Usual "I get nothing from this" disclaimer:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Ashland ... 683742865/

A well-known wooden trolley body, supposedly brought up from Philadelphia via Port Carbon, is for sale in Ashland, Pa., 16th and Walnut Streets, a mere couple blocks from Pioneer Tunnel Mine and Steam Lokie.

It was, at one point, actually owned and used by a pigeon-racing club.

Allegedly asking $3,500, including the land which could be resold.

I doubt if it came from Philadelphia.

It looks like a light interurban car that connected the coal patch towns such as Ashland until reliable gas buses came available.

It seems the neighbors have ideas for it and we have a backlog of cars being restored.

I'll ask around.

Phil Mulligan

Port Carbpn, Pennsylvania was very close to the East Penn Traction Co.

Good evening all,

I seem to recall this trolley was mentioned before.

If my memory is not too far gone, I was of the impression that this trolley might have been one (of two) known surviving cars from the Shamokin & Mt. Carmel Transit Company . The other known surviving piece from that transit system currently resides at Knoebel's Amusement Park outside of Elysburg PA. Both trolleys managed to stay "in the area" after their career as a transit vehicle ended.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure both cars shared a common "local" ownership at some point. That is all for now!

I'm sure that car body was featured on one of the fairly recent Online presentations by the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum that are available to view on YouTube.
Was certainly one of the smaller Company operations, but I can't remember which one.
Those talks are well worth watching if you weren't aware of them and can be found on the PA Trolley Museum YouTube Channel.
The latest upload is actually about the Isle of Man, so they aren't just limited to Pennsylvania subjects!

An old friend of mine -- and by that I mean an individual approaching his 93rd birthday, had this to say about this car. He is old enough to have known people who worked on these cars.

"It is my opinion that this is a former Pottsville Union Traction Co. "open Car.," one of those converted to closed cars during the Eastern Penna. Railways period, circa 1900 - 1910. You will note that the side windows at each end of the car's body are different from the other "side windows." When open cars, there was extra space for leg room when there was a complete barrier separating the seating section of the open car from the operator's platform. When the cars were enclosed, a center door to the vestibule doorway was added at each end to provide access to the car body...... and the cars were then equipped with conventional seats with a center aisle. That also resulted in there being slightly larger "windows" at each end to match the new "seat spacing." Note that other side windows are of conventional size.

The other distinctive feature is the platform arrangement of "East Penn" design. Prior to the changeover to one-man cars, all East Penn cars had been modified by the removal of the platform doors on the right side of the motorman. This made it obvious to boarding passengers that they should board at the rear end of the car where the conductor was stationed. It also made for a slightly warmer "motorman's compartment".......and the elimination of the step area to the operator's right, providing a larger floor area.

The "ex-opens" would have been retired well before 1927 ...when there was still a track connection between the East Penn and Schuylkill Rys. A "stripped" car body could have been "delivered" to Ashland on its own wheels for a "haulage charge" by Sch Rys. It could also have been purchased by Sch. Rys. for "mechanical parts' ...and junked by Sch. Rys."

This should stay in Ashland, perhaps moved up to "The Lokie" with appropriate interpretation.

Phil Mulligan

Good evening everyone!

I'm glad to have learned some additional information about this trolley. If this is a survivor from the Pottsville Union Traction Company, I truly hope someone local steps up to save the trolley body!

We often think of the Anthracite carriers as the big steam railroads that served the region. However, there were a number of electric street railways which also made significant contributions to the coal industry in the area. The local trolley lines often moved the coalminers and the supporting workers that recovered the very coal that put the area on the map!

With the recent "save" of a Wilke-Barre area trolley, I would love to see another trolley from a local Anthracite area streetcar system make it into preservation.

Pottsville Union Traction open car.

http://schuylkillhavenhistory.com/images/NEW_9.jpg

When I shared the photo of the Pottsville car with my elderly friend, he informed that his father had taken the photo at Adamsdale, not far from where he grew up in Schuylkill Haven.

Fascinating, thank you!