Published by the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. Volume 11, Number 3 Summer 2017

By Harry Donahue

he Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) has approved moving forward with the front platform work

on PTC #8042 this Fall. The classic Philadelphia “8000-car” has been on display at PTM since 2005. (For a detailed history of #8042, see The Streamliner, Volume 10, Number 1; Spring, 2016). The plan is to move #8042 into the shop this fall and to completely rebuild the front platform from its knees to its bonnet. This will include new corner and center posts, platform sidewall and operating equipment. Keith Bray, who has done a number of beautiful restorations at several of the trolley museums in the Northeast, will lead the project, along with volunteers to complete the restoration. Thanks to individual contributions, PTM has $33,000.00 donated or pledged of the approximately $40,000.00 needed to do the platform work which is Phase 1 of the #8042 project. Would you help Friend of Philadelphia Trolleys (FPT) to get this platform project finished? If you would like to donate, please use the attached form in this issue. Phase 2 of the project will include the roof work. Thanks to earlier FPT donations, the new canvas and the roof ventilators that have already been purchased will be ready to use. Phase 3 will include a new interior headliner and new doors.

In August, during the Washington County Fair Week, FPT Directors Bill Monaghan and Harry Donahue presented Scott Becker with a $3,000.00 grant for #8042 through the Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) Gives program. This will enable FPT's donation to be matched by the County's program, as was done with FPT's 2016 grant. Built by J.G. Brill in 1923, car #8042 was one of 200-plus “8000-cars,” modernized by PTC in 1941. This rebuilding program was done to make the cars look more compatible with the new PCC cars entering service. From 1941 until September 1955, #8042 worked out of Callowhill Depot, mostly on Subway/Surface Route #10. From Fall 1955 until its retirement in December 1957, it ran out of Southern Depot on Routes #17 and #32, the last non-PCC lines in Philadelphia.

T

CHECK PLEASE: Harry Donahue (second from right) hands FPT’s check to Bruce Wells and Scott Becker (left and second from left) while Bill Monaghan (far right) witnesses the transaction. (Jack Demnyan photo.)

The Streamliner Page 2. Summer 2017

PHILLY TROLLEYS IN THE NEWS

By Harry Donahue

Most books written about PCC Cars have a mention of the Red Arrow Saint Louies, always stressing that while the may look like double end PCCs, they are not “real” PCCs. Because of their custom designed high speed trucks, the fourteen streamliners, numbered 11 to 24, were not considered to be genuine PCCs. Almost 70 years after they were built, two of the cars are about to become “real” PCCs. Cars #18 and #21, which had been preserved since the 1980s at Shore Line Trolley Museum in Branford, Connecticut, have been purchased by San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) and will be rebuilt as PCC Cars for MUNI’s E Line which requires double ended cars. The two cars are now at Brookville Equipment Corporation in Pennsylvania. New bolsters will have to be designed for the cars so they can run on B-3 PCC trucks.

The Streamliner is published by the

Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation.

FPT DIRECTORS:

Harry Donahue, Roger DuPuis, Dave Horwitz, Bill Monaghan and Matt Nawn

FPT LEGAL COUNSEL:

Dave Nelson, Jonathan Senker

FPT ON THE WEB: FPT’s new public website is:

www.friendsofphiladelphiatrolleys.org FPT also can also be found on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Philadelphia-Trolleys-180655945374324/

E-MAIL:

FPT2799@Comcast.net

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 33397,

Philadelphia PA 19142-0397 The Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys encourage you to visit and support trolley museums dedicated to the preservation of Philadelphia’s trolley heritage, including the following:

Baltimore Streetcar Museum www.baltimorestreetcar.org

Electric City Trolley Museum Association www.ectma.org

New York Museum of Transportation www.nymtmuseum.org

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum www.pa-trolley.org

Rockhill Trolley Museum www.rockhilltrolley.org

Seashore Trolley Museum www.trolleymuseum.org

Shore Line Trolley Museum www.shorelinetrolley.org

Have an article, suggestion or compliment you’d like to submit for the newsletter? Contact us via the e-mail address listed above.

