I won't call it back on track yet. Car 25 is going to take a few years work to make it servicable. We are having our open house tomorrow however for people to view the pieces and parts. The open house is from 10AM to 2PM Saturday August 23rd. Our streetcar 21 will be running on it's regular noon to 5 PM on weekends and holidays through the end of September. Our fare is cheap! Still a buck.

Roger Mitchell
Master Mechanic
Fort Collins Municipal Railway

Roger,

If you are going to cast any of those 24" wheels that were used on the Birney's, you might want to let the other traction museums know.

I am sure some of the three bodies at the Western Railway Museum will need wheels and I bet that other traction museums will need them also.

It must feel real good to bring a native car back home to Fort Collins.

Ted Miles

Hi Ted
A few years ago we replaced the wheels on our street car #21. We had Pennsylvania Machine and Tool Works make us new wheels from billet. Since our streetcar line is FRA non insular the wheels had to be FRA certified. The same situation now exist for Car #25. In addition I am also going to have to replace the axles.
Regards,
Roger

Roger -

What is the mechanical story on car 25? Why was it not used in Charlotte?

Wesley

Hi Wess
Charlotte did not figure that the car would fit into their plan of being part of Charlotte's light rail plan. As far as what needs to be done to car 25 to make it servicable: Complete rewiring and replumbing the car as well as machining the new journal boxes, new axles, new wheels, new brake rigging, new springs and new bearings. The motors look in good shape as well as the pinion and bull gears, but that's about it for the running gear.
Regards,
Roger

Out of curiosity, where did you get the journal boxes?

It is my understanding that Charlotte got them from Mc Kinney Avenue Transit Authority in Dallas who made the patterns and had several of them cast.