You may find this article interesting:

D.C. Transit May Go Retro
webmaster@tmny.org

> You may find this article interesting:

Washington DC and Manhattan were the only two US cites to have conduit systems. SF almost did, except for the 1906 quake.

It will be interesting to see if they reinvent the conduit system. You will know the "revolution" has begun when the mills start rolling girder rail again.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

On conduit-powered trolley systems, how was rainwater dealt with in the conduit? Was there a deeper drainage system under the conduit rails?


bobyar2001@yahoo.com

If this works, you will see a cross section of the system ... looks a little more complicated than Lionel !



lamontdc@adelphia.net

It's not a city, but the Panama Canal also used (and probably still does) conduit to power the "mules" that pull ships at the locks. We have one at the Museum of Transportation which has just been placed on exhibit, and we will show how the power was picked up from underground when we place signs on it this summer. You can see it at the link.

Museum of Transportation
rdgoldfede@aol.com

i had the pleasure of riding part way home on the F Line talked about in the article. The car was packed at 5pm on a cold January weeknight. It's no wonder that the PCC ran in commercial service for over 50 years.

I hear that the Municipal Railway is trying to buy some of the cars recently retired in Newark.
And what is really amazing is that they are trying to buy back their own cars from museum collections!

Getting back to Washington, DC I bet that the Washington METRO has lined up or will, the political clout to repeal the ban on overhead wire.

ted_miles@NPS.gov

There's a bunch of rather sad PCC's in Ohio that might be available.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

> There's a bunch of rather sad PCC's in Ohio
> that might be available.

I take it your talking about the three PCC's along I-70 near Buckeye Lake, Ohio. They are sitting on an abandoned section of the old Newark, Sommerset and Straitsville Railroad (later B&O) branch to Sommerset (and origianly to Shawnee I understand), Ohio. Buckeye Central Scenic operates everything north of the old National Road; I'm not sure what entity owns south of it.

The bigger interest to me when I lived down there was the collection of traction equipment on the other side of the I-70 bridge there. The gentleman who owns these cars (there are at least ten of varying vintages, along with some buses)
has a habit of sicking a rather large dog at those who even try to go up and ask questions. Friendly guy.

Also, there is a former Columbus, Newark, & Zanesville interurban WOODEN body that is used as a cottage/ home on the small road which runs on this side of Buckeye Lake. What number it was originaly I was never able to ascertain, but it is probably the only example of this interurban left.

TJ Gaffney

Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

The link below is to a bunch of photos of the cars stored at Buckeye Lake. This is an excellent example of "un-preservation," cars that are stored in a state of increasing decay when (in some cases, not all) other museums would be willing to actually take care of the cars.

Frank Hicks

Traction from Around North America
frank@gats.com

I'm not sure which set of cars GE is talking about but I do know of some sitting in a field, some laying on their sides on a hillside here on Ohio. If I remember correctly, they are just west of Zanesville, Ohio and as you are heading east they are on the right hand side. They are visible from I70 and look to be on private property. I have often considered stopping and asking about them but I'm usually moving pretty fast when headed that direction and can't take the time to scout around for the right exit and side roads. If this is the person that TJ is talking about that has the dogs, maybe I'm glad I didn't. I'd really like to know the story, where the streetcars came from and why they're there. Maybe he'd be kinder to a woman, the next time I'm out that direction I'll pour on the charm and see if I can bring back the facts to share with you all.(Yes, I promise to be VERY careful.)If I get a chance I'll also see if I can photograph them from the highway.It seems like such a shame to see them rotting and overturned, even if they couldn't be returned to operational, they'd make cute little archetectural additions.

Just Train Crazy,

Angie



Ladypardus@cs.com

Angie And Frank-
Frank evidently had no run-ins with dogs like myself, or he was shooting reall fast! The last time I was there was back in '97, but coincidently I will be in the Newark-area tomorrow, so I'll try and check it out. No question that we are all talking about the same cars and the same place though. As Frank points out, it really is a shame what is happening there. If you follow that same road down a bit further, you'll find the CN&Z (later OE) car I was talking about. Frank, I'll try and get a digital images tomorrow when I'm down there, but no promises.

Still traumatized by his Buckeye Lake "Hound of the Baskervilles"-like encounter,

TJ

> I'm not sure which set of cars GE is talking
> about but I do know of some sitting in a
> field, some laying on their sides on a
> hillside here on Ohio. If I remember
> correctly, they are just west of Zanesville,
> Ohio and as you are heading east they are on
> the right hand side. They are visible from
> I70 and look to be on private property. I
> have often considered stopping and asking
> about them but I'm usually moving pretty
> fast when headed that direction and can't
> take the time to scout around for the right
> exit and side roads. If this is the person
> that TJ is talking about that has the dogs,
> maybe I'm glad I didn't. I'd really like to
> know the story, where the streetcars came
> from and why they're there. Maybe he'd be
> kinder to a woman, the next time I'm out
> that direction I'll pour on the charm and
> see if I can bring back the facts to share
> with you all.(Yes, I promise to be VERY
> careful.)If I get a chance I'll also see if
> I can photograph them from the highway.It
> seems like such a shame to see them rotting
> and overturned, even if they couldn't be
> returned to operational, they'd make cute
> little archetectural additions.

> Just Train Crazy,

> Angie


Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad
tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

I believe I know the gentleman that owns this collection. I also believe if the price was right he would be willing to dispose of it.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

TJ:

I never encountered any people or dogs actually on the property. There was the guard-dog training company that was across the street; those things looked mean and were growling through the fence the entire time I was there. In hindsight it would have been a good idea if I had never gotten out of my car, but it all turned out okay. I guess if you've got the largest private collection of traction equipment in the Midwest, you want to have some protection against any old railfan snooping around your stuff.

Frank Hicks

frank@gats.com