Published by the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. Volume 11, Number 3 Summer 2017

Transcription

1 Published by the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. Volume 11, Number 3 Summer 2017 T By Harry Donahue he Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) has approved moving forward with the front platform work on PTC #8042 this Fall. The classic Philadelphia 8000-car has been on display at PTM since (For a detailed history of #8042, see The Streamliner, Volume 10, Number 1; Spring, 2016). The plan is to move #8042 into the shop this fall and to completely rebuild the front platform from its knees to its bonnet. This will include new corner and center posts, platform sidewall and operating equipment. Keith Bray, who has done a number of beautiful restorations at several of the trolley museums in the Northeast, will lead the project, along with volunteers to complete the restoration. Thanks to individual contributions, PTM has $33, donated or pledged of the approximately $40, needed to do the platform work which is Phase 1 of the #8042 project. Would you help Friend of Philadelphia Trolleys (FPT) to get this platform project finished? If you would like to donate, please use the attached form in this issue. Phase 2 of the project will include the roof work. Thanks to earlier FPT donations, the new canvas and the roof ventilators that have already been purchased will be ready to use. Phase 3 will include a new interior headliner and new doors. CHECK PLEASE: Harry Donahue (second from right) hands FPT s check to Bruce Wells and Scott Becker (left and second from left) while Bill Monaghan (far right) witnesses the transaction. (Jack Demnyan photo.) In August, during the Washington County Fair Week, FPT Directors Bill Monaghan and Harry Donahue presented Scott Becker with a $3, grant for #8042 through the Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) Gives program. This will enable FPT's donation to be matched by the County's program, as was done with FPT's 2016 grant. Built by J.G. Brill in 1923, car #8042 was one of 200-plus 8000-cars, modernized by PTC in This rebuilding program was done to make the cars look more compatible with the new PCC cars entering service. From 1941 until September 1955, #8042 worked out of Callowhill Depot, mostly on Subway/Surface Route #10. From Fall 1955 until its retirement in December 1957, it ran out of Southern Depot on Routes #17 and #32, the last non-pcc lines in Philadelphia.

2 The Streamliner is published by the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation. FPT DIRECTORS: Harry Donahue, Roger DuPuis, Dave Horwitz, Bill Monaghan and Matt Nawn NOSTALGIC BEAUTY ON EIGHT WHEELS: PSTC s #21 at Larchmont. (Ernie Mozer collection.) PHILLY TROLLEYS IN THE NEWS By Harry Donahue Most books written about PCC Cars have a mention of the Red Arrow Saint Louies, always stressing that while the may look like double end PCCs, they are not real PCCs. Because of their custom designed high speed trucks, the fourteen streamliners, numbered 11 to 24, were not considered to be genuine PCCs. Almost 70 years after they were built, two of the cars are about to become real PCCs. Cars #18 and #21, which had been preserved since the 1980s at Shore Line Trolley Museum in Branford, Connecticut, have been purchased by San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) and will be rebuilt as PCC Cars for MUNI s E Line which requires double ended cars. The two cars are now at Brookville Equipment Corporation in Pennsylvania. New bolsters will have to be designed for the cars so they can run on B-3 PCC trucks. GOING TO A NEW HOME: #18 is leaving Shoreline Trolley Museum for the Brookville Equipment Corporation in Pennsylvania. (Bill Wall photo.) FPT LEGAL COUNSEL: Dave Nelson, Jonathan Senker FPT ON THE WEB: FPT s new public website is: FPT also can also be found on Facebook: Philadelphia-Trolleys / FPT2799@Comcast.net MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 33397, Philadelphia PA The Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys encourage you to visit and support trolley museums dedicated to the preservation of Philadelphia s trolley heritage, including the following: Baltimore Streetcar Museum Electric City Trolley Museum Association New York Museum of Transportation Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Rockhill Trolley Museum Seashore Trolley Museum Shore Line Trolley Museum Have an article, suggestion or compliment you d like to submit for the newsletter? Contact us via the address listed above. The Streamliner Page 2. Summer 2017

3 ENROUTE TO MEDIA: SEPTA #18 stops at Garrett Avenue on the way from Upper Darby in January (Unknown photographer.) The following four pictures are of more Philadelphia PCC cars that have returned from their third overhaul. The cars pictures illustrate #1059 (Boston); #1055 (1950 s Philadelphia); #1060 (1938 Philadelphia) and #1062 (Pittsburgh), all in San Francisco. READY FOR SHIPMENT: Car #1055, formerly SEPTA #2122 is in the Brookville yard, awaiting shipment to San Francisco. Note that there appear to be several PCC trucks on the left awaiting work. Not only does the company restore bodies, they perform truck work. (Kevin Sheridan photo.) OUT AND ABOUT: Car #1059, formerly SEPTA #2099, resplendent in Boston livery, travels through Mission Delores Park during its burn-in period. Rebuilt cars must undergo 1,000 miles of on-the-road testing before they are released for revenue service. It was a picture-perfect day when Jeremy Whiteman snapped this picture. The pictures show the meticulous work done by the Brookville Equipment Corporation. The company has been involved in streetcar restoration since In addition to the work done for the San Francisco Municipal Railway, its work may be found in San Diego, New Orleans and, of course, Philadelphia. MORE OUT AND ABOUT: Car #1062, formerly SEPTA #2101, is caught on camera by Robert Parks near Pier 39 which is also known as Fishermen s Wharf. With the NOT IN SERVICE designation in the destination sign, it won t be making any stops along The Embarcadero as the car is in its burn-in period. The Streamliner Page 3. Summer 2017

4 OUT FOR TESTING: SEPTA #2168 was recently out of service at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum so that Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys members Matt Nawn, Bill Monaghan, Jerry Evans and Mike Lawson could perform a complete inspection and adjustment of the car's electric shaft brakes. Here Matt (far left) and Jerry (in the operator s seat) have the car out for a test run while passing BSM s Peter Witt car #6119. There s more to read on page seven. (Bill Monaghan photo.) ALL S FAIR AT THE FAIR Article and Pictures by Bill Monaghan A THING OF BEAUTY AT NIGHT: #1060, formerly SEPTA #2715, is back in service on Castro Street in June It seems that trolleys always look stunning at night. (Jeremy Whiteman photo.)) WAY BACK IN THE DAY: Car #8042 is on the #10 line, west bound at 30 th Street Station. The picture is from the early 1950s. The photographer is unknown. Since the car is housed and being restored at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, your donation can go a long way in making this trolley look like the day it left the J.G. Brill Company s factory. Print out the donation form at the end of The Streamliner, attach your donation and send it in today! Thank you! Have you ever let a center door car pass you by so you could ride on an 80-car in 2017? If you would like to see real street car service at a trolley museum, you must visit the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) during the Washington County Agricultural Fair in August. You can park your car at the parking lot at McClane School Loop or at the main museum area then ride aboard a streetcar to the fair. The trolleys operate during the fair form 10 A.M. to 11 P.M. departing every 10 minutes, depending on the size of the crowds at the fair. There are up to four cars operating at certain times of the day when there is a big event at the fair. Park and Ride has become a major fundraiser. This year, PTM carried 5,020 passengers to the fair. There are great opportunities to photograph the trolley cars in service. Cars are operated in two shifts, a new set of cars will be available to photograph at 4 P.M., when another set of cars come out for the night. Sometimes, the The Streamliner Page 4. Summer 2017

5 dispatchers may have a theme such as Red Arrow, PCC or Pittsburgh cars. The Trolley Display Building is open during the day for tours. Next year, come out to Fair Week for a great time. Here are several pictures from the 2017 Fair. Enjoy! If you would like more information about the Washington County Agricultural Fair, visit their website at: Of course, you can also visit Pennsylvania Trolley Museum s website at their address on page two. The Streamliner Page 5. Summer 2017

