Finding Their Niche

Finding Their Niche

by Art Peterson

All photos are from the Krambles-Peterson Archive

Randy and Frank’s recent commentary on CA&E 451 wearing that Cleveland Southwestern-inspired scheme during its Trolleyville days reminded me that several properties adopted eye-catching schemes/introduced upgraded services in the mid-1920s in an effort to stave off the inevitable. Especially post-World War One, the industry was caught in a cycle where rising costs could not be met by increases in the rate of fare, resulting in abysmal rates of return. In addition, the companies faced stiff challenges from the private automobile and from buses, which seemed far more modern.

Cleveland Southwestern 205 – Cleveland Public Square – ca. 1928

The May 7, 1927 issue of the Electric Railway Journal noted that the management and employees of the Cleveland Southwestern (officially the Cleveland Southwestern Railway & Light Co. since its 1924 reorganization) had designated March 31, 1927, as the property’s “Dress-Up Day.” That was the first day the trainmen wore their new dark gray whipcord uniforms. In addition, the company offered commission incentives to the ticket agents to seek out additional passenger traffic.

Unfortunately, the identities of these employees are lost to history.

Cleveland Southwestern 205 – Cleveland Public Square – Ralph A. Perkin Photo

A spotless 205 along with an unidentified curve-side car pose at Public Square, Cleveland. Note how the film renders the color differences between the heavyweight and the lightweight (see also the shot of the 212, below). Notes from one of Ralph’s shots of a Cleveland Southwestern lightweight indicate these cars were blue, ivory and yellow, while this heavyweight appears to be just blue and yellow.

Despite its best efforts, Cleveland Southwestern would fail again in 1930, and be absorbed by the Columbus, Delaware & Marion the following year. In a deficit situation for the final two years of its existence, Cleveland Southwestern abandoned operations in 1933.

Cleveland Southwestern 201-Class Car

The “Cleveland Chapter of the Cloche Hat Wearer Society” prepares to board one of the 201-series parlor car conversions. With a 1925 inauguration date for the parlor car service using the big Kuhlmans, this service directly overlapped the era of the Cloche Hat as high fashion – 1922 to 1933.

The parlor service proved popular in those early years – Electric Railway Journal reported that the road transported 32,000 parlor car passengers during 1926. Interior views reflect some alternate configurations in the heavyweight parlor cars – some cars had parlor seats on both sides of the aisle, while other interiors reflected just one side being equipped with parlor chairs.

Cleveland Southwestern 212 – Kamm’s Corner – ca. 1928 – Vernon Burke, Jr. Photo

Although the print has some damage to it, this is a great shot of one of the dozen curve-sides Cleveland Southwestern ordered in 1924. These were big cars (as curve-sides go) – 40’-6” long, with eleven side windows. As delivered, they came in dark green with gray roofs and black trim, making the mid-'20s color change quite a transformation. Five of the 12 cars would be sold to the Dayton & Western, running there until 1936.  C&LE would scrap them a few years later.

Kamm’s Corner is on the west side of Cleveland, specifically the intersection of Rocky River Drive and Lorain Avenue, where Kamm’s 1900-vintage general store/post office building still stands. Since 1923, West Park has been part of the City of Cleveland.

Kentucky Traction & Terminal 303-311 – 1928

The details on the back of this print absolutely make me regret that there wasn’t a stable color film sooner! George’s notes on the print indicated that there were three distinct schemes used on the city cars, with a special interurban car livery. A unique scheme was applied to the freight motors, plus there was a separate one for the buses. There’s no record of what scheme the 211 wore, but here are the comparative color details for three of the schemes:

Element	Interurban Car	City Car	Bus
Roof	Atlas Yellow	Pigskin Brown	Straw
Letterboard	Apple Green	Lemon Yellow	Medium Green
Sash Belt	White	White	Pigskin Brown
Wide Stripe	Pigskin Brown	Light Blue	Double Deep Orange
Body	Double Deep Orange	Bright Red	Pigskin Brown
Skirt	Medium Green	Deep Red	Dark Green

As delivered, KT&T’s 300-309 series interurbans (the very first order of curve-side cars, ready for shipment by February 17, 1922) were no slouch in the color context – they came in yellow with black lettering and striping edged in silver. KT&T 211 was one of 27 single-truck curve-sides (with an overall length of just 26’-2”) the property acquired mid-1923. KT&T placed four additional orders for curve-side cars, though two of those (in 1927 and 1929) were for single replacement cars.   

Despite being able to post 35% reductions in track and car maintenance due to using the lightweight cars, the interurban operation in Lexington lasted until only January 12, 1934, while the city car system made it to April 21, 1938. None of the city cars were resold, but five of the interurban cars were sold in 1941 to Shaker Heights, though they were never used in service.

