When the new Aurora Elgin and Chicago railroad was designed in 1900-1901, it was an engineering pioneer in several respects. Much higher speeds than on any existing electric line were required. In many respects the engineering followed rapid transit and steam railroad designs rather than the early interurban roads of the period, which were based largely on contemporary street railways. The first cars were ordered from the new Niles Car and Manufacturing Company, which was a pioneer in adapting the construction standards of steam railroads to interurban car design. The motors and control (GE-66 motors, C6 controllers, DB-15 contactors, etc.) had just been developed for use by New York rapid transit cars, where the motor cars were geared for low speed and intended to pull trailers. By changing the gearing and giving most cars four motors each, high speeds could be accomplished. And third rail appeared to be the only method of providing the heavy currents required. So the AE&C had more in common with rapid transit lines than with the typical side-of-the-road interurban, such as the Fox River.
Stephenson builder's photo from the Julie Johnson collection
The new interurban planned to begin operations with 30 cars ordered from Niles. But for reasons lost in the mists of history, Niles built only ten cars of the initial 30-car order. The other twenty were built by the
Stephenson Car Company in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to essentially the same design. One car of this group has been preserved: #36.
These cars were completed late in 1902 and shipped to Wheaton on their own wheels, where they were put into service during the first few weeks in 1903.
[1]
There were some changes from the original Niles order. The first ten Niles cars were built with the arched end windows in two parts. The original third-rail shoes, whistles, and headlight mountings over the train doors were quickly replaced. So the Stephenson cars were delivered with more normal accessories, based on builder's photos.
[2]
Another Stephenson car in the IRM collection is horse car #8 from the North Chicago Street Railroad. This was originally built in 1859 at the New York plant; the car was completely rebuilt by CSL about 1934 for the World's Fair. These two products of the same company could hardly be more different. (When the AE&C cars were being built, Stephenson took a publicity photo of a horse car, a standard streetcar, and the new interurban car next to each other and labeled "Past," "Present," and "Future." We could, in theory, present 2/3 of this lineup!)
[3]Perhaps the most distinctive feature of these cars is the exposed steel side sills, which are 9" 25-pound I beams. Stephenson copied this over from the original ten Niles cars, and these exposed side sills were used in the following orders of cars from Niles, and the two cars built by Hicks in 1907. After that, the following wooden cars had a more usual appearance. We can only speculate as to the reason.
The Santa Fe Railroad had a number of wooden coaches with similar construction, and there may have been a few other steam road cars with this feature, but I know of no other interurban cars that were constructed like this. I might point out that the Fort Dodge Des Moines and Southern had a series of ten Niles combines that had exposed steel side sills in later years, but this was due to a rebuilding program shortly after they were delivered. As built, the wooden sheathing extended to the bottom of the carbody.
CONDITIONS IN SERVICE
The 36 was used in daily revenue service for more than 54 years, from early 1903 until passenger service was stopped on July 3, 1957. By this time, as mentioned above, the Chicago Aurora and
Elgin was the last interurban to use wooden coaches in regular service. The car could operate in trains of up to eight cars (limited by the length of station platforms.) The 36 could train only with other wooden cars, not the steel equipment, which had different couplers and type of control system.
Before the arrival of steel equipment in 1923, this type of car was used in both local and express service over all parts of the railroad. After that time, it was generally used only in Chicago to
Wheaton service, mostly locals. Particularly in the last few years, the car might have made only rush hour trips.
In the early years, Sunday was actually the busiest day for the railroad, since many people took trips on their one day off to amusement parks and/or cemeteries served by the
AE&C. Later, of course, Sunday riding fell off, and the service on that day would usually have been provided by steel cars. Saturday was a work day (or half a day) for many people until well after WWII.
The cars were stored outside in the yard at
Wheaton when not in use (or, during the day, at other locations); there was no inside storage except when in the shop. As a rule, the pumps and electric heat remained on so the cars would be ready for service. (Pictures always show a pole up when under wire.)
The car was completely resided at least once during its service life. As detailed below, it was completely repainted about once every ten years, and the roof canvas was probably replaced about as often. The upholstery fabric was replaced at least once, but the seat cushions and frames were unchanged. The exterior window frames were replaced at least once. The structural members and interior finish of the car are as built in 1902, with the exception of the platform ends. All surviving wood cars have new wood spliced into the doorposts in the vestibules.
