Fire at National Capital Trolley Museum Destroys Eight Historic Cars and Building

In the early hours of Sunday, September 28, 2003, a fire of unknown origin destroyed four streetcars from the Washington Streetcar Collection, three Austrian trams from the International Collection and the Johnstown Traction Company car from the American Trolley Collection; and their carhouse at the National Capital Trolley Museum.

The loss of Capital Transit Company 1053, the unique experimental streamlined car, and DC Transit 0509, the rare streetcar that once served Great Falls, Maryland has destroyed physical links to the technological development of streetcars in the NationÂ’s Capital. CTCo 1053 was familiar to Washington residents living along Wisconsin Ave. in Georgetown and along Pennsylvania Avenue. Preserved by DC Transit in 1956, CTCo 1053 helped close out the trolley era in Washington, DC. Constructed in 1899 as an open air car, DC Transit 0509 survived several rebuildings and was last used during the construction of the MuseumÂ’s demonstration railway. The loss of two Washington, DC snowsweepers ends the MuseumÂ’s ability to interpret street railway snow removal. One of the sweepers, Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon 51 was the sole surviving car from the trolley lines that served Northern Virginia from the 1890s until the 1930s. Capital Transit 07 originally swept the snow along the route to Laurel, MD. Operating examples of the other cars lost in the fire exist in Austria and elsewhere in the United States but were significant in the MuseumÂ’s overall interpretation of the development of the electric streetcar.
The cars are priceless artifacts. However, based on market conditions for heritage trolleys and the MuseumÂ’s recent experience with the quarter-million dollar restoration of Johnstown Traction Company 352, Museum officials estimate the loss of the cars at $8 - $10 Million dollars. The Museum has not established a value of the loss of the carhouse at this time.
The Trolley Museum has planned for the construction of a new display building that would have housed the destroyed streetcars. The design building features all-metal construction and a fire supression system. Contributions to the building fund may be sent to the Trolley Museum at 1313 Bonifant Road, Silver Spring, MD 20905
The Museum plans to reopen and continue to serve the 20,000 annual visitors, including those on school trips, and will announce details at a later time.


National Capital Trolley Museum

> Fire at National Capital Trolley Museum
> Destroys Eight Historic Cars and Building

> In the early hours of Sunday, September 28,
> 2003, a fire of unknown origin destroyed
> four streetcars from the Washington
> Streetcar Collection, three Austrian trams
> from the International Collection and the
> Johnstown Traction Company car from the
> American Trolley Collection; and their
> carhouse at the National Capital Trolley
> Museum.

> The loss of Capital Transit Company 1053,
> the unique experimental streamlined car, and
> DC Transit 0509, the rare streetcar that
> once served Great Falls, Maryland has
> destroyed physical links to the
> technological development of streetcars in
> the NationÂ’s Capital. CTCo 1053 was familiar
> to Washington residents living along
> Wisconsin Ave. in Georgetown and along
> Pennsylvania Avenue. Preserved by DC Transit
> in 1956, CTCo 1053 helped close out the
> trolley era in Washington, DC. Constructed
> in 1899 as an open air car, DC Transit 0509
> survived several rebuildings and was last
> used during the construction of the MuseumÂ’s
> demonstration railway. The loss of two
> Washington, DC snowsweepers ends the
> MuseumÂ’s ability to interpret street railway
> snow removal. One of the sweepers,
> Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon 51 was
> the sole surviving car from the trolley
> lines that served Northern Virginia from the
> 1890s until the 1930s. Capital Transit 07
> originally swept the snow along the route to
> Laurel, MD. Operating examples of the other
> cars lost in the fire exist in Austria and
> elsewhere in the United States but were
> significant in the MuseumÂ’s overall
> interpretation of the development of the
> electric streetcar.
> The cars are priceless artifacts. However,
> based on market conditions for heritage
> trolleys and the MuseumÂ’s recent experience
> with the quarter-million dollar restoration
> of Johnstown Traction Company 352, Museum
> officials estimate the loss of the cars at
> $8 - $10 Million dollars. The Museum has not
> established a value of the loss of the
> carhouse at this time.
> The Trolley Museum has planned for the
> construction of a new display building that
> would have housed the destroyed streetcars.
> The design building features all-metal
> construction and a fire supression system.
> Contributions to the building fund may be
> sent to the Trolley Museum at 1313 Bonifant
> Road, Silver Spring, MD 20905
> The Museum plans to reopen and continue to
> serve the 20,000 annual visitors, including
> those on school trips, and will announce
> details at a later time.

A tragic and irreplaceble loss. My condolences, and those of the members of HVRM, go out to the National Capital Trolley Museum.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)



midlandblb@cs.com

> A tragic and irreplaceble loss. My
> condolences, and those of the members of
> HVRM, go out to the National Capital Trolley
> Museum.

> Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad
> Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

Mine too. I have an 11x14 of the 1053 above my computer on a 1960 fantrip.

From the Washington Post photo, the 1053 looks gutted but restorable. Let's all lobby NCTM to restore it, even if just for a static display. I'd contact them about starting a "Restore the 1053" fund, but their website doesn't have a contact address.

PLEASE, NCTM MEMBERS. SAVE THE 1053. IF YOU FOUND A SISTER CAR IN A FIELD IN THIS CONDITION, YOU WOULD BRING IT BACK. WITH ENOUGH DONATIONS,ANYTHING CAN BE FIXED!


sbs5cats@kc.rr.com

> From the Washington Post photo, the 1053
> looks gutted but restorable.

Hmm. See photo below. This is just heartbreaking. A news story (see link) says that ATF agents are looking for accelerants.

Frank Hicks

http://www.nbc4.com/news/2517062/detail.html

F-Hicks@wiu.edu

Greetings,

Indeed a sad day in the traction preservation world.

I would however, offer some optomisic approaches to take. Depending on the damage toll on the running gear, I would certainly think it would be possible to build replacement cars for some of these burned up cars. It may certainly seem like a stretch, and granted they would no longer be "originals" from St. Louis Car or other major car builders. In my experiances, the worst of part of overhauling any PCC shell car in general is the roof ends. But, even if these are totaled, you might be able to purchase another body and start, what would be in modeling terms, a giant kitbash. There are certainy enough PCC cars, parts and drawings around that would make this happen. The costs. Approx 1 to 1.5 million, for the PCC at least. Again, this is my opinion.

In the few fires I have seen, usually what burns is from the floor up. There is not a whole lot under the floor that is flameable. Of course, in a fire such as this, there will be damage from the extreme heat.

The other examples would be the Johnstown car and perhaps one of the sweepers. There are several other cars of the same class and make still around that could be used as a patterns to build a new car shell. Again, in the end, you'd have a replica car, but you'd at least have something to represent what was, and the story of the fire would be a part of the tale for the visiting public. And perhaps, educate them more on what is, and what was.

This is only my opinion and I am sure one of the many, many options that the museum will be looking at in the future .

Sincerely,

Karl Johnson

karljohnson@sbcglobal.net