Monongahela West Penn “West Virginia” – ca. 1926

There could be no clearer indication that Monongahela West Penn (the property name used from 1923) was under American Water Works & Electric Systems control than the arrival of two near-clones of the typical West Penn-style interurban from Cincinnati in 1926. MWP 775 and 776 were equipped with air brakes for the MWP application, where the typical West Penn car would have used electromagnetic track brakes. As built, the 775-776 rode on Cincinnati arch-bar trucks, again, quite different from what West Penn would have used.

From September 5, 1926, car 776 was run as the “West Virginia,” wearing this old gold and blue livery to commemorate the colors of West Virginia University. Re-equipped with deep spring leather seats and reflecting “a seat for every passenger” policy, MWP proudly noted it had spent $21,367 to purchase and to upgrade this car. Four daily round-trips were made by the deluxe car on the Clarksburg-Fairmount run, saving 25 minutes compared to existing schedules (only four intermediate stops were made). The service didn’t last long – the car finished out its days as car 776.

Acknowledgements: Richard Wagner’s “Curved-Side Cars” book, along with Hilton & Due “The Electric Interurban Railways in America” and CERA B-110 on “West Penn Traction” were essential to this piece.

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GB&W 109 Update

Thanks to our intrepid cub reporter Gregg Wolfersheim, who sends along this update of progress on Green Bay & Western wood coach 109, currently being worked on in the Barn 4 Electric Car Shop.

There's been more progress on the wood coach with the sill support installed. Inward of the large pieces can be seen the sash stop. These are pieces of poplar roughly 1x3" for the sash to rest on.

This is looking towards the west end of the car. The large opening is where the bay window was. The lower part of the post will be restored next. However, the upper part that would go all the way up to the roof won't be recreated at this time. The plan is to temporarily blank off this area for the time being.

On Wednesday, the lower out was added. It includes the notch inside the 2 pieces for the threaded rod that would have run from the side sill to the roof. Perhaps in the future when the car is fully restored, it can be added at that time.

Last week, four people worked on getting the upper clerestory sash installed, along with several of the lower sash. A new volunteer from Michigan spent a few days installing all of these and making them open and close.

Some only have clear glass in them. Tim F., Phil Hehn, and Ralph Durham also were involved.

Many of the sash were reassembled and marked as to where they go. Some got hardware applied, as well as glass. Others actually got put back in their openings once the tracks were located and attached.

North Shore Album, Part 3 - MD Cars and the 354

Thanks again to Art Peterson for more pictures of IRM cars in service, from the Krambles-Peterson Collection.

North Shore 213 is the only one of the original order of MD cars that was preserved.  

Here it is at Wilson c. 1925 in a portrait by A.F. Scholz.

213 at 5th and Clybourn, Oct. 1934.   Photo by Glenn Niceley.

The MD cars were also used for clearing snow from the streets of Milwaukee.  We have several good views of this process:

The 213 spotted at Highwood with its scraper attached,  Apr. 8, 1939.

Photo by Bill Jansen of the 213 on 5th Street, Feb. 1947.

Another photo at the same time by George Krambles.

Then, the 229 spotted at Highwood on Feb. 11, 1950.  For many years this was the Highwood shop switcher.

And then, the only preserved North Shore streetcar:

First, a classic view of the 354 meeting a southbound interurban train at Genesee St.

Undated photo by JLD.

The 351 and 354 at Harrison, south end of the line for streetcars.  Photo by George Krambles.

And finally, this intriguing view at Chicago Hardware Foundry!  I wish I knew when and by whom this picture was taken.  The car has gotten a partial or temporary roof job and has been repainted, so this is probably later in its time at North Chicago.  Behind it is the 966 or 972, and I can't decide what might be to the left.

North Shore Album, Part 2

Thanks to Art Peterson for sending us more pictures of IRM cars on their original lines from the Krambles-Peterson archives.  We continue with North Shore Line cars 714, 749, and 757.

This is the 714, which I believe is in traction orange, dating it to the late 1920s to late 1930s.

 

The 714 at Highwood on Jan. 1st, 1946.  Photo by Tom Desnoyers.

Leading a southbound train at Belmont on the outer track, Nov. 4, 1958 by Roy Benedict.

The 749 newly delivered from Pullman in 1928.

Northbound at Dempster,  July 4th, 1944, by George Krambles.

Interior of the 749, undated but possibly in the 1940s when it was modernized prior to the advent of the "Silverliner" program.

Ready to start loading at the Milwaukee terminal, Sept. 9, 1950.  Photo by Tom Desnoyers.

