IRM has just been given the opportunity to acquire a complete set of walkover seats for a North Shore car at a very reasonable price. This is an exciting offer that probably will never happen again.
The seats were installed in a wooden steam road combine at the Mid-Continent Railroad Museum many years ago, so they have been protected from the weather and are in excellent condition. They look nice, but of course are not quite the right size or style for this car. So Mid-Continent has decided to have new seats fabricated to the correct design, and the North Shore seats have been offered to us. The price is $2500 for a set of 23, far less than we would have to spend to make new ones. And then there will be some expense for transportation to Union.We can use some of these seats now to replace damaged upholstery in the 160 and 714, and the rest will help with 251 and 253, which we may want to restore at some point in the future.
Of course, you can help. Your donations now will help make this possible. If you're a North Shore fan, or have ever ridden a North Shore car, please give generously.
We'll be paying for this out of the restricted fund for car #763, so please mark any donations for R763. Thanks!!!Update: We now estimate the transportation cost at $200, for a rental truck one-way. The move will be taking place on Saturday, Nov. 19th, so we would like to have any donations by then. Thanks!
Update: John Horachek has informed me that these seats came from car 165, in about August of 1963. At that time he was in charge of coordinating the various museums in acquiring cars and parts, and directed the Mid-Continent guys to the 165. Since there was no scrap value in the seats or frames, they were given away for free. And he points out that we could have bought a lot more stuff with our $2500 back in 1963!
14 comments:
Quite interesting. Is there a story to how they got from the North Shore to this car in the first place?
Zach: Until about 1967 the Mid-Continent museum included both steam-road and electric equipment; the electric car division then split off and moved to East Troy to become TWERHS. I believe the seats would have been acquired from a scrapped North Shore car at this time, but further info would be welcome.
Randall,
This sounds like a win/win for everyone! The Mid-Continent folks are going to up-grade a passenger car.
I am glad that they ae offering them to another museum that can use them!
If IRM is looking for North Shore parts the Connecticut Electric Trolley Museum has a couple of NS cars that are just a pile of parts after being outside since the mid 1960s
Ted Miles IRM Member
The interior photo helps demonstrate the size difference between interurban equipment and "steam road" equipment. Look at how wide the aisle is in the steam road coach with the North Shore seats.
Ted: I wouldn't say that. I was recently told by a friend at CTM that they are planning to bring their Brill into the shop for rehab. A ride on our North Shore train was inspirational.
And David is correct, of course. It looks like a church aisle. You could have two people walking side by side. Now we just need an organ....
For those of you playing along at home, it appears that this car is Copper Range #25 at MCRyM. It was originally built as a full coach, but converted into a combine.
They did a nice restoration of the 60 about 10 years ago.
Randall:
Ted may be partially right. Last time that I was up at CTM (a couple of yers ago), the people there told me that they planned to keep the North Shore Brill #162, but dispose of the Cincinnati #710 which is in much worse shape. Might be worth looking into.
Art Schwartz
Randy:
Betty and I have "Bought a Seat" so to say. So how about the rest of you folks out there? Belly up to the bar and help support IRM in this rare opportunity!
Randy and Betty Anderson
Kenansville NC
Based on standard rates of inflation, $2000.00 worh of today's buying power would have equaled $14086.18 in 1963. Conversley, just $285 of 1963 money would be equal to $2000 today.
Probably could've had the whole car for that $2500 then, maybe 2!
Thinking about that though, what was the price of one North Shore car in 1963?
John Horachek pointed out that we could have bought two cars with change to spare for $2500. But that's the realm of alternate history. Here in the real world, Mid-Continent is giving us a very fair price for these unique seats, and your donations will help keep our North Shore cars running for a long time.
So please make your tax-deductible contributions now. Thanks!
$2,500 in 1964 when the cars were being scrapped would be equal to $17,732.93 in today's dollars. Not a small chunk of change.
Randy Anderson
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