Update: (Monday) Stan reports that the 19 was unloaded, reassembled, and operated as a test. Good work! I'm still trying to get pictures.
"Great car, we still have do some repairs but we meggered the motors and pump. Oiled armature bearings, axle caps and journals. Checked the controller and Frank put a new cover on along other things getting checked over. We made nine car line trips and it was neat, first for me and I was very impressed as to how well it operates..."
Our Museum's first complete open car arrived this evening (Sunday, Nov. 1) about 6pm, after an all-day trip from Cleveland. Unfortunately it arrived after dark, so this is the best picture I could take. The car will be unloaded from the trailer tomorrow.
A small crowd gathered to examine the car and start "foaming," as we say. When it's put back in service this will be a great asset to the Museum. (I'm a foamer, too, of course. I got to ride the car a couple hundred feet down the access road.)
There was one minor mishap on the way: the controller cover blew off on the expressway. The driver watched another motorist roll over and demolish it without stopping, so there's not much we can do. It's thought we have some more controllers of this type (K10) so it can be replaced. Thanks to the guys from Electric City at Scranton who provided the truck and did the driving!
Meanwhile, Stan and Joe and the others are on their way back from Cleveland even as we speak. They'll have more news about what happened there.
"Great car, we still have do some repairs but we meggered the motors and pump. Oiled armature bearings, axle caps and journals. Checked the controller and Frank put a new cover on along other things getting checked over. We made nine car line trips and it was neat, first for me and I was very impressed as to how well it operates..."
Our Museum's first complete open car arrived this evening (Sunday, Nov. 1) about 6pm, after an all-day trip from Cleveland. Unfortunately it arrived after dark, so this is the best picture I could take. The car will be unloaded from the trailer tomorrow.
A small crowd gathered to examine the car and start "foaming," as we say. When it's put back in service this will be a great asset to the Museum. (I'm a foamer, too, of course. I got to ride the car a couple hundred feet down the access road.)There was one minor mishap on the way: the controller cover blew off on the expressway. The driver watched another motorist roll over and demolish it without stopping, so there's not much we can do. It's thought we have some more controllers of this type (K10) so it can be replaced. Thanks to the guys from Electric City at Scranton who provided the truck and did the driving!
Meanwhile, Stan and Joe and the others are on their way back from Cleveland even as we speak. They'll have more news about what happened there.
--Details on the Open Car--
Veracruz #19 is a ten-bench single truck open car built by Brill in 1914 for Luz Fuerza y Tracción de Veracruz (Light Power and Traction of Veracruz) in Mexico, part of the third order of cars for that city. It is a standard Brill design, similar to many cars which operated in the U.S., and is in excellent condition overall. It operated at Trolleyville (and Frank and I rode it when he was about two years old!) Presently it is single-ended, but it was originally double-ended and we will want to restore it to that configuration. It is currently lettered for the Columbia Park and Southwestern.
While waiting for the open car to arrive, I did a little more work. I ground off the one last frozen bolt and removed the last stepwell from the 321, helped briefly by Jeff Obarek.And as an update, the windows and a doorway have now been cut into the wall of the car shop extension. I guess that answers the questions we had.
And finally, sunset at IRM.
Not sure about the open-air cars, but when the PE 100-class cars were sold to Vera Cruz in the early 50's, they had their switch group control systems removed and one K-35 installed, so single end may be correct if the car is to represent Vera Cruz.
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