NOSTALGIC BEAUTY ON EIGHT WHEELS: PSTC’s #21 at Larchmont. (Ernie Mozer collection.)

GOING TO A NEW HOME: #18 is leaving Shoreline Trolley Museum for the Brookville Equipment Corporation in Pennsylvania. (Bill Wall photo.)

The Streamliner Page 3. Summer 2017

The following four pictures are of more

Philadelphia PCC cars that have returned from

their third overhaul. The cars’ pictures illustrate

#1059 (Boston); #1055 (1950’s Philadelphia);

#1060 (1938 Philadelphia) and #1062

(Pittsburgh), all in San Francisco.

The pictures show the meticulous work done by

the Brookville Equipment Corporation. The

company has been involved in streetcar

restoration since 2002. In addition to the work

done for the San Francisco Municipal Railway,

its work may be found in San Diego, New

Orleans and, of course, Philadelphia.

ENROUTE TO MEDIA: SEPTA #18 stops at Garrett Avenue on the way from Upper Darby in January 1982. (Unknown photographer.))

OUT AND ABOUT: Car #1059, formerly SEPTA #2099, resplendent in Boston livery, travels through Mission Delores Park during its burn-in period. Rebuilt cars must undergo 1,000 miles of on-the-road testing before they are released for revenue service. It was a picture-perfect day when Jeremy Whiteman snapped this picture.

READY FOR SHIPMENT: Car #1055, formerly SEPTA #2122 is in the Brookville yard, awaiting shipment to San Francisco. Note that there appear to be several PCC trucks on the left awaiting work. Not only does the company restore bodies, they perform truck work. (Kevin Sheridan photo.)

MORE OUT AND ABOUT: Car #1062, formerly SEPTA #2101, is caught on camera by Robert Parks near Pier 39 which is also known as Fishermen’s Wharf. With the “NOT IN SERVICE” designation in the destination sign, it won’t be making any stops along The Embarcadero as the car is in its burn-in period.

The Streamliner Page 4. Summer 2017

ALL’S FAIR AT THE FAIR

Article and Pictures by Bill Monaghan

Have you ever let a center door car pass you by

so you could ride on an “80-car” in 2017?

If you would like to see real street car service at

a trolley museum, you must visit the

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) during the

Washington County Agricultural Fair in August.

You can park your car at the parking lot at

McClane School Loop or at the main museum

area then ride aboard a streetcar to the fair. The

trolleys operate during the fair form 10 A.M. to 11

P.M. departing every 10 minutes, depending on

the size of the crowds at the fair. There are up

to four cars operating at certain times of the day

when there is a big event at the fair. “Park and

Ride” has become a major fundraiser. This year,

PTM carried 5,020 passengers to the fair.

There are great opportunities to photograph the

trolley cars in service. Cars are operated in two

shifts, a new set of cars will be available to

photograph at 4 P.M., when another set of cars

come out for the night. Sometimes, the

WAY BACK IN THE DAY: Car #8042 is on the #10 line, west bound at 30

th Street Station. The picture is from the early

1950s. The photographer is unknown. Since the car is housed and being restored at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, your donation can go a long way in making this trolley look like the day it left the J.G. Brill Company’s factory. Print out the donation form at the end of The Streamliner, attach your donation and send it in today! Thank you!

A THING OF BEAUTY AT NIGHT: #1060, formerly SEPTA #2715, is back in service on Castro Street in June 2017. It seems that trolleys always look stunning at night. (Jeremy Whiteman photo.))

OUT FOR TESTING: SEPTA #2168 was recently out of service at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum so that Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys members Matt Nawn, Bill Monaghan, Jerry Evans and Mike Lawson could perform a complete inspection and adjustment of the car's electric shaft brakes. Here Matt (far left) and Jerry (in the operator’s seat) have the car out for a test run while passing BSM’s Peter Witt car #6119. There’s more to read on page seven. (Bill Monaghan photo.)

The Streamliner Page 5. Summer 2017

dispatchers may have a theme such as Red

Arrow, PCC or Pittsburgh cars. The Trolley

Display Building is open during the day for tours.

Next year, come out to Fair Week for a great

time. Here are several pictures from the 2017

Fair. Enjoy!

If you would like more information about the

Washington County Agricultural Fair, visit their

website at: WWW.WASHINGTONFAIR.ORG. Of

course, you can also visit Pennsylvania Trolley

Museum’s website at their address on page two.

The Streamliner Page 6. Summer 2017

P&WCTC/PSTC’s “80-CARS” Story from Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Website

The onset of the Great Depression brought with

it a spiraling decline in the revenue and ridership

of most streetcar companies. For many lines,

the only answer was abandonment or motor

buses. Car #78 is one of a group of ten cars

purchased from the J.G. Brill Company in 1931

and 1932 by the Philadelphia and West Chester

Traction Company (P&WCTC) as part of a bold

plan to combat the decline while maintaining the

financial health of the company through the

tough economic times.

The “80-cars,” as they became known, were

designed for one-man operation, equipped for

high-speed running, and employed lightweight

aluminum construction. The cars were so

successful that five additional cars were ordered

even before the initial five cars ordered had been

fully delivered.

These new cars were cheaper to man and

reduced power consumption, while their high-

speed equipment cut the scheduled operating

times and made the service even more attractive

to potential riders. This, coupled with a fare

reduction and consolidation of other competing

forms of transit in the area, enabled the

management to stave off the effects of the

terrible economic times, and go on to build one

of the most successful privately-owned

transportation companies in the country.

The consolidation of streetcar and bus

operations by the Philadelphia and West Chester

Traction Company in the early 1930s gave rise

to discussion of changing the corporate name to

better reflect the new, diversified business. In

1936, the company became the Philadelphia

Suburban Transportation Company (PSTC), and

adopted the “Red Arrow Lines” logo as part of a

carefully planned public relations campaign.

The “80-cars” served Philadelphia’s western

suburbs for 50 years. Their last 15 years of

service saw them used primarily in rush hour

service. Car #78 was withdrawn from service

and acquired by the Pennsylvania Trolley

Museum in September 1982. To the collection, it

represents the transition in electric railway

design, construction, and technology between

arch roof cars and the PCC car. (A word of

thanks goes to Scott Becker of the Pennsylvania

Trolley Museum for permission to reproduce the

story and Mr. Wells’ picture.)

QUICK STOPOVER: Bill Monaghan catches Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s car #78, an “80-car,” at PTM’s Allison Station in October 2015. Upon close examination of the picture, that is Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys members Harry Donahue and Logan Tracey (left to right) on the platform.

AT BASE STATION: Bruce Wells documented #78 at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s Richfol station. That’s P&WCTC/PSTC’s center entrance car #66 on the left. As most trolley aficionados know, they were both built by Philadelphia’s J.G. Brill Company.

The Streamliner Page 7. Summer 2017

FORMER SEPTA PCC CAR #2168 RETURNED TO SERVICE AT

BALTIMORE STREETCAR MUSEUM Story and Pictures by Matt Nawn

After being sidelined for several weeks due to concerns with the performance of the braking system, the car that “started it all” for Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, SEPTA #2168, has been repaired and returned to operating condition at its home at Baltimore Streetcar Museum. After several tedious workdays, Mike Lawson, Mike Barron and Matt Nawn spent September 3, 2017, cleaning and adjusting the shaft brake mechanisms to ensure proper operation. The hard work paid off as the car successfully passed its braking tests late in the day, enabling the car to return to active status, including for operation during Baltimore Streetcar Museum’s Members Day on September 16, 2017. Here is

an interesting fact … Mike, Mike and Matt are all mechanical engineers who also enjoy working on vintage trolley cars. Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys is fortunate to have Jerry Evans, Mike Lawson, Bill Monaghan, Harry Donahue, George Rich, Matt Nawn and Mike Barron, who make themselves available to work on car #2168. It should be noted that these folks, except for Mike Barron, come down to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum from Pennsylvania to share their time. Mike Barron is luckier, his commute is much, much shorter and nevertheless, his support is appreciated.

