Trolley Freaks on eBay

[John F Bromley]

Fred (Bruhn, not FWS III)

Your big chance - overpriced, especially since its from a Canadian seller not known for his low starting bids.  Last time I saw a pair atr a show they went for US$175 within 2 minutes of opening.

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1115067823

Best regards,

John Bromley
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Fredbruhn at aol.com 
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org 
  Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 1:31 PM
  Subject: Re: Trolley Freaks on eBay


  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?   
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20010225/92611cf0/attachment.html