6 QUICK STOPOVER: Bill Monaghan catches Pennsylvania Trolley Museum s car #78, an 80-car, at PTM s Allison Station in October Upon close examination of the picture, that is Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys members Harry Donahue and Logan Tracey (left to right) on the platform. P&WCTC/PSTC s 80-CARS Story from Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Website The onset of the Great Depression brought with it a spiraling decline in the revenue and ridership of most streetcar companies. For many lines, the only answer was abandonment or motor buses. Car #78 is one of a group of ten cars purchased from the J.G. Brill Company in 1931 and 1932 by the Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company (P&WCTC) as part of a bold plan to combat the decline while maintaining the financial health of the company through the tough economic times. The 80-cars, as they became known, were designed for one-man operation, equipped for high-speed running, and employed lightweight aluminum construction. The cars were so successful that five additional cars were ordered even before the initial five cars ordered had been fully delivered. These new cars were cheaper to man and reduced power consumption, while their highspeed equipment cut the scheduled operating times and made the service even more attractive to potential riders. This, coupled with a fare AT BASE STATION: Bruce Wells documented #78 at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum s Richfol station. That s P&WCTC/PSTC s center entrance car #66 on the left. As most trolley aficionados know, they were both built by Philadelphia s J.G. Brill Company. reduction and consolidation of other competing forms of transit in the area, enabled the management to stave off the effects of the terrible economic times, and go on to build one of the most successful privately-owned transportation companies in the country. The consolidation of streetcar and bus operations by the Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company in the early 1930s gave rise to discussion of changing the corporate name to better reflect the new, diversified business. In 1936, the company became the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company (PSTC), and adopted the Red Arrow Lines logo as part of a carefully planned public relations campaign. The 80-cars served Philadelphia s western suburbs for 50 years. Their last 15 years of service saw them used primarily in rush hour service. Car #78 was withdrawn from service and acquired by the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in September To the collection, it represents the transition in electric railway design, construction, and technology between arch roof cars and the PCC car. (A word of thanks goes to Scott Becker of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum for permission to reproduce the story and Mr. Wells picture.) The Streamliner Page 6. Summer 2017

7 NOT AT 11TH & GIRARD: Matt Nawn (left) and Mike Lawson pose in front of #2168 at Baltimore Streetcar Museum s 28th Street Loop. We suspect Mike Barron took this picture. an interesting fact Mike, Mike and Matt are all mechanical engineers who also enjoy working on vintage trolley cars. NOT YOUR REGULAR QUICK LUBE SHOP: Adjusting the shaft brakes on an all-electric PCC car sometimes requires laying on the grass to get into the proper position. FORMER SEPTA PCC CAR #2168 RETURNED TO SERVICE AT BALTIMORE STREETCAR MUSEUM Story and Pictures by Matt Nawn After being sidelined for several weeks due to concerns with the performance of the braking system, the car that started it all for Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, SEPTA #2168, has been repaired and returned to operating condition at its home at Baltimore Streetcar Museum. After several tedious workdays, Mike Lawson, Mike Barron and Matt Nawn spent September 3, 2017, cleaning and adjusting the shaft brake mechanisms to ensure proper operation. The hard work paid off as the car successfully passed its braking tests late in the day, enabling the car to return to active status, including for operation during Baltimore Streetcar Museum s Members Day on September 16, Here is Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys is fortunate to have Jerry Evans, Mike Lawson, Bill Monaghan, Harry Donahue, George Rich, Matt Nawn and Mike Barron, who make themselves available to work on car #2168. It should be noted that these folks, except for Mike Barron, come down to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum from Pennsylvania to share their time. Mike Barron is luckier, his commute is much, much shorter and nevertheless, his support is appreciated. AT THE 28TH STREET LOOP: Mike Barron (left) and Mike Lawson pose in front of #2168 at Baltimore Streetcar Museum s 28th Street Loop. We are convinced that Matt Nawn took this picture. The Streamliner Page 7. Summer 2017

8 NOT AN EASY TASK: Nicholas Brightbill carefully works on the Liberty Liner s lettering. Note the absence of masking tape! UPDATE ON THE LIBERTY LINER By Harry Donahue In 1941, the North Shore Line, an interurban that connected Milwaukee and Chicago, purchased two high-speed four-section trainsets from St. Louis Car Company. Christened Electroliners, the trains were numbered and They ran until the end of North Shore service in January Merritt Taylor, President of the Philadelphia END OF THE LINE STOP: The guys of Rockhill Trolley Museum proudly pose at the end RTM s trolley line. OVER THE HILL AND THROUGH THE WOODS: Rockhill Trolley Museum s Liberty Liner is meandering through the woods enroute to its destination. Suburban Transportation Company (Red Arrow Lines) purchased both trainsets for the Philadelphia and Western Division (now the Norristown High Speed Line). By January 1964, they were in service, now dubbed Liberty Liners. The cars ran into the SEPTA era, retiring in Liner # now resides at the Illinois Railway Museum and is repainted in its original North Shore motif. Liner # is at the Rockhill Trolley Museum in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania and still in its Red Arrow colors, where it comes out to run for special occasions. Jump ahead to summer 2017: Two young members of Rockhill Trolley Museum (RTM), Stephen Lane and Nicholas Brightbill, have begun the enormous task of giving the Liner a cosmetic paint job to brighten up its red and white colors. Plans are also in the works to refurbish the car's interior. This will be an ongoing project, not to be completed in one summer there is plenty to be done. Anyone who would like to help out on this worthwhile endeavor should contact Stephen at: STEPHENDLANE@AOL.COM. A successful fund raising event for the Liner was organized by Stephen and Nicholas on August 6, 2017 at RTM. The Streamliner Page 8. Summer 2017