NOT YOUR REGULAR QUICK LUBE SHOP: Adjusting the shaft brakes on an all-electric PCC car sometimes requires laying on the grass to get into the proper position.

NOT AT 11TH & GIRARD: Matt Nawn (left) and Mike Lawson pose in front of #2168 at Baltimore Streetcar Museum’s 28th Street Loop. We suspect Mike Barron took this picture.

AT THE 28TH STREET LOOP: Mike Barron (left) and Mike Lawson pose in front of #2168 at Baltimore Streetcar Museum’s 28th Street Loop. We are convinced that Matt Nawn took this picture.

The Streamliner Page 8. Summer 2017

UPDATE ON THE LIBERTY LINER

By Harry Donahue

In 1941, the North Shore Line, an interurban that

connected Milwaukee and Chicago, purchased

two high-speed four-section trainsets from St.

Louis Car Company. Christened “Electroliners,”

the trains were numbered 801-802 and 803-804.

They ran until the end of North Shore service in

January 1963.

Merritt Taylor, President of the Philadelphia

Suburban Transportation Company (Red Arrow

Lines) purchased both trainsets for the

Philadelphia and Western Division (now the

Norristown High Speed Line). By January 1964,

they were in service, now dubbed “Liberty

Liners.” The cars ran into the SEPTA era,

retiring in 1978.

Liner #801-802 now resides at the Illinois

Railway Museum and is repainted in its original

North Shore motif. Liner #803-804 is at the

Rockhill Trolley Museum in Rockhill Furnace,

Pennsylvania and still in its Red Arrow colors,

where it comes out to run for special occasions.

Jump ahead to summer 2017: Two young

members of Rockhill Trolley Museum (RTM),

Stephen Lane and Nicholas Brightbill, have

begun the enormous task of giving the Liner a

cosmetic paint job to brighten up its red and

white colors. Plans are also in the works to

refurbish the car's interior. This will be an

ongoing project, not to be completed in one

summer … there is plenty to be done. Anyone

who would like to help out on this worthwhile

endeavor should contact Stephen at:

STEPHENDLANE@AOL.COM. A successful fund

raising event for the Liner was organized by

Stephen and Nicholas on August 6, 2017 at

RTM.

NOT AN EASY TASK: Nicholas Brightbill carefully works on the Liberty Liner’s lettering. Note the absence of masking tape!

END OF THE LINE STOP: The guys of Rockhill Trolley Museum proudly pose at the end RTM’s trolley line.

OVER THE HILL AND THROUGH THE WOODS: Rockhill Trolley Museum’s Liberty Liner is meandering through the woods enroute to its destination.

The Streamliner Page 9. Summer 2017

ROUTE #46’s SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY

By Harry Donahue This year, 2017, marks the 60th anniversary of the last double end Brill trolleys in Philadelphia. The date was August 11, 1957; the line was Route #46, the 58th and 60th Streets line, in West Philadelphia. Route #46 ran from 60th and Lansdowne to 58th & Woodland. Owl cars were extended to 63rd and Malvern. It was a heavy line, at one time connecting with trolley routes (from north to south): #10, #15, #30, #31, #42, #34, #13, #11, #12 and #37. During Route #46’s final ten years of operation, the 1923 double-ended series 5200-5334 were assigned to the line. These cars were built by J.G. Brill Company, which was located just around the corner from Route #46’s southern terminus.

Two trolleys from the final days of Route #46 survive today: car #5205 is preserved and is in restoration at Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton; car #5326 is at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, in Washington, Pennsylvania, where it has been repainted in its as delivered 1923 livery. Back in the 1920’s in Philadelphia, an orange car approaching meant that the car was double-ended and passengers were to board at the rear of the car; a green car indicated a single-ended car, with boarding at the front.

