Museum Carbarn Assignments.

[John F Bromley]

I guess that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Personally I think that
Strasbourg's cars are quite brilliant in physical appearance (the long
version especially), and Milan has some single end versions that I saw and
rode last September.  I, on the other hand, think the Citadis is not a good
"looker".  Too bad the sausage design is discontinued, as no more will be
built.  Their only drawback is the SLOOOOOWWWWWW door operation - it takes
several seconds to move those huge suckers.  One thing I hate are truck
covers, especially those cut in at strange angles.  Yechhhhh!!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg King" <tramway at one.net.au>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: Museum Carbarn Assignments.


> How can you say those Strasbourg sausages are neat, those and the Breda
cars
> of Lille have to rank as the ugliest trams I have ever seen, the
> organisation is spot on though, the same company that owns us at Yarra
Trams
> (Transdev France), There is one that is worse though, The most elegant
trams
> would have to be Alstom "Citadis" cars (we have 31 on order) as for
> Montpellier and Orleans' however, one city had to modify the end design to
> make it their own, Lyon and, they created the most horific design known to
> man! I'll try and scan a photo for anyone who is interested later or, you
> can go to the Alstom site at; www.transport.alstom.com and have a look
> around, some nice stuff in there.
>
> Greg
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Fred W. Schneider III <fschnei at supernet.com>
> To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 3:57 AM
> Subject: Re: Museum Carbarn Assignments.
>
>
> > I think my wife wonders what I was laughing about.  Do Barber cars
> > attract tornados?  What a scream.  Do tornados scream?
> >
> > Boeing Vertol cars ... there have been so many good designs out there,
> > why would anyone want to save a disaster built by an aerospace
> > engineer.  Americans will all want to go back to something domestic ...
> > Milwaukee, OK, Cleveland's 5000s, maybe.  But I would have to credit the
> > Hannover cars as the first of the new generation.  If we want something
> > more modern, I truly love those ADtranz Eurotrams that came from the
> > Derby, England plant to Strasbourg, France ... great riding, smooth,
> > fully low floor ... they may look like a beaver running backward but
> > they sure are great trainsets.  And they're being run by an agency that
> > understands what they are doing!
> >
> > Wrestling match over a CNS&M piggy back trailer?  Hell no.  The public
> > doesn't know the difference.  May a new plastic one.  Let him have the
> > original if he wants it.  Take a look at the crowds in Williamsburg
> > Virginia looking at recreated buildings.
> >
> > The greatest problem with all trolley museums is they are created by
> > railfans because true historians don't understand the industry.  There
> > will always be a need to save something because we rode on it.
> > Personal experiences will always carry the ace of trump over legitimate
> > historial design considerations.
> >
> > Kenneth Josephson wrote:
> > >
> > > "Fred W. Schneider III" wrote:
> > >
> > > > But somewhere along the way, we need to build another barn to house
a
> > > > modern LRV.  If this is to be a World Class museum, then I have some
> > > > other candidates.  I can dream and foam as well as the next person:
> > >
> > > How about an empty Muni Boeing-Vertol in a display that appears as a
> cross section of the Muni Metro? On top
> > > we could have a roadway section like Market Street and a cluster of
> manicans at a car stop looking longingly
> > > down the street for a Baby Ten.
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >     1.  The Pittsburgh low-floor which resulted in the development
of
> > > > motors small enough to power a car that low.  I love the story from
> > > > Market Street Railway people, who tried the same concept and
> pronounced
> > > > it a failure, because "San Francisco has hills."
> > >
> > > You mean the guys who referred to PTM's good friends in Union,
Illinois
> as "Some group in the Midwest" when
> > > they were angry about not getting the Detroit car?
> > >
> > > >
> > > >     3   A horse car - the greatest job creation triumpth ever
created.
> > >
> > > Even more so than the EPA!
> > >
> > > >     5.  How about those crazy masonite sided evolutionary dead-ends
> > > > produced by the Lightweight Noiseless Car Co. (what a laugh) for its
> > > > parent Minneapolis, and for Nashville and Chattanooga.
> > >
> > > I have to admit, the TCRT  wooden deck roof cars built at Snelling
Shops
> were a heck of a lot better. And
> > > handsome, too.
> > >
> > > >     6.  And the Barber car ... a wonderful example of a chicken coop
> > > > carpenter turned loose where he didn't belong.
> > >
> > > This is a scream. Those things were the predecessor of the modern
mobile
> home. Did Barber cars attract
> > > tornados, too?
> > >
> > > >     7.  A Daft car with a hole in the roof caused by the troller
> > > > dewiring and crashing through the roof.
> > >
> > > We could lay out a wax figure of John Dameron's grandfather under the
> troller resting on the car's aisle
> > > with a display board explaining why his grandson hated trolleys.
> > >
> > > >     8.  A North Shore Merchants Despatch box motor pulling one of
> those
> > > > early piggy-back flatcars with a couple of 20 ft semi-trailers on
it.
> > >
> > > I'd sell tickets to the wrestling match between you and Nick Kallas
over
> who gets that one!
> > >
> > > >           10a: An example of safety car control ... we need a Birney
> ...
> > > > one of those 5,600 flimsy, rocking horses with a shelf live of ten
> > > > years.
> > >
> > > My wife thinks Birney cars are so cute. I'd love to see one try to
climb
> 21-Fineview after a snowfall. I'd
> > > love to see one try to tackle Route 21 period.
> > >
> > > >     10b. And then we need a Hannover Germany Grossraumwagen from
> > > > 1953, the first of the articulated cars that we know today as light
> rail
> > > > vehicles.
> > >
> > > Joseph Canfield argued (in CERA B-112) the articulated car concept of
> the 1953 Grossraumwagen originated
> > > with TMER&L Co. when they made articulated trains out of all those old
> deck roof city cars during the 1920s.
> > > What's your take on that? And if you agree, again, you'd have a real
war
> with Nick Kallas over one of
> > > those....
> > >
> > > How about a Boston "two rooms an a bath" train? A double jointed
> articulated car of sorts.
> > >
> > > To get this back on topic, I hope this little exercise in imagination
> will help cool heads prevail when it's
> > > time to fill PTM's next carbarn. Ken J.
> >
>