9 COLORFUL FAN TRIP: Ernie Mozer caught car #5205 on a fan trip passing car #2632 in the #62 on Chester Avenue, Yeadon, on October 15, ROUTE #46 s SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY By Harry Donahue This year, 2017, marks the 60th anniversary of the last double end Brill trolleys in Philadelphia. The date was August 11, 1957; the line was Route #46, the 58th and 60th Streets line, in West Philadelphia. Route #46 ran from 60th and Lansdowne to 58th & Woodland. Owl cars were extended to 63rd and Malvern. It was a heavy line, at one time connecting with trolley routes (from north to south): #10, #15, #30, #31, #42, #34, #13, #11, #12 and #37. During Route #46 s final ten years of operation, the 1923 doubleended series were assigned to the line. These cars were built by J.G. Brill Company, which was located just around the corner from Route #46 s southern terminus. IN ITS ORANGE SPLENDOR: Bill Monaghan snaps #5326 at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Two trolleys from the final days of Route #46 survive today: car #5205 is preserved and is in restoration at Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton; car #5326 is at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, in Washington, Pennsylvania, where it has been repainted in its as delivered 1923 livery. Back in the 1920 s in Philadelphia, an orange car approaching meant that the car was double-ended and passengers were to board at the rear of the car; a green car indicated a single-ended car, with boarding at the front. ANOTHER FAN TRIP: Ernie Mozer caught car #5326 on a fan trip on Route #6 at Willow Grove in ORANGE REFLECTION: Bill Monaghan catches #5326 at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum near the McClane School Loop. The Streamliner Page 9. Summer 2017

10 DID YOU KNOW? The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is the museum for Red Arrow fans. One more Red Arrow car, Brilliner #5, awaits the funding to restore the car to service, giving PTM a complete roster of all four types of suburban cars that once ran to West Chester, Ardmore, Media and Sharon Hill. As most rail fans, this car was one of the ten last cars to ever be built by the J.G. Brill Company. SALUTING JERRY EVANS Story and Photos by Roger DuPuis Jerry Evans is a familiar face to many in our group and at trolley museums throughout the mid-atlantic and Northeast. Jerry, who recently retired from SEPTA after 38 years as a trolley mechanic and electrician, has been putting his skills and experience to use by offering technical advice and assistance on the maintenance of many museum cars, particularly DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS: Jerry is obviously quite pleased with intricate details of his new Saint Louie model. PCCs. As a personal token of appreciation from members of several groups that have benefited from Jerry's generosity, he recently was presented with a very special gift. Jerry, who grew up in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, has been a lifelong fan of the Red Arrow trolley system. With the help of John Engleman, a Saint Petersburg Tram Collection model of Red Arrow St. Louie car #23 was obtained for Jerry. Painted in the original livery worn by these cars, the model carries a Sharon Hill destination sign. The O Scale model was presented to Jerry recently during a brief ceremony aboard SEPTA PCC #2168 during the 2017 Annual Crab Fest at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum in July. AND THE AWARD GOES TO: Jerry Evans holds up his model, in its protective case, as John Engleman (left) and Harry Donahue look on. ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: Jerry Evans (left) and Harry Donahue share a laugh following the presentation ceremony. The Streamliner Page 10. Summer 2017

11 Oh no! Didja forget your dues? Not a problem! There s a handy-dandy renewal form at the end of The Streamliner. Just print it out, enclose it in an envelope with your payment and put in the mail today! Thank you if you have already paid. MORE FROM THE ERNIE MOZER COLLECTION Here s a selection of pictures taken by the late Ernie Mozer. As mentioned in a previous Streamliner, Mr. Mozer was an avid trolley fan who also happened to eventually retired from SEPTA after many years of service. FARES, PLEASE! A NEW (OLD) ADDITION FOR #2743 Story and Picture by Roger DuPuis A trolley wouldn t be a trolley without somewhere to stash passengers tokens and cash. Fareboxes of one kind or another have been an integral part of public transit since its earliest, horse-drawn days. And now, Philadelphia Transportation Company s PCC car #2743 once again has a vintage version planted next to the operator s seat. Volunteer Mike Lawson recently completed installation of the contraption on #2743 s front platform. There were lots of holes drilled in the floor for the various fareboxes that were used over the years but I found the right set and now the farebox is exactly where it was originally, Mike said. PCC DEBUT: Brand-new PCC car #2008 had just left the Wayne and Carpenter loop on August 14, Cars were the first PCCs in Philadelphia. Nineteen-year-old Ernie Mozer traveled from Brooklyn for the occasion a true trolley aficionado. CAR PULL-IN: Here s car #8334, single-end Peter-Witt style, built by Brill in Ernie was working out of Callowhill Depot when he took this view of a Route. #38 pull-in on 58th Street. The date is September 3, The Streamliner Page 11. Summer 2017

