[PRCo] Re: 2002 PTM calendar

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings

Good to read about W J B Gwinn.  I was fortunate to ride with him
as a motorman and bus driver in Wheeling and to visit with him at
Arden.  Coop Transit was a product of the depression.  They kept
the cars running another 10 years or so.  Rebuilt two cars with a
slanted front end.  They put out a small folder describing the company.

Question to Arden: Does the museum have a copy?  I had one once as
 a kid but not now.

Bill was named after a Presidentail candidate.  I was born in 1928
just after the election and almost was named "Herbert"!.  In my National
Guard unit I had a Roosevelt Nixon and Franklin D Knuckles.

Harold Geissenheimer

Fredbruhn at aol.com wrote:

> 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