COLORFUL FAN TRIP: Ernie Mozer caught car #5205 on a fan trip passing car #2632 in the #62 on Chester Avenue, Yeadon, on October 15, 1957.

ANOTHER FAN TRIP: Ernie Mozer caught car #5326 on a fan trip on Route #6 at Willow Grove in 1956.

IN ITS ORANGE SPLENDOR: Bill Monaghan “snaps” #5326 at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.

ORANGE REFLECTION: Bill Monaghan catches #5326 at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum near the McClane School Loop.

The Streamliner Page 10. Summer 2017

SALUTING JERRY EVANS Story and Photos by Roger DuPuis

Jerry Evans is a familiar face to many in our group and at trolley museums throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Jerry, who recently retired from SEPTA after 38 years as a trolley mechanic and electrician, has been putting his skills and experience to use by offering technical advice and assistance on the maintenance of many museum cars, particularly

PCCs. As a personal token of appreciation from members of several groups that have benefited from Jerry's generosity, he recently was presented with a very special gift. Jerry, who grew up in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, has been a lifelong fan of the Red Arrow trolley system. With the help of John Engleman, a Saint Petersburg Tram Collection model of Red Arrow “St. Louie” car #23 was obtained for Jerry. Painted in the original livery worn by these cars, the model carries a Sharon Hill destination sign. The O Scale model was presented to Jerry recently during a brief ceremony aboard SEPTA PCC #2168 during the 2017 Annual Crab Fest at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum in July.

DID YOU KNOW? The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is the museum for Red Arrow fans. One more Red Arrow car, Brilliner #5, awaits the funding to restore the car to service, giving PTM a complete roster of all four types of suburban cars that once ran to West Chester, Ardmore, Media and Sharon Hill. As most rail fans, this car was one of the ten last cars to ever be built by the J.G. Brill Company.

DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS: Jerry is obviously quite pleased with intricate details of his new “Saint Louie” model.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: Jerry Evans (left) and Harry Donahue share a laugh following the presentation ceremony.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO: Jerry Evans holds up his model, in its protective case, as John Engleman (left) and Harry Donahue look on.

The Streamliner Page 11. Summer 2017

FARES, PLEASE!

A NEW (OLD) ADDITION FOR #2743

Story and Picture by Roger DuPuis

A trolley wouldn’t be a trolley without somewhere

to stash passengers’ tokens and cash.

Fareboxes of one kind or another have been an

integral part of public transit since its earliest,

horse-drawn days. And now, Philadelphia

Transportation Company’s PCC car #2743 once

again has a vintage version planted next to the

operator’s seat.

Volunteer Mike Lawson recently completed

installation of the contraption on #2743’s front

platform. “There were lots of holes drilled in the

floor for the various fareboxes that were used

over the years but I found the right set and now

the farebox is exactly where it was originally,”

Mike said.

Oh no! Didja forget your 2017-2018 dues? Not a problem! There’s a handy-dandy renewal form at the end of The Streamliner. Just print it out, enclose it in an envelope with your payment and put in the mail today! Thank you if you have already paid.

MORE FROM THE ERNIE MOZER COLLECTION

Here’s a selection of pictures taken by the late Ernie Mozer. As mentioned in a previous Streamliner, Mr. Mozer was an avid trolley fan who also happened to eventually retired from SEPTA after many years of service.

PCC DEBUT: Brand-new PCC car #2008 had just left the Wayne and Carpenter loop on August 14, 1938. Cars 2001-2020 were the first PCCs in Philadelphia. Nineteen-year-old Ernie Mozer traveled from Brooklyn for the occasion … a true trolley aficionado.

CAR PULL-IN: Here’s car #8334, single-end Peter-Witt style, built by Brill in 1923. Ernie was working out of Callowhill Depot when he took this view of a Route. #38 pull-in on 58th Street. The date is September 3, 1949.

