Phase I (exterior restoration) of former Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company snow sweeper C-145 at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum is on track for completion by the end of September. This project, which commenced in the winter of 2019, is led and managed by a 16-year old Eagle Scout candidate. To date, more than 1000 hours have been expended on this project by a dedicated team of volunteers.

The following videos show and explain recent progress. The project manager is a little camera shy, so the videos are narrated largely by the project coach. The videos are produced by another of BSM's younger members skilled with social media and video productions.

https://youtu.be/2UL5i89CMoE

https://youtu.be/dgx00p63zDs

I've also attached some photos of the condition of the vehicle at the start of the project and its current state. The work has included replacement of nearly all of the exterior wood siding, structural repairs to the carbody, new windows (including new frames), fabrication and installation of new steel trim, and restoration of a myriad of exterior details, along with a complete repainting in colors computer matched as closely as possible to the PRT dark green and black colors it wore from 1923 until at least 1940. The project has been sponsored by The Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. and Baltimore Streetcar Museum donors. The project's master carpenter has donated all of his labor to the project as well.

Upon completion of Phase I, work will commence on Phase II, which is an interior restoration. Phase II is being led by two of the museum's younger members under the mentorship of two more senior members. Phase III work in the future will consist of replacement of the wooden roof boards (which remain functional but need replacement within the new few years) as well as installation of the wing plows and sweeper broom at the #2 end (the plows and #2 broom were removed during the car's ownership by Port Authority of Allegheny County but the museum has suitable replacements on hand).

The Baltimore Streetcar Museum and The Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys extend their mutual thanks to all supporters of this project!

Sincerely,
Matt Nawn

That's great news to hear. It is always good to hear that youth members are taking on active roles in preservation, especially in these challenging times.

Very cool, looks like your crew is doing a wonderful job of it.



At a casual glance, it appears to be an awful lot like the broom on a ballast regulator. Is there any crossover of parts and components or is it just a superficial resemblance?

The function is similar: to push material, but a sweeper is designed to push snow completely off the track bed while a ballast regulator shapes stone ballast on the trackbed.

That said, here's a 2020 Kershaw snow sweeper, although the sweeper part is an attachment:

https://www.progressrail.com/en/infrast ... ghter.html

Phil Mulligan

Incidentally, C-145 was built as a plow in 1923 and rebuilt into a sweeper in 1926.

That restoration is coming along very nicely.
I did actually have a ride on it back in 2011 when visiting the BSM as my visit (luckilly) coincided with what turned out to be a special members open day at the museum!

Here's a shot of the interior as of 2011, which I see is going to be Phase 2 of your restoration work....

I did take some video whilst travelling inside it and the traction motor noise is quite prominent on those recordings.

I'd forgotten you had C-127 as well until I checked up on my photos from that time.

Ballast regulators also have a sweeper, though we call it a broom. The snow sweeper you linked to is nearly identical to a ballast regulator but with much bigger plow and wings and a chute on the broom. They’re not an “attachment”, they’re integral to the machine and come standard. If you remove one, (not easy) the machine becomes nose heavy and likely can no longer use the built in turntable device.

Aside from being perpendicular to the track, rather than angled, the broom looks a lot like what’s on a sweeper. What I don’t know is how they’re powered. Brooms are hydraulic, but guessing sweepers would use some kind of electric drive?

Is that a Russell?

Yes, trolley snow sweepers use electric traction motors to turn the brooms.

To clarify the terms, the entire car is called a sweeper in the US while the rotating brooms are called brooms.

C-145 has two traction motors inside the carbody, one at each end to turm the broom at that end, and one traction motor, nose suspended on each axle to propel the car. I believe all six motors on C-145 are GE 80's. The car uses 600 v. DC.

If JeffH is asking if C-145 is a Russell, no it is not. It is a Brill built in 1923 as a plow and rebuilt by Brill in 1926 to a sweeper.

Phil Mulligan

Thanks for the comments and compliments about the restoration of PRT C-145.

I've attached a photo of the drive mechanism for the sweeper broom located inside the car above the floor line. Yes, each broom in C-145 is driven by a GE 80 motor. The Brill broom drive mechanism in this car consists of a series of gearboxes and shafts, unlike many other sweepers (such as McGuire models) where the brooms are driven by a chain and sprocket type drive.

Thankfully, when the #2 end broom in C-145 was removed in Pittsburgh, the entire broom drive mechanism (including traction motor, controller, etc.) was left in place, making future installation of the replacement broom much more feasible.

Regarding former PRT/PTC/SEPTA sweeper C-127, Baltimore Streetcar Museum is only storing it for its owner. It's scheduled to leave the museum for its new home this afternoon.

Thanks,
Matt Nawn

Good to see BSM doing so well. I was an active member in 1970-71. The first time I was there the track ended just outside the car barn. By the time I left it ended just past the MA&PA freight house and wire was up as well.

PRT Sweeper C-127 was loaded at BSM today (9-14-2020) and the plan was for it to leave Baltimore for Scranton today.

C-127 was built by Brill as a sweeper in 1923. It looks a little different from C-145 so once both are restored you'll have to visit both museums.

Phil Mulligan

Here's a video from 1966 when the sweepers were in regular service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-cq6JA9ZiA

C-127 is an original sweeper; C-133 is a converted plow. At 3.26 C-133 is clearing a short stretch of PRW in Darby and has the wing swung out to clear a wider path. All the double truck sweepers had these, not just the ex-plows.

Phil Mulligan

I believe that C-127 was the only car saved from the Ed Mitchell collection in Uniontown. The car is riding on re-gauged trucks from Philadelphia sweeper C-124 and needs mostly cosmetic work to operate.

C-127 arrived in the Scranton area today and has been unloaded into the Montage shop.

I hope you liked the video of C-127 operating in the snow from PTC's Luzerne Depot some 54 years ago.

Our thanks to the folks at BSM for foster parenting the car for us.

Phil Mulligan

Slight topic drift.
Why did Philly use double truck sweepers when most sweepers were single-truck?