It was the practice to turn the cars around on the loop at
Wheaton once a month to equalize wear and tear on the paint job and running gear. After 1953 this was no longer necessary since the cars turned around on every trip to Forest Park. In the absence of detailed mileage records, the total mileage this car accumulated in regular service can only be estimated; it was probably between 1.5 and 2 million miles.
MODIFICATIONS DURING SERVICE
- Peckham 30 trucks replaced by Baldwin MCB (c. 1906?)
- Two motors and their control system removed (early, perhaps c. 1904)
- Original straight air brake system replaced by AMM (1905)
- Third rail beams and MU jumper receptacle covers replaced (?)
- Installation of dash lights and folding signs (c. 1911) [8]
- Installation of louvers, clerestory sash fastened shut (before 1920)
- Installation of toilet compartment (before 1915?)
- Removal of window guards (between 1915 and 1925)
- Removal of coupling chains (between 1915 and 1925?)
- Removal of National fare register and installation of ticket clips (between 1922 and c.1925)
- Installation of retrievers (c. 1925)
- Installation of windshield wipers (c. 1925)
- Trolley wheels replaced by shoes (c. 1935)
- Side doors replaced by CA&E design (1935-1940; motorman's side doors were done first)
- Painting over all of the interior trim (1939?)
- Rebuilding in Nov. 1946 (removal of streamer sash, anticlimbers installed, etc.) [9]
- Removal of toilet compartment (1946)
- Pilots modified to provide better third rail clearance (second bar from the bottom was shortened, and the vertical bars were moved inward about 2"; c. 1940-1945)[10]
- Flag/marker light brackets were moved down about 15" (c. 1950)[11]
- Removal of dash lights and signs
- Steps (grab irons) added to the ends
- Block receptacles installed for headlight plugs
- Rain gutters installed over train doors
It appears that this car had a toilet compartment installed against the smoker bulkhead at some time during its service life, and this compartment was later removed. The place where the transverse wall was attached to the side wall is evident, and the baggage rack at this location is missing.
This is the only preserved wooden car that did not have Utility ventilators installed. It is also the only preserved CA&E car with a "solarium" end. There is no electrical cabinet at the #2 end, so there are windows on both sides of the end wall, providing a nice view of the track.
Also, the control system on all of the wood cars was modified so that one line was used for the buzzer. This change was effected by adding new interlocks on one each of the series and parallel contactors. This allows C6-equipped cars to be trained with cars equipped with C21 controllers.
CA&E PAINT SCHEMES
There were five basic paint schemes during the car's service life:
1. Green: Entire body was Pullman Green; doors and window sash were brown; gold leaf lettering and striping. Roof color was probably buff. The vestibule interiors were also Pullman Green. All interior walls and trim were stained and varnished mahogany; ceiling was light yellow, with extensive stenciling around the edges of each panel. As built, until c. 1920.
2. Red: Entire body was red; doors and window sash were brown; gold lettering with black outlining. Roof color was perhaps also red, but we are still unsure of roof colors for this and the following paint scheme. There was evidently no change to the interior finish or (probably) the vestibules. Until c. 1932.
3. Maroon ("coffee and cream"): Body and window sash were maroon, except for the letterboard, end windows, and window sills that were cream; doors were light brown or tan; gold lettering with black outlining. Roof was also maroon. No change to interior or (probably) the vestibules. Until June 1939.
- Car 36 in Paint Shop 6-19-39
Start Burning off 6-28-39 Start again 7-8-39
Spec Aluminum #1 End) Pratt + Lambert
#22893 Finish (1 coat Varnish over Aluminum)
Horns Aluminum paint #2 End.
Top. Tint of Blue
Center + Racks deep Blue left over white + Raw Umber
Bottom deeper Blue Burnt Umber Raw Umber Prussian Blue finish
Chrome Yellow Med [?]
Out 7-28/39
4. Blue (“Early American”): Body was dark blue; side windows and posts were light grey (not white); ends were bright red, with red stripes below the belt rail and over the windows; yellow lettering with black outlining. Roof was black. The vestibule interior was the same blue as the exterior. The interior walls and ceiling were painted in various shades of cream. Until August 1950.
