Mystery car in Omaha

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 2:45 pm

Within the past couple of years someone has put an Omaha & Council Bluffs streetcar body on display at the corner of 14th & Leavenworth in Omaha; it's sitting atop a pair of Bettendorfs of some sort and has been repainted. Unfortunately I have no idea what car number this is, and I was hoping that someone might be able to contribute some info on the history of this body. Any info would be appreciated - thanks!

Car as it exists currently:
http://photos.cityrails.net/s/?p=185602
http://photos.cityrails.net/s/?p=185601
http://photos.cityrails.net/s/?p=185600

I believe it is a 900-series car similar to this one, shown in service:
http://davesrailpix.com/ocb/htm/ocb33.htm

wesp · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 4:42 pm

The Chicken Coop list shows a car 910 in Omaha. Could this be the same car?

Wesley

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 4:59 pm

wesp wrote:

The Chicken Coop list shows a car 910 in Omaha. Could this be the same car?

You know, I bet that's the car! I found a quote online from a KETV article when the car was placed in its current location in early 2007 that said it had been salvaged from a backyard near 73rd & Miami in Omaha... I'd say everything fits. Thanks for the lead!

k5ahudson · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:30 am **Posts:** 773

Chicken Coop list????

wesp · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:48 pm

American Chicken Coops
This is a project of the ERHA undertaken with the assistance and cooperation of the nation's trolley museums. The project's goal is to identify all surviving horse cars, cable cars, streetcars, interurbans and electric locomotives not currently in museums, in museum collections not intended to stay or in service for possible rescue and restoration.

http://www.erha.org/coop.htm

Open Car in Butte, Montana ca. 2000 (Ben Minnich photo)

Wesley

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6482

I took a quick look at this website and checked out the states starting with the letter "I". First of all, the site hasn't been updated since the year 2000. And under Illinois, it shows South Shore Niles wooden interurban # 73 from Michigan City going to IRM. Is that car REALLY at IRM? I don't think so.

Les

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:14 am

Les Beckman wrote:

Is that car REALLY at IRM? I don't think so.

No, and it never was. The chicken coop list isn't infallible but it's an interesting resource and it's unfortunate that I believe its creator passed away before the site was up for very long.

Gerald W. Kopiasz · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 2:27 pm

That's one of two existing Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway streetcars (the other is in the basement of the Durham Museum aka Union Station). This car was not a chicken coop, rather it was more or less a gazebo in someone's backyard in Benson, NE. I'm just a couple blocks for that car as I type this.

Some might question the owner placing freight car trucks under the car, but it is better than nothing. He has spent much time and money restoring the car as it had a lot of rot being out in the weather for decades. He also built the roof above the car to protect it from the elements. The car isn't finished, but it has come a long way from where it was at.

Gerald W. Kopiasz

JohnCloos · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:59 pm **Posts:** 308

Speaking of the Chicago Lake Shore & South Bend Niles #73, first off, it isn't in Indiana, it's in Murphysboro, Illinois about 350 odd miles south/southwest of Chicago.

Can someone elaborate on the history of this car ? Is this the car that was found as part of someone's home and written about in one of the earliest issues of First & Fastest (or am I thinking of something else) ?

Also, Frank posted some photos as recently as 2 years ago this month on the NERAIL photo site showing quite a bit of nice carpentery and restoration work. Any updates on the current status of the project and plans for the future ?