[PRCