Railway Preservation News :: View topic - SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins

The car had been derelict for nearly a decade, and was acquired by the BSM from Electric City in Scranton strictly to provide "broad-gauge" trucks and other underfloor hardware to "project" car "7303," a former St. Louis Car Co. PCC that saw duty in San Diego (as 1503) and El Paso (as 503) before ending up in Cloudcroft, New Mexico as a real estate office.

The tragedy is that the PCC is the only trolley available in mass quantities for use in historic service or for "on the cheap" transit. If you don't have $4 million a car to spend on modern LRVs, your best bet is overhauling some of those rusting PCCs.

Every one should be gathered up and moved to the desert for storage. I'm amazed the federal transit administration doesn't do that. It would cost so little.

I have a neighbor interested in the headlight/"wings" if that remains and is not spoken for. Sandy, do you have any specific contact information?

Author:	Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:34 pm ]
Post subject:	SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
Today I noticed that scrapping of badly-derelict former Philadelphia PCC 2647 had begun near the Baltimore Streetcar Museum's former Md. & Pa. RR freight house shops. The car is scrapped by BSM volunteers to avoid the problems incurred with past scrappers taking more than specified. (The volunteer on site today took a philosophical approach: "I hate the things. The people who love PCCs never had to keep the darned things running!") Removal of the "attractive nuisance" will also improve the appearance of the property. The car had been derelict for nearly a decade, and was acquired by the BSM from Electric City in Scranton strictly to provide "broad-gauge" trucks and other underfloor hardware to "project" car "7303," a former St. Louis Car Co. PCC that saw duty in San Diego (as 1503) and El Paso (as 503) before ending up in Cloudcroft, New Mexico as a real estate office.

Author:	JimBoylan [ Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:19 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
No, an older model. 2289 in the photo is post WWII, 2647 is a wartime car.

Author:	Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Sun Jul 21, 2013 10:35 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
Photo long before her move to Baltimore, on the left: From Frank Hicks' PNAERC roster/database at http://www.bera.org/pnaerc.html . She looks MUCH worse now.

Author:	artschwartz [ Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:09 am ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
One down, 100+ to go. Overcollected, neglected PCC cars that are likely to be scrapped in the nex few years.

Author:	Heavenrich [ Mon Jul 22, 2013 8:27 am ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote: The car had been derelict for nearly a decade, and was acquired by the BSM from Electric City in Scranton strictly to provide "broad-gauge" trucks and other underfloor hardware to "project" car "7303," a former St. Louis Car Co. PCC that saw duty in San Diego (as 1503) and El Paso (as 503) before ending up in Cloudcroft, New Mexico as a real estate office. It's good to hear that this project is going about as planned Bob H

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Author:	robertmacdowell [ Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:54 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
The tragedy is that the PCC is the only trolley available in mass quantities for use in historic service or for "on the cheap" transit. If you don't have $4 million a car to spend on modern LRVs, your best bet is overhauling some of those rusting PCCs. Every one should be gathered up and moved to the desert for storage. I'm amazed the federal transit administration doesn't do that. It would cost so little.

Author:	nickbnwd [ Sat Jul 27, 2013 10:09 am ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
I have a neighbor interested in the headlight/"wings" if that remains and is not spoken for. Sandy, do you have any specific contact information?

Author:	robertjohndavis [ Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:14 am ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
robertmacdowell wrote: The tragedy is that the PCC is the only trolley available in mass quantities for use in historic service or for "on the cheap" transit. If you don't have $4 million a car to spend on modern LRVs, your best bet is overhauling some of those rusting PCCs. Every one should be gathered up and moved to the desert for storage. I'm amazed the federal transit administration doesn't do that. It would cost so little. True that. I was just admiring the Market Street PCC's in San Francisco yesterday. One man's junk is another man's transit system. Rob

Author:	Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:25 am ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
nickbnwd wrote: I have a neighbor interested in the headlight/"wings" if that remains and is not spoken for. Sandy, do you have any specific contact information? As far as I know, those were transferred to spares storage within hours of the car's arrival on the property, and/or are currently in place on the "7303." Never mind that 1) the Museum itself has a responsibility to maintain a spares supply and that 2) the officers of the BSM are among the most active and downright voracious "horse traders" in the traction field when it comes to spares and replacement parts..... IF these parts were to end up surplus, there is a long list of active volunteers and contributors downright eager, if not seemingly desperate, to give the BSM money in trade for redundant "souvenirs," books, etc. Our book/gift store manager keeps a "waiting list" for specific rare surplus books, demanding the "going rate" to eager buyers or even saving them for silent auctions at the annual Crab Feast (a Baltimore tradition, hon). In short: "Membership has its privileges."

Author:	nickbnwd [ Sat Jul 27, 2013 8:42 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
Thanks... I know my neighbor's been looking for a while, so it becomes publicly available a heads-up would be great. Nick

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Author:	Alexander D. Mitchell IV [ Sat Jul 27, 2013 9:34 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: SEPTA PCC 2647 Scrapping Begins
I caught up with one of the two "scrappers" today and, just for laughs, asked them your request. The one said something to the effect of "I'm not even sure those were on it when it CAME here!" Which sort of tells you some of the motivation for scrapping. It was pretty well "plundered" long before it showed up to become the foam-inducing subject of innumerable "industrial blight/urban abandonment" "artistes" over the years it sat there, as well as the occasional long-term home for a homeless person or two. Among the detritus in the 2647 tossed to the side today: a printed plastic U.S. flag and a cloth "gay pride" rainbow flag........