757 crossing the Skokie River trestle, June 12, 1962 by Roy Benedict.

Southbound at Dempster, March 7, 1937.  Photo by George Krambles.

North Shore Album, Part 1

Thanks to Art Peterson for sending us more pictures of IRM cars on their original lines from the Krambles-Peterson archives.  Time to start on the North Shore Line, with cars 160, 251, and 253.

160

No date or photographer for this shot, but it sure looks cool!  

The following pictures were taken by George Krambles.

251

The 251 heading a train at North Chicago Junction, c. 1932.  I believe all these cars are in the orange paint scheme.

In front of the Highwood office building, in green.  June 18, 1939.

253

253 leading a train at speed, crossing River Rd. in July 1940.

                                                 Northbound at Glenview on Dec. 31, 1960.

Sunday Scorcher

Frank writes...

Sunday was another day of about 95 degrees with a heat index around 105 (that's 35 and 40 C, respectively, for our overseas readers). A stiff breeze made it livable outside, but the crowd for Trolley Weekend was still pretty small.

Nevertheless, the museum put on a good show. The Class B was pulling the coach train, ComEd 4 pulled a caboose train, and the 277 - newly restored to service with overhauled brake rigging - pulled the three-car "Tangerine Flyer." Above, our dump motor, D13, made a few laps around the streetcar line. When it was heading back to the barn, a magnet valve coil failed that prevented it from going past the second point, but by the end of the day that item was already on the bench in the shop for repair.

Thanks to Gregg Wolfersheim and Keith Letsche, who ran the 319 in 50th Avenue Shuttle service all day.

When Nathan and Drew brought the D13 back to Yard 7, the first order of business was to unload the picnic tables being used for seating and reload several pallets of spare parts that normally live in the dump section to keep them inside the barn and out of the weather. Here, Nathan has dropped the side of the dump section. Although the tilt mechanism for the dump body doesn't work, the doors do drop open and can be closed by a pneumatic spool that pulls up cables at both ends of the dump section.

Voilà! After I observed this, I briefly helped Good Nick with switching the 24 with CA&E 431 and 460 before heading over to Barn 7 to do some painting.

Voilà deux. With a second coat of maroon on the belt rail stripes, the masking tape could come off. Of course, this is only about a quarter of the car - next up is masking and painting the left side and the rear half of the door side - but it's progress, and it gives an idea of how this livery will look when complete. I also painted the drip rail under the standee windows on this side of the car maroon.

In other news, the CTA 2400s were on the pit and with help from a CTA employee who came out to troubleshoot, the guys were able to get the 2400s to where they should be operable again. Fingers crossed! Air-conditioned cars like the 2400s will be pretty popular on days like this.

And in exciting Buildings & Grounds news, the posts have started going up on Barn 15! The trusses are already staged and can be seen in the foreground.

And it looks like the property improvement work at the west end of Yard 5, in front of the office, is just about done. The nice new asphalt, "sidewalk" for the benches, and bollards are all installed.

Illinois Terminal: Suburban, Branch Line and Freight Equipment

Illinois Terminal: Suburban, Branch Line, and Freight Equipment

All photos from the Krambles-Peterson Archive

Thanks to Art Peterson, who has sent a fascinating collection of IT photos. This page includes a variety of equipment including interurban cars that saw use in St. Louis suburban service in later years, the unique railbus that served the branch to Grafton, and a few photos of freight locomotives.

Car 101 - Built 1917 by American Car Co. - Originally Alton Granite & St. Louis 61

This undated photo of car 101 was taken at 12th and Franklin in St. Louis and is a fascinating glimpse into the car's early post-AG&SL career. The car was transferred from the AG&SL to the ITRR sometime around 1928; before then it looked like this. The photo here shows it in mostly original condition, other than a new IT number, but it's received a few modifications. The most obvious is the MCB coupler replacing its original OB tightlock. It's also gotten a simpler headlight mounting bracket, had its trolley hook moved over, gained a rooftop bell, and had its Brill "mushroom" ventilators replaced by rectangular ventilators. It's kept the same "drumhead" dash sign; comparing the earlier photo with this one shows that the "Electric Way" line in the middle can be flipped up or down to reveal either "Limited" or "Local."

This undated photo was taken in Granite City by George Krambles and shows 101, with 102 trailing, after the second of its three IT rebuildings. The IT plated over the upper-sash windows, removed the window guards, changed the headlight to a removable dash-mounted version, and installed a standard IT Earll retriever. The end window across from the motorman's cab was also changed to two panes and the horn was changed out.