12 AT THE PARK: This is car #8317, also a 1923 single-end Brill. The date is June 19, Ernie was working out of Woodland Depot when he brought this fan trip to Willow Grove Park via Route #6. THROUGH THE WOODS WE GO: PCC #2743 is seen on PCC Car and LRV Day on July 15, 2017 at the Rockhill Trolley Museum. (Bill Monaghan photo.) FPT WELCOMES ROGER DUPUIS II AS A NEW DIRECTOR By Matt Nawn multiple ways to FPT's fundraising, grants and technical support efforts. He is a native of upstate New York and now resides in central Pennsylvania. He is a volunteer operator of Conestoga Transportation Company #236 owned by the Manheim Historical Society in Manheim, Pennsylvania, as well as the Rockhill Trolley Museum and several other electric railway museums. Roger is a journalist in his professional career. Please join us in welcoming Roger as an FPT Director! OCTOBER 7, 2017: Fall Spectacular at the Rockhill Trolley Museum, 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Come out and ride and check out the work that has been finished on the restoration of PTC PCC 2743 to its circa-1960 colors. OCTOBER 15, 2017: Kawasaki Car Charter that departs from Elmwood Depot at 9:00 A.M. This is a West Jersey Chapter NRHS event. For more information call Bill Sweeney, The fare is $ NOVEMBER 4, 2017: Twenty Dollar Day at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum from Noon until 5:00 P.M. Come out and help support the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys while having a great time riding, operating and photographing trolley cars. DECEMBER 31, 2017: The famous New Years Eve Charter Trip is being planned. Details are not yet nailed down yet but more information will soon follow. As another step in FPT's efforts to move to a more formal organizational structure, the FPT Founding Members recently decided to transition from Founding Members to Directors, adding a fifth director to our organizational structure. Therefore, we formally welcome Roger DuPuis II as an FPT Director by unanimous consent of the four, original, directors: Harry Donahue, David Horwitz, Bill Monaghan and Matt Nawn. Roger is known to many friends and members of FPT through his gracious management of FPT's website and also as the author of the recent Arcadia publication Philadelphia Trolleys: From Survival to Revival. Roger provides support in SHOWING HIM THE ROPES: Matt Nawn, right, shows Andrew Nawn how to place #2743 s front trolley pole on the wire or is Andrew showing Matt the ropes? (Bill Monaghan photo.) The Streamliner Page 12. Summer 2017

13 Please cut along the line below and return the bottom portion with your donation. Yes! I would like to help with car #8042 s restoration campaign. Name: Address: City: State: ZIP: Phone: Donation Amount: $ Mail to: Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. P.O. Box Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

14 FRIENDS OF PHILADELPHIA TROLLEYS, INC. P.O. BOX PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM HELP PRESERVE PHILADELPHIA S TROLLEY HERITAGE Check one: New Member (Welcome!) Name: Member #: Address: Renewal (Thanks for Renewing!) City: State: Zip: Telephone: I hereby apply for the class of Annual Membership in the FRIENDS OF PHILADELPHIA TROLLEYS, INC. as indicated below and enclose the appropriate dues: Please check one: Regular $35.00 Student (under 18) $15.00 Retired (over 60) $25.00 Life member $ Additional Donation $ Total Enclosed: $ Please make check payable to Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. This form and your dues should be sent to P.O. Box 33397, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys Inc. (FPT) is a non-profit corporation, as defined by Section 501 (3)(c) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Since June 2005, the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys has donated $155, towards the preservation of Philadelphia Trolleys in five museums. The membership year runs from July 1 to the following June 30. The Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys thanks you for your support! Your address is needed for you to receive The Streamliner, the FPT s newsletter. FPT does not sell or share addresses.