> In 1967, the horse car on the left in the
> photo below was transferred from
> Mid-Continent to the Wisconsin Electric
> Railway Historical Society in East Troy, WI,
> when that group split from Mid-Continent.
> Looking at the East Troy group's roster, I
> don't find a horse car mentioned. Anyone
> know where it ended up at after East Troy?
> Thanks in advance for any info.

The previous East Troy group that you mention left the museum site in 1984, when our group took over. The horsecar went to the electric company in Milwaukee some time later and was on display for a while. It was later put into a warehouse.

Funny you should inquire at this point. Just today, the horsecar came back to East Troy, as the current management of the power company didn't want it taking up room. This morning, a flatbed delivered it to our carbarn at Phantom Woods. It now sits between the tracks, it's previous resting spot at East Troy.

There is very little original remaining of the original horsecar. It sits on a steel frame with rubber wheels, has steel platforms and its end roof sections are missing. There are no current plans to restore it.

Hope this helps.

East Troy Electric Railroad
jftrolley@aol.com

> ...There is very little original remaining of
> the original horsecar. It sits on a steel
> frame with rubber wheels, has steel
> platforms and its end roof sections are
> missing. There are no current plans to
> restore it...

Is there information on the builder, date, etc.?

The late Prof. Don Mueller wrote an exhaustive, as-yet unpublished, history of the animal-era street railways in Milwaukee. Has anyone heard of plans to publish it?


tr2manz@frontiernet.net

> Is there information on the builder, date,
> etc.?

> The late Prof. Don Mueller wrote an
> exhaustive, as-yet unpublished, history of
> the animal-era street railways in Milwaukee.
> Has anyone heard of plans to publish it?

The car, #17 (?), was built about 1881 by the Stephenson Car Co. of New York. It was most likely built either for the Milwaukee City Ry or the West Side Ry. It operated in Milwaukee until 1891-1894, then was sold as a fishing shanty. The Milwaukee Electric purchased it in 1921 and moved it back to Milwaukee. After that, it underwent many travels and travails until its present appearance back in East Troy.

I am unaware of any plans to publish Prof. Mueller's book.

East Troy Electric Railroad
jftrolley@aol.com

> The car, #17 (?), was built about 1881 by
> the Stephenson Car Co. of New York. It was
> most likely built either for the Milwaukee
> City Ry or the West Side Ry. It operated in
> Milwaukee until 1891-1894, then was sold as
> a fishing shanty...

The fishing shanty story is interesting sidelight, like the "chicken coop" car list linked in another thread. Jones Island maybe? Or one of the inland lakes?

I helped Don edit the manuscript about 15 years ago. It's a huge document and he may still have been working on it at the time of his death. His widow might consider having it published, but I am no longer living in WI and out of touch.

CERA should contact Mrs. Mueller about this. Although not "electric" railway, it would make a fascinating book.

tr2manz@frontiernet.net

> The fishing shanty story is interesting
> sidelight, like the "chicken coop"
> car list linked in another thread. Jones
> Island maybe? Or one of the inland lakes?

According to the report I have, it was one of six cars that wound up at Waukesha Beach, on Pewaukee
Lake.

East Troy Electric Railroad
jftrolley@aol.com

Thanks for the info. Interesting that it ended up back at East Troy. Sounds like it's been treated really badly between the time of it's leaving Mid-Continent and it's final return to East Troy.

Boyd

ddg14@attbi.com