It's 1952 in Alton, and Tom Desnoyers captured this view of the 101 ready to head back to St. Louis while railbus 206 in the background is poised to depart for the line up the river to Grafton. The interurban line to Alton was abandoned less than a year later, in March 1953, after which the 101 went through another rebuilding that gave it new trucks and a new paint scheme. It is preserved today at IRM in post-1953 condition.

Car 415 - Built 1924 by St. Louis Car Co. - Originally Chicago & Illinois Valley 64

This photo, and the three following it, were all taken in 1934, when car 415 was assigned to suburban service out of Danville. This was mere months after the car had been removed from service on the Chicago & Illinois Valley and rebuilt as a double-ended suburban car (details here). This photo, by William C. Janssen, shows the car crossing an unknown bridge signed for Tilton, south of Danville.

This photo by William C. Janssen is labeled Tilton Junction. The car is signed for Batestown, which is west of Danville on the line to Champaign. A close examination of the photo reveals a couple of interesting details, including that the car still has its smoker partition and the platform at the end closest the photographer has not yet been lengthened to match the other end. On the Illinois Valley line, this end was the front end of the car.

On October 6, 1934, George Krambles photographed car 415 on Vermilion Street just south of Main in downtown Danville. This stretch of Vermilion no longer exists, as it's been replaced by a shopping center.

In another photo taken by George the same day, car 415 is shown at the same location in downtown Danville near Vermilion and South Street, an intersection that no longer exists. Behind it is car 303, which was part of the same order as car 415 and had been numbered 69 as built. Unlike car 415, it appears to have retained a single-ended setup; it lacks doors on this side and although it has a front pole, only its rear pole is set on a stand. Both cars have a visible stovepipe behind the motorman's position for a coal-fired heater. Car 415 stayed in Danville suburban service until 1939, when it was transferred to Granite City; car 303 left Danville in 1936, when it was transferred to Staunton-Litchfield service. It was retired in 1939 and its body was put to use as the air brake shop at Granite City.

This James Buckley photo of car 415 was taken on May 30, 1944, just a week before D-Day, and shows car 415 after it was more heavily rebuilt for suburban service to Granite City. Its front platform has been extended to match the size of the rear platform, its upper-sash windows have been plated over, and it has acquired electric heat. It is in essentially this condition that the car is preserved today at IRM.

Railbus 206 - Built 1939 by the Illinois Terminal

The 15-mile line along the bank of the Mississippi from Alton to Grafton started out as a part of the Chicago Peoria & St. Louis; when that system failed in 1924, it was bought by an outfit called the Alton & Eastern which was taken over by the IT in 1930. For a few years the IT ran a few passenger trains a day to Grafton using a 4-4-0, but starting in 1933, the steam trains were replaced by railbuses. Number 206 was built by the IT in 1939 from a schoolbus. This photo was taken at Alton on March 11, 1951, by Tom Desnoyers.

Tom took this photo the same day at the other end of the railbus route, Grafton. In the early 2020s, a replica of this railbus was built and put on display at Grafton as shown here. The actual railbus, of course, is preserved at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, MO.

It's May 8, 1952, and the railbus is being turned on the turntable at Grafton. Photo by James Buckley.

The railbus is shown at Grafton on November 29, 1952, in this Tom Desnoyers photo.

This undated and unattributed photo shows how close to the river the Grafton line was in places. The Grafton line was abandoned in 1953 at the same time as the IT's Alton line.

Illinois Terminal 1565 - Built 1910 by the Illinois Traction System

The IT was known for its fleet of attractive homebuilt boxcab locomotives, including two-truck Class B and four-truck Class C examples. Class B 1565 is shown here on the east belt at Springfield on October 9, 1949, in a photo by Tom Desnoyers. It looks largely this way today at IRM except for its 1950s-era "safety glass" motorman's window.

Illinois Terminal 1575 - Built 1910 by the Illinois Traction System

The other preserved Class B is 1575, also built by the ITS in 1910. Above, it's hauling a work train at Decatur on June 9, 1936, in a photo by Glenn Niceley. There are a number of minor differences with the 1565 including anticlimbers, steps, and poling pockets, among others. This was before the "railing" around the train door was installed.

Number 1575 is hauling three hoppers, three boxcars, and a caboose down Madison Street in Bloomington on February 2, 1939, in this William C. Janssen photo. The sign hanging from the wire says "section insulator" and the pole was right on the insulator as the picture was taken.

Class B 1575 is shown at Danville with its crew posing jauntily on September 20, 1947, in a Tom Desnoyers photo. In the background can be seen trailer 516 (still unrebuilt) and one of the "bread trailers" that were rebuilt from box motors. Number 1575 was sold to the St. Louis Car Company in 1953 as a switcher and made its way to the National Museum of Transportation 10 years later.

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