Trolley Freaks on eBay

[Fredbruhn at aol.com]

Ed -

I have bought a few over the past few years at $10 - $15 not on e bay.  Also 
from e bay for an average of $15. but in none of these purchases was I 
helping PTM or any other preservation group.  Knowing where the revenue is 
going it would seem like
$20. would be a fair price.

I have participated in a lot of e bay auctions mostly with West Penn.  Some 
photos I can seem to win for little more than the asking price, while others 
I either lose or bid my socks off to get.  One recent example was a shot of a 
passing siding near Youngstown on the Latrobe line that ended up at about 
$55.  It wasn't worth that to me.

One other photo that I bid on was on the Brownsville line that was up early 
last year.
I have a real interest in the Brownsville line and this shot was at New Salem 
behind 
the store where loading took place, with a large gob pile behind the car and 
just an excellent shot.  One other person was bidding against me and we were 
at the 50 cent increase level for 5 days, and when it hit $26 I got real 
interested.  I e mailed the chap in Richmond Va and he was from New Salem and 
believed it was he as a child in the picture.  I quit bidding right away and 
appologized for running it up.  It ended up we corresponded and he sent me a 
quality xerox copy of the shot plus some notes on where it was taken.  While 
he was not a railfan, I sent him the PRMA West Penn booklet for his trouble 
and he promises me he will take his children to Arden on his next trip back 
to experience what a trolley is.

There has been a few real eye opening stories on this group recently about e 
bay bids.  I have purchased back some books I sold years ago, and if patient 
you can usually do OK, but it is hard to steal anything on e bay.   I have 
watched  CERA  110 on West Penn sell for  $20 and for $120.  Since I already 
have 2 copies I didn't feel I needed any more and have passed, but most of 
the out of print dealers are still asking $65 - 85 for that book.

Probably the most interesing one is  Joe  Saitta's Traction Extra #2, The 
Presidents'
Car.  He lists one copy a week, obviously from the stock he has left (my copy 
is #83 from 1986).  He always starts at $65 which rings a bell that says we 
paid that it if was purchased new at that time.  But the bidding takes it up 
to $80 - 90 - 120 quickly and as soon as a winner is declared up pops another 
copy.

Parkinson's book on Pittsburgh I picked up on e bay for $8.00 and I was 
tickled pink.

E bay takes a lot of time which can be better spent doing research on 
Pittsburgh Railways or our other favorites.  And I do have a question for the 
group  and a need.

Was the South Greensburg (Huff) barn facing away from Greensburg towards 
Youngwood.  i.e, as I look at photos looking into the barn, am I also looking 
towards Greensburg so  that cars pulling in for storage would go past the 
barn, manually 
set the switches, and pull into the appropriate track.  Did the old line to 
Youngwood stop after a few cars beyond the yard lead into Huff in later years?

I am looking for Interurban Special 58 and 59, Mac Sabree and Paul Ward's 
books on the Trolley Coach in North America.  Any leads will be most 
appreciated.

Since we include Wheeling in this group, and it was a dinner discussion topic 
on our fall West Penn Excursion (Ed, Fred, Fred III, Derrick), I got a long 
letter from Fred
Maloney of Boston and Seashore.  I was under the misconception that when they 
published a photo of the car all painted up about 25 years ago that 
restoration was well under way.  Not true at all.  I'm not sure exactly how 
they fund their projects, but obviously must carry their own weight to get 
money.  The car has had substantial 
roof work done, a new headliner, some insulation on the sides, one ex Chicago 
4000 door motor restored for a rebuilt door, seats available but not rebuilt 
from a 4000, a set of type 5 Boston trucks available but in need of much 
work, end platform castings needed, the whole body scraped and repainted, I 
presume all new windows.
They are going to restore it as Wgh Traction 639, which I think might have 
been dark red in color.  When Co-Op took over during the depression, they 
dropped the first digit on the curved side cars and 639 became 39.  I would 
guess that the car is 3 - 5 years from being done.  They have salvaged some 
orig. wood, the original wire window glass for the bottom panels of the 
doors, and not much else.  Whatever their philosophy on restoration which I 
read as restore it as you got it, with the 39, there is so little left of the 
car they decided it would be "ok" to take it back to the 639.

If we exclude the CA&E cars from Cinn. are their any other of the curved 
sided Cinn. builts left beside 832 at PTM and 39 at Seashore?  I don't think 
so.  Fred, what is left of York and Lancaster, and were they Cinn. built?  
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