Frank and I did the first annual inspection on CA&E 319 today, and we also installed the trolley poles so it can run under its own power, as seen below. This project was made somewhat harder by the lack of power due to the recent lightning strike.To get the three wood cars out of the barn, we used a stinger, as shown here. It's a heavy wooden pole with a cable running to a hook, which I placed over the trolley harp in the shadows. After some work, we were able to run the train over to the Barn 4 inspection pit.
No real problems were found, and the brakes work much better now than they did before adjustment. We then lifted the trolley poles to the roof and adjusted them. I was too busy to take many pictures, but Frank snapped the one on the left of trolley pole installation. Then my favorite activity, lubrication. Yuck. Anyhow, everything is nearly ready for revenue service on the Fourth. You won't want to miss it!For variety, Frank Sirinek and I took a trip over to 7 to help Gerry Dettloff figure out why the pump on the TM dump motor D13 wouldn't run. I was stumped, but Frank was later able to reconnect the correct wires, so the D13 too can appear in the World's Greatest Trolley Pageant.
Finally, here is the 319 operating as a single car for the first time at IRM. I must say that as time goes on it seems to get harder and harder to keep these things running. Either I'm getting older, or the equipment is getting older, or probably both!
3 comments:
You did tighten down the poles, right?
I was a Trolleyville motorman and regularly ran the 319 at Trolleyville. For the longest time the brakes on this car were very sloppy. A heavy application of air was needed to make a "normal" stop. Well one week the late Tod Prowell came in and assisted the Trolleyville staff in rehabbing and adjusting the brake system. This is something that had not been shared with me before the next episode occured. 319 was parked on the "curve" by the front station. Trolleyville General Manager, the late Cliff Perry, asked me to move the 319 up to Ash St. so a car due in could enter the front station in a few minutes. Then I was to bring 319 into the station so it could be the next car out. I moved the 319 and made what had been as "normal" brake application. Thankfully I was devoid of passengers. After I came to a jarring halt(A putty knife should have come out to scrape me off the front window!), I realized these were not the brakes I was used to. After bringing 319 back into the station after the arrival of the other car I asked Cliff Perry about the brakes on the car. He then said, "Oh yeah, they have been adjusted. They are much more sensative than they used to be. I should have told you before you moved it". (Do you think!) Such are the tales of Trolleyville.
I like what I see happening to the cars and keep up the good work. I look forward to visiting in the future and getting back on the cars I enjoyed operating.
Steve Heister
Northern Ohio Railway Museum
Thanks for the comments, Steve! We did have to adjust the brakes, partly because it's now sitting on the 321's trucks. Let us know if you will be visiting IRM.
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