trolley Museum, back on home rails. (My personal vote, for whatever limited value that may hold) A similar argument could be to accquire one/both of the cars at East Troy for semi-similar reasoning.

With of those arguments is right ? Depends on which side of the argument has the dollars to back up their statements/ideals.

The Iowa cars are equally rare (read as one of a kind), yet is there a home, (read as someone who can pay for it/them) ?

What about something as obscure as the boat car,,, is there truly any realistic hope for this car to find a new home ?