Start priming 11-15-46
Primed new wood 11-15-46
Stop account finishing 315
Start washing 11-25-46 -(a/c complete washing Storm Sash)
New canvas roof + sides
Interior Top cream
Center deep cream
Bottom deeper cream
Completed 12-24-46
5. Scarlet: Ends, doors, and sides below the belt rail were bright red ("Brilliant Red"), windows, posts, and letterboard were a light blue-grey ("Aurora Gray"). Yellow lettering with black outlining. Roof was black (coated with tar), including the clerestory windowpanes. The vestibule interior was the same red as the exterior. No change to the interior. Until end of service.
- Car 36 in paint shop 8-28-50
Exterior washed
Remove 1/2 - 1 side
Sand putty + Glaze
1 coat 1/2 pimer + surfacer
2 coats Aurora Gray
2 coats Brilliant Red
1 coat #2 Black Liquinoleum Roof
Paint underframe
Touch up interior
Completed 9-6-50
3 gals Aurora Gray
4 gals Brilliant Red
5 gals #2 Black Liquinoleum
THE STEPHENSON CARS
The group of twenty included fifteen motor cars, numbered (even only) 30 to 58, and five trailers, numbered (odd only) 101 to 109. Thus #36 was the fourth car of the order.
There was no apparent difference between the carbodies of the motors and trailers. All of the motor cars originally had four GE-66B traction motors, but many of them, including the 36, were later converted to half motors as equipment was swapped into newer cars.
Car 40 in the early days; photo from Dave Mewhinney.
Note the well-dressed motorman!
Car 38 had its end windows replaced with rectangular windows; no other wooden car ever got this modification, for some reason. It seems like a very easy change to make.
In 1906, car 109 was selected for conversion to a combine for funeral service, which was operated in conjunction with the Metropolitan rapid transit company. As a result, it was equipped with motors and controls of Met design, and could no longer train with the other AE&C cars. It was used in this service until about 1932, then stored. In 1937 it was converted to a flat car, and later scrapped.
Car 109 after suffering collision damage. Note the rapid transit-style third rail beams and safety springs. From the Julie Johnson collection.
In fact, this group of cars had more than its share of hard luck cases (or "hoodoos.") Besides the 109, cars 32, 40, 42, 58, and 103 were destroyed in wrecks or fires; the 107 was damaged in a wreck and rebuilt to an express car in 1914, then wrecked again.
Car 103 in 1952 after a fire (the photo caption is in error.)
Photo from Don Ross.
After 1953, the 1902 cars were gradually withdrawn from service as they deteriorated. By the last day, only four shorties were still in use: cars 20, 30, 36, and 105.
ACQUISITION BY GERALD BROOKINS
COLUMBIA PARK AND SOUTHWESTERN
When the CA&E cars were made available for preservation in late 1961, the 36 was the only car in this series still in operational condition. It was purchased by
Gerald E. Brookins of Ohio for his projected trolley line, the Columbia Park and Southwestern, along with two other wood cars and five steel cars. This line was intended to be not only a tourist attraction, but also to provide transportation for the residents of a mobile home park which he was developing, allowing them to access the shopping center at one side of the park (also owned by Mr. Brookins.) The car left Wheaton via the C&NW in a seven-car train, which included most of the preserved cars heading east, in May 1962.
 |
| Car 36, probably soon after arriving at North Olmsted. Repainting has just started. |
Mr. Bookins was a successful businessman and was able to devote resources to this project that no other museum at the time could match. A storage barn with an attached workshop was built to store the collection. He had several full-time employees on the payroll in the early years to do construction, maintenance, and restoration work. The "Columbia Park and Southwestern" name refers to Columbia Rd., the main nearby thoroughfare, and the Cleveland Southwestern and Columbus interurban line which had run through the area. At some point the operation acquired the name "Trolleyville, USA" although no car was ever painted with this name, I believe.
The 36 was soon repainted in a dark green paint scheme, representing the original Pullman green with which it had been built, and lettered for the CP&SW. It was operated occasionally over the next thirty years or so. It was stored inside and well maintained. All of the CA&E cars had their third rail beams removed, and they were never reinstalled during their time in Ohio. Otherwise there were few modifications other than paint.
