Todays trivia

[Fredbruhn at aol.com]

I enjoyed Bob's bio. and wish I still had my Kodak pony.  Bob, do you 
remember or have heard of Julian Bernard of Shelby, Ohio.  His B&O HO models 
were featured in a MR article in the late 50's, but he and two other men took 
on the task of recording on film the B&O, buildings, equipment, motive power, 
everything.  One was in Balt., Julian in Ohio and I have no clue where the 
third man was nor any idea where the collection is today.

Back on the subject, I enjoyed the conversations on the various shades of red 
and cream for the PCC's, and now will use the Polly S whisker yellow (crream) 
and signal red, but go very lightly on the grime.

Now my question is, with Bob's description of his early years on the 5 line 
riding 
"the orange" double end cars, what color do we use to approximate the 
Pittsburgh color for the double end cars?

I have a few West Penn questions too, but I'll wait for Fred III and Ed 
Lybarger to return on those.  And.....it can get cold in the winter around 
here, but again the past two have not been bad, and that is the best time to 
go looking for trolley lines.
I'll bet Jim Holland could tough it out for a few days when he got deep in 
Fayette county with an expert guide like Ed Lybarger.

For those of us who will never get enough West Penn, let me recommend a book 
I jjust got from a lead by an ex Filbert resident who remembers the West 
Penn.  (He is planning to draw up for me the line through Buffington, 
Filbert, New Boro and New Salem so I can share that with you).  The book is 
"Patches of History" by (late) Regis M. Maher, M.D. of Fayette County.  It is 
the 1920's and 1930's: Heyday of Fayette County Coal and Coke in 
Pennsylvania.  One chapter on WP, but the book hits every patch on the 
timetable.  Most interesting.  It was recently reprinted by his  
long time assistant.  It can be bought from Barbara R. Ventura, 6 Sylvanus 
Avenue,
Uniontown, PA. 15401.  Cost is $25.00 post paid.  Cost is high because the 
run was small.  She told me she ran another run because of continuing 
interest.  The good Doctor died in late 1999.  You will be amazed how the 
name "patch" originated.
It talks about the Railroads, life in the patches (towns as we call them), 
etc.

I have a photo someplace of a 1700 on Route 40 and I'll try and dig it up to 
see if it is a GE car.

We need to keep open the questions Jim asked about West Penn on electric 
turnouts and interior colors.  The one shot I have looking to the end from 
about 
4 seats back looks like finished wood on the ends or perhaps it is the sheet 
metal painted, window supports are wood, finished in a walnut/grime 
combination andseat backs look like black/red/brown splotchy leather or 
vinyl, probably leather.  Hand holds look white, and ceiling does look like a 
dark ivory, but can't see much of it.   
Ed. S. has promised us some shots of 722 for information.  I sure don't 
remember it when we were there tarring the roof in 1959 or so.  I do remember 
a  pile of seats and 
amusment part "stuff" stored inside.  If I remember correctly, PRMA took the 
seats
from the three cars stored there and put them in 722 as this is the car the 
museum had picked, but that may be stretching my memory.

Jim - find a good Army/Navy surplus store and get some long johns and join us 
this winter for our WP adventure.

Fred Bruhn