I believe OERM recently acquired a complete ex Los Angeles Railways PCC car that has "lived" in the Owens Valley since it was purchased. If this is the car, I hear it is complete and in fairly good shape.

Probably the last complete ex-LARY car OERM will ever acquire.

I learned of OERM's newest acquisition from a traction modeling website I frequent:


http://www.trolleyville.com/tv/times/cu ... ndex.shtml

Yes, Orange Empire has just received Los Angeles PCC car #3072. With each of the three classes of Los Angeles Railway/LA Transit Lines PCC cars already represented in the collection the car will not be entering the permanent collection.

The car had lived for years in the area of Ridgecrest and Inyokern. This is not quite the Owens Valley -- but on the way there.

Here is a photo our Executive Director sent out to the BofD members today. He stepped out the front door of his office and took this photo.

If OERM has no interest in the car other than for parts, it's a shame that it didn't go to Travel Town. It could've replaced 3002 (the teardrop car) which was destined for Travel Town in 1963 but got diverted overseas instead

I was and am part of the team that brought 3072 to OERM. The car has turned out to in much better condition than was originally thought with very little rust, a complete interior, and all of its motors, controls and accessories. About the only thing missing are the tail light lens, which were stolen many years ago. (Anybody know where there are any spares?) It still needs to go over the pit for a mechanical assessment, but so far it appears it may be in nearly operable condition.

Los Angeles PCC's were delivered in 4 batches:
A. 3001: represents the 1937 delivery pre war body, Westinghouse equipment
B. 3072: represents the 1938 delivery, pre way body, GE equipment
C. 3100: represents the 1943 delivery, war time body (minor changes on the prewar car), GE equipment
D. 3165: represents the 1948 delivery, postwar all - electric

OERM has long had its representatives from Groups A, C and D. Groups A and B are similar in body design and were both called Type P or P-1, although the 3072 was one of the cars that got the modernization treatment from LAMTA in the early 60's with sealing the frpnt windows in rubber. None of OERM's other pre-war cars received that modification. (The San Diego PCC's at OERM have the first design, with overhead vertical windshield wipers, LA 3001 and 3100 wear the second look, and 3072 along with 3165 have the last mods applied to the cars.)

The 3072 survived because trolley fan/ aerospace engineer Jack Richer outbid Cairo and Chile by $50 back in 1963. Jack is believed to have asked for 3072 because he believed it was one of the last cars to get a major overhaul before service ended. After a few years in Norco in Jack's front yard, his neighbors or the mobilehome management persuaded him it didn't fit the neighborhood decor, so he moved it to tiny speck of a town called Little Lake, just south of the Owens Valley. He ran it occasionally on about 180 feet of track, somehow powered by a lot batteries. When he died around 1999, it was given to an individual who had it placed in his parents rural backyard in Inyokern, where it sat quietly, and unmolested , until last week when it made its final trip over Highway 395 and 15 to Orange Empire Railway. Museum.

If the car "turned out to in much better condition than was originally thought with very little rust, a complete interior, and all of its motors, controls and accessories," can we assume that the "parts" mission is being reconsidered, and a reappraisal in order towards either a better/more appropriate home for the complete car or trading out a lesser car in the collection?

Depending on what parts you need, for example, there are a couple PCC's being broken up in Pennsylvania and Maryland.......

Did I miss something? It was just reported that the car, at the present, will not be entering OERM's permanent collection. Nothing was said that the car was going to be immediately tipped over and scavenged of parts, it's rumpled carcass left for the vultures of Perris, CA.

Seems to me that OERM may reconsider its original decision, or use the car for "beater" service, a regular service car that can be used more often for museum visitors.

Too classy for the trailer park? ;)

David asked a good question that I was hoping would be answered... Can you provide more info on the comment "...the car will not be entering the permanent collection."?

I'm not jumping to any conclusions, you didn't exactly say "We're going to salvage the controller and scrap the rest". For all I know, you're going to trade it, intact, to some other operation for an Interurban to be named later.

So to avoid rumors, guesses, and poor assumptions, do you have any specifics?

The car will soon go over the pit for a thorough evaluation. Stay tuned.