The Streamliner Page 12. Summer 2017

FPT WELCOMES ROGER DUPUIS II AS A NEW DIRECTOR

By Matt Nawn As another step in FPT's efforts to move to a more formal organizational structure, the FPT Founding Members recently decided to transition from Founding Members to Directors, adding a fifth director to our organizational structure. Therefore, we formally welcome Roger DuPuis II as an FPT Director by unanimous consent of the four, original, directors: Harry Donahue, David Horwitz, Bill Monaghan and Matt Nawn. Roger is known to many friends and members of FPT through his gracious management of FPT's website and also as the author of the recent Arcadia publication Philadelphia Trolleys: From Survival to Revival. Roger provides support in

multiple ways to FPT's fundraising, grants and technical support efforts. He is a native of upstate New York and now resides in central Pennsylvania. He is a volunteer operator of Conestoga Transportation Company #236 owned by the Manheim Historical Society in Manheim, Pennsylvania, as well as the Rockhill Trolley Museum and several other electric railway museums. Roger is a journalist in his professional career. Please join us in welcoming Roger as an FPT Director!

OCTOBER 7, 2017: Fall Spectacular at the

Rockhill Trolley Museum, 10:00 A.M. to 5:00

P.M. Come out and ride and check out the

work that has been finished on the restoration

of PTC PCC 2743 to its circa-1960 colors. OCTOBER 15, 2017: Kawasaki Car Charter that departs

from Elmwood Depot at 9:00 A.M. This is a West Jersey Chapter NRHS event. For more information call Bill Sweeney, 856-427-9327. The fare is $40.00.

NOVEMBER 4, 2017: Twenty Dollar Day at the Baltimore

Streetcar Museum from Noon until 5:00 P.M. Come out and help support the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys while having a great time riding, operating and photographing trolley cars.

DECEMBER 31, 2017: The famous New Years’ Eve Charter Trip is being planned. Details are not yet

“nailed down” yet but more information will soon follow.

AT THE PARK: This is car #8317, also a 1923 single-end Brill. The date is June 19, 1956. Ernie was working out of Woodland Depot when he brought this fan trip to Willow Grove Park via Route #6.

THROUGH THE WOODS WE GO: PCC #2743 is seen on PCC Car and LRV Day on July 15, 2017 at the Rockhill Trolley Museum. (Bill Monaghan photo.)

SHOWING HIM THE ROPES: Matt Nawn, right, shows Andrew Nawn how to place #2743’s front trolley pole on the wire … or is Andrew showing Matt the ropes? (Bill Monaghan photo.)

Please cut along the line below and return the bottom portion with your donation.

Yes! I would like to help with car #8042’s restoration campaign.

Name:

Address:

City: State: ZIP:

E-mail: Phone:

Donation Amount: $

Mail to: Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. P.O. Box 33397 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19142-0397

FRIENDS OF PHILADELPHIA TROLLEYS, INC. P.O. BOX 33397

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19142-0397 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FORM

HELP PRESERVE PHILADELPHIA’S TROLLEY HERITAGE

Check one: New Member (Welcome!) Renewal (Thanks for Renewing!)

Name: Member #:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

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I hereby apply for the class of Annual Membership in the FRIENDS OF PHILADELPHIA TROLLEYS, INC. as indicated below and enclose the appropriate dues: Please check one:

Regular $35.00

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Please make check payable to Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys, Inc. This form and your dues should be sent to P.O. Box 33397, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19142. Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys Inc. (FPT) is a non-profit corporation, as defined by Section 501 (3)(c) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Since June 2005, the Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys has donated $155,000.00 towards the preservation of Philadelphia Trolleys in five museums. The membership year runs from July 1 to the following June 30. The Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys thanks you for your support! †Your e-mail address is needed for you to receive The Streamliner, the FPT’s newsletter. FPT does not sell or share e-mail addresses.