Gerald Brookins died in 1983 and for several years the Trolleyville operation continued, with volunteers doing much of the work. The Brookins family continued to oversee the operation. In 2001, however, the family decided to sell off the North Olmsted property, and it was necessary for the trolley operation to be evicted. However, at that time a deadline of five years in the future was set.
A volunteer organization was formed with the name "Lake Shore Electric Railway" to provide a new home in the Cleveland area for the Brookins collection. The collection would be based near the lake shore in downtown Cleveland, and the CA&E cars would be operated occasionally for excursions on the Greater Cleveland RTA system. As a preview of how well this idea would work, cars 36 and 303 were moved from North Olmsted to the GCRTA in 2003, and prepared to run two-car fantrips for the public.
Photo by Mark Brookins, via Dave Mewhinney.
The 303 had one of its trolley poles replaced with a pantograph, since trolley poles were not compatible with the GCRTA overhead. Fortunately, the 36 was spared this indignity, since it could receive power via the bus jumper. However, the GCRTA system operates on 750V DC, and this overvoltage caused several problems. One traction motor on the 303 flashed over and disabled the car, after less than a day of service on the rapid transit. It was then decided to swap motor trucks to keep the 303 running, and retire the 36. This required swapping truck bolsters, since the center bearings were of different types.
The 36 was then stored in the main shops of the GCRTA for the next few years. The motors were sent out for rebuilding.
Beyond that, all of the contactors were removed and the control system was partly disassembled, since there were plans to operate the car regularly on the Cleveland RTA. And the RTA would not allow the car to run on its system with the antique control system it was built with. This project was never completed, however.
Dave Mewhinney.
ACQUISITION BY IRM
The overall success of the Lake Shore Electric project had always been contingent on substantial investment by the city government of Cleveland, which never happened. By early 2009 the city's financial crisis had destroyed all hope of this possibility, and the decision was taken to wrap up the LSE project and dispose of the collection. The Brookins collection of 35 cars or so was put up for sale to qualified non-profit museum groups, and Bill Wall was tasked with organizing a consortium of museums to distribute the cars to the most appropriate destinations.
Car 36, four other CA&E cars, and an open car from Veracruz in Mexico were awarded to IRM in October.
Julie Johnson provided most of the money (at great personal sacrifice) and much of the impetus behind these arrangements.
Photo by Stan Wdowikowski
On December 17, 2009, the 36 was moved to Brookpark Shops to be prepared for movement to IRM. It left Cleveland on Dec. 28th, arrived at IRM the next day, and was unloaded on the 30th and stored in Barn 8.
In June, 2010, IRM was able to arrange a trade with the Connecticut Trolley Museum, the new owners of car 303. The motor trucks from the 36 and 303 were swapped back, so each car now has its correct equipment. Before the IRM crew left Warehouse Point, we even made sure the 303 was operable.
Stripping the old exterior paint from the 36 began in earnest in late 2011, as well as work on restoring the control system and other mechanical parts. Reinstalling the contactors progressed slowly.
During 2012 paint stripping was finished, and repainting started. It was decided to paint the car in the Early American paint scheme to match the 308 and 309. By June 2013 the body had at least a first coat of finish paint. By 2014 the car was painted and lettered and able to operate under its own power, and the smoker compartment was completely restored during the winter of 2014-15.
Since then, the rest of the interior has been completely repainted, and the car has continued in revenue service.
In 2024, I finally got around to replacing some of the seat backs that were of the wrong type. Here is a correct seat back. They have darkened with age, but are otherwise in good condition:
When we got the car, three of the seat backs looked like this. They were covered with a plastic substitute material, and are a different size and shape than the originals.
I was able to make new ones, using parts from the car 300 seats that we got from Mid-Continent. I can only hope they darken with use in service.
However, during inspection in 2024, it was found that one of the leaf springs on the trailer truck had several broken leaves, so the car was withdrawn from service until this can be fixed.
Footnotes
[1] Plachno, Larry Sunset Lines, vol. 2, p. 207 American Bus Trader, 1989.
[2] Ibid., p. 220
[3] Ibid., p. 230
