[PRCo] 2002 PTM calendar

[Fredbruhn at aol.com]

Did Fred III let the cat out of the bag?  Ed must have the new calendar 
almost ready.
Will it be announced with the next Trolley Fare?  

Is Bill Gwinn's house finally down?  The last time I drove by which I believe 
was a few weeks before Fred III and Ed drove the 69 line in Wheeling his 
house was condemned and had danger tape all around it -- and for good reason. 
 Bill used the 2nd. floor bedroom on the East side (toward Wheeling) for his 
trolley work.  He was very organized as anyone who bought from him knew.  
Almost all of his shots had a caption typed on the back, with the date and 
time to the minute the photo was taken shown on the back.  Bill had two sons, 
one I think is a doctor in Dayton, Ohio, and his other son lived in the home 
and was on some type of medical disability.  It was this son who disposed of 
his collection to PTM.  Bill bought his first car in the mid 60's.  I believe 
his fellow operator Tom Fahey from Martins Ferry drove Bill to the WP trips 
and later Pittsburgh.  

Bill started taking his trolley photos around 1946, but he may have some from 
earlier times.  It may have been a Columbus rail group who came to Benwood by 
B&O for a trip which Doc Blackburn recorded bits and pieces of on 8 mm.  Bill 
was the conductor and I think Tommy Fahey the operator.  The trip originated 
at the McMechen barn, went throughout Whg. to the Warwood barn where cars 
were pulled out for the fans to see including a diff. dump, and then over the 
island and north through Martins Ferry on the 79 line.  Bill realized then 
that he needed to take photos of the lines before they disappeared.  His 
route 59 shots south of Bridgeport
were almost exclusively taken on one day, getting off and on cars going 
southbound and then back northbound.

Do any of you (I should contact Gary Dillon who is old as dirt by now who I 
don't think ever missed a trip) remember the trips on Wheeling?  There were 
more than the one I mentioned above.  A trip to Barton had to be pre war or 
about 1941 - 42.  
One trip went to the end of the Rayland line as shown in a photo in one of 
CERA's all color books.  

Remember Wheeling is included in our Pittsburgh umbrella of lines, so this is 
on topic.

Fred