Fellow travellers:

Here's what our group has done here in Minnesota. The following five cars are in operating order.
Duluth St. Rwy No. 78 (LaClede, 1893). Retired in 1911 and used as a back yard shed. Acquired in 1971 and restoration completed in 1991 (actually the car is maybe 30% original).
Duluth St. Rwy No. 265 (TCRT shiops, 1915). retired in 1939. Used as a cabin until MSM acquired it in 1973. Restoration completed in 1982.
TCRT No. 1239 (TCRT shops, 1907). Sold for use as a lakeside cabin in 1953. Acquired by MSM in 1984. Restoration completed in 2004 (started in 1998).
TCRT No. 1300 (TCRT shops, 1908). Donated to Minnesota Railfans Assn in 1954. Refurbished in 1963. First car to operate at Como-Harriet Streetcar Line in 1971. Not restored, just lovingly maintained.
TCRT No. 322 (St. Louis Car Co, 1946). PCC car sold to Newark in 1953 and later to Cleveland CTA for use on the Shaker Heights line. Acquired by MSM in 1992 and restoration complete in 2000.

The following cars are not operational (what we refer to as cadavers)
Winona No. 10 (St. Louis Car Co, 1914). Sold in 1938 for use as a cabin. Acquired by MSM in 1999. restoration currently on-going.
Mesaba Rwy No. 10 (Niles Car Co., 1914). Retired in 1927 and sold for use as a cabin. Acquired in 1984. In storage.
Fargo & Moorhead St Rwy No. 28 (American car Co., 1923). Single truck Birney car was retired in 1937 and used as a back yard shed. Acquired by MSM in 2003. In storage.

To recap. Of our operating cars No. 1300 and No. 322 were saved with their mechanical and electrical equipment intact. All the rest were "chicken coops" when we acquired them.

Of the cars we have, we know for sure that No. 1300 ran on our current Como-Harriet Right of way--we have photographic proof. Both No. 1239 and No. 265 (former TCRT 1791) most likely operated on our ROW as well in tripper or holiday service. No. 1791 (Duluth No. 265) spent a year operating in the Twin Cities before being sold to the Duluth-Superior system. PCC No. 322 also likely operated on the CHSL ROW. So that makes four of our five operating cars that operated on our current ROW.

Thanks!

While it isn't a trolley, the Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration in Oregon has a former chicken coop in service. Coach number 20 was built in 1883 by the Union Pacific for use on the narrow gauge Utah & Northern. It was acquired by the Sumpter Valley in 1890, and was used as a lineside structure after 1921. She was pretty well stripped out when she was acquired by a private collector in 1947. The car had to be cut in half to ship, and one end was eventually used as a chicken coop, and the other to store hay. We got the car back together, and on wheels again, and she's been in service with us for over 15 years. The 20 is far from fully correct, but is quite presentable and popular. We're still trying to research her original design and such, but she is a good example of a shed to service story.

Thanks, Taylor

I wasn't crazy. I checked my books, and it turns out that Barber build three gas electric cars for the Cincinnati, Bluffton, and Chicago, a 50 mile short line in Indiana that was gone by 1917.

Identical to the interurban Barbers, save for the prime mover which drove a 500v generator. The cars used K-10 controllers and GE motors.

I cross checked this info from "Ghost Railroads of Indiana" with my copy of "Interurbans Without Wires."

You could also add Connecticut Company Suburban car #1802 to the list, its restoration is still in progress up at Branford also.

Steve Loitsch

I have not personally seen West Penn 728 since the early 1960s. However, based on fairly recent photos that I have seen of it and of the private collection that it is in, I would not consider it anywhere near a restored, operable car.

BTW, the only B50 controller (the West Penn standard dynamic brake controller) that I know to exist is at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, and is being held for the eventual restoration of sister car 739. We have the other two known West Penn 700 carbodies. 739 is getting a cosmetic restoration for display while 722 is held for parts for 739.

You're certainly right that it is not fully restored. I've been told that it is actually operational though, after a fashion, using trucks and control from a Philadelphia snow sweeper. The Phoenix city car also on my list is operational too, but sits on arch-bar trucks rebuilt from Bettendorfs (has to be seen to be believed), operates on a 250v motor bolted to the floor of the car and connected to the inboard axle of one truck by a chain drive (again, has to be seen to be believed), and has its only brake rigging attached to the other truck (ditto). It has no ability to operate on curved track. Operational? Well, yes, it can certainly move, and is regularly operated by ASRM. Not quite the "City of Manchester" though.