An Apr. 1 work of preservation fiction for traction fans

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

This is a tale that's been rattling around in my head for many years. It's time to reveal it to an unsuspecting world.
Note: I checked with one of the moderators before posting and have no other tales to tell (The NYC Hudson in the old warehouse will be left to others)

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Long lost Pacific Electric cars found.doc [26 KiB]
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Jdelhaye · **Posted:** Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:24 am

I like the few little bit's of "Roger" you added in.

Jeff

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3013

How about the one where the city of Seattle shut down a perfectly good streetcar system to build an art museum, and left the 5 well maintained Melbourne Tram streetcars to rot in a barn someplace?

Oh, wait, that ones true, not a joke... Well, it is a joke all right, on the citizens of Seattle, but sadly, it's not fiction.

wesp · **Posted:** Fri Apr 01, 2011 1:08 pm

Bob,

There is some basis in history for your PE tale. In the 1950s Al Savage, VP for Maintenance at DC Transit was able to set aside CT 1053, the St Louis pre-PCC, by hiding the car on the second floor of the Navy Yard carhouse when the other 1000's (Brill and ST Louis) were being sent for scrap. Later, the car was returned to service and thus included in the small historic fleet of cars preserved by DC Transit.

Wesley

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

Thanks for the story from our nation's capital! We have a similar tale of intrigue and triumph from San Francisco: SF Muni 130, one of the 1914 Jewett streetcars was destined to be scrapped, but, according to local reports, a "stealth" operation, devised by Charles Smallwood, kept the car moving around and out of sight until Muni management was finally convinced that it should be kept around as a "wrecker" to bring in disabled PCC's. After about 20 years with most of its seats removed and an assortment of rescue tools and wooden blocks inside, it was restored to passenger service in the early 1980's and is now part of Muni's historic fleet for the "F" line.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 01, 2011 8:57 pm

Interestingly, I have heard stories that the two modern B&O steamers in the museum at Baltimore--No. 4500, the first USRA locomotive, and No. 5300, the President Washington--were both hidden in junk yards by B&O employees to keep them from scrap-happy managers. Supposedly this went so far as to have some motive power man forge documents that the engines had been cut up! If this is true, it's too bad someone didn't get the opportunity to preserve an EM-1 this way.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6485

J3a-614 wrote:

Interestingly, I have heard stories that the two modern B&O steamers in the museum at Baltimore--No. 4500, the first USRA locomotive, and No. 5300, the President Washington--were both hidden in junk yards by B&O employees to keep them from scrap-happy managers. Supposedly this went so far as to have some motive power man forge documents that the engines had been cut up! If this is true, it's too bad someone didn't get the opportunity to preserve an EM-1 this way.

Yes, a saved B&O 2-8-8-4 would have been nice, but better yet, the very last 4-8-2 put in service on a U.S. railroad. She was made at the railroads own Mount Clare shops and put in service in 1948 as I recall and was used in both freight and passenger service.

Les