Folks,
The IRM people have been posting news of their former Trolleyville, USA street cars and Interurbans. They have even had some of them running already!

How about the other museums? What have the rest of you been doing with your new arrivals? Spring is here; it is time to start work!

At the Western Railway Museum we bought a couple of Shaker Heights PCC trucks to change out the wheels on our MUNI PCC #1016. They had them in the Shop and took the motors out and the wheels off. i expect the car has its new compromise wheels on it by now.

And the 1016 has had a couple of years worth of work with lots of body repairs, new paint inside and out and all the seats have been reworked. A bad motor was swapped out for a good one. This will be the museums second PCC type restoration. The 1016 by the way was from the last group of PCCs built in the US and delivered late in 1951.

Thanks,

Ted Miles

I have the late-2009 newsletters from two organizations in front of me.

Arden is very excited to have the parlor car "Toledo" on site, and devotes the first 1/3 of their newsletter to this.

Fox River dedicates their entire newsletter to the return to home rails of AE&FRE 304. However they don't say it's run.

And as for WRM's PCC 1016...

National Capital Trolley Museum displays Blackpool Boat 606 in Street Car Hall while we await warmer weather. The car also serves as a place to seat visitors when docents are talking about the cars on display.

Wesley

Connecticut Trolley Museum has run bot 101 and CA&E 303. In fact 303 was one of the last CA&E cars to leave Cleveland, more than a month after the others, and was the first to operate. The bobber caboose was used as part of our winterfest and was on display throughout the holiday period. Plans are to pull the caboose behind 101 with a open air car for rides this year. Line car #1 suffered a torn canvas during transit from Cleveland and will get a new canvas before being put into operation.

Our colleagues at Fox River wasted no time in going over the AE&FR No. 304 and then take it for a test spin to their end of the line. This was only about one week after arrival from Cleveland! The attached photo was sent to me by good friend, Joe Hazinski of Fox River Trolley Museum. As I recall the car needed more work to go into regular service but as you can see, it's good enough to run their line.

Note the touch of class by displaying the white extra flags. Pretty cool, I'd say!

Thanks!

Scranton's Electric City Trolley Museum Association newsletter mentions that the Philadelphia & Western Rwy. "Strafford" car they got from East Troy, possibly as one of the side deals involving extra PCC cars and their parts, was run about 5 miles, almost the length of their line, a very few days after delivery.

While not exactly a car it did come from Trollyville. It was in danger of going to the scrap yard but instead has found a good home. Doing research on it shows it to be built by American in 1918! That's older than some of the cars. I can't understand why no one needed a 24" lathe with a 8 foot bed.( but they did need the tool post holder) In the picture it is seen fixing a Whiting jack screw.
Rumor has it that it came from the B & O roundhouse in Lorain Ohio. Ironically it's back in a locomotive shop in Lorain just a few miles from where the old round house stood. We also saved a neat 600 volt DC grinder that was labeled scrap!. It is free to a good home for the cost of shipping.
P.S. Steve I will get the rescued plate back from you soon! Thanks!

Here's a brief run-down of the four cars acquired by Pennsylvania Trolley Museum:

Pittsburgh Railways 4145: The trucks that came with the car had been converted to std. ga. and all our trackage is broad gauge (62.5"). Thus those trucks are now at Lyons Industries at Ebensburg, PA being reworked back to broad gauge. This includes new axles by Lyons and wheels provided by PTM from several cars of the same series that we've parted out over the years. The traction motors that came with 4145 still had mud in them from the 1972 flood at MaGee museum and none of them were ready for prime time anyhow. Other motors from PTM stock are being reconditioned by Lyons for use under 4145. PTM personnel will also undo a lot of the "mickey mouse" wiring in the car, done by carpet factory electricians in the 1960s to building wiring standards. PTM's aim is to have 4145 in service by the time of its 100th anniversary on 11/25/2011.

Toledo Railways/Lake Shore Electric "Toledo": This beautifully restored carbody came to us on std. ga. interurban freight trailer trucks. Those were traded away and the body of "Toledo" now rests on a pair of broad gauge trucks approximately the same as what it had when last in service. Short term plans are to place the car on public display. In the long term it will eventually become self-propelled again, but this may be some years in the future.

Cincinnati Street Railway 2227: The trucks that came with the car were originally broad gauge but had been converted to std. ga. in the 1940s or 50s by the trolley company for use under a std. ga. switching loco at their material yard. The trucks have been evaluated for conversion back to broad gauge with better wheels and reconditioned (W) 318 motors. Bids for this work are being received and compared with available funding. If you'd like to help reactivate the only surviving intact CSR trolley, PTM would like to hear from you. The carbody is in fine shape and will require minimal rework to be serviceable at PTM. The body temporarily rests on a pair of broad gauge shop trucks and will be put on public display shortly.

Southern Iowa RR 100: This is in PTM's view a supply of useful parts tenaciously clinging to a carbody that consists mostly of rust and humus. We consider it a minor miracle that this hulk survived transport from Cleveland in one piece. Parts from 100 will benefit various cars in the PTM restoration queue. The heavy duty std. ga. trucks may be available for trade or sale as they do not appear to fit any of PTM's needs. Dismantling of the car will resume with the arrival of spring weather.

Thanks for the quick replies.

I am glad to hear that the cars are getting attention or restoration in their new homes.

Even if it is to supply parts to help restore other deserving cars or bodies.

I read that the two Cleveland cars that went to Seashore Trolley Museum are not on their very busy shop schedule right away; but they are tarped and put away until their is time and money to do something with them.

Ted Miles

One detail to add to Dave Hamley's post. (not a joke) If anyone wants a box motor carbody in the worst way, please let PTM know before we begin to dismantle the car. There is no guarantee that the car will not become a heap of splinters if it is moved again. Also, there may be some body hardware that we have no use for that some othe group could use. Our main interest is in the HL controls and the brake gear.

Electric City Trolley Museum's 453 is in safe indoor storage awaiting money, time - and freed-up shop space - before work can begin.

David Noyes