Visit to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

Frank and I were in Pittsburgh last weekend on business, so we had an opportunity to visit our friends at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, just south of Pittsburgh.  We've reported on this before, but you can't get too much of a good thing like this.  We had a chance to talk to Bruce Wells, Scott Becker, Keith Bray, Scott Davis, and several others.

Here's a depot building which was recently moved onto the site, at the east end of the line.  The eventual goal is to have the visitor-oriented parts of the museum at the new east location which is more accessible and has better parking, while retaining the original buildings for shop work and storage.

This is the new display barn, which we'll see later.

There's also an impressive parts storage facility which was recently constructed.

Meanwhile, back in the shop building, there are several cars being worked on.  PTM is unique in being built to the "Pennsylvania trolley gauge" of 5' 2 1/2", which was also used in New Orleans.   So here is a preserved car from that city.

A Red Arrow center entrance car is getting its trucks rebuilt, along with other work.

This West Penn Railways car is one of the few remaining Cincinnati curved-siders, and is being completely restored from a decrepit carbody.  

But before it gets too dark, let's go for a ride.

This is the 4398, a classic Pittsburgh low-floor car, built by St. Louis in 1917.

Here Bruce Wells is running the car towards the east end.  I then got to operate part of the trip, so there aren't many pictures, but it was a real privilege.  The track is excellent, and the scenery is nice.

After supper, maybe Bruce will give us a tour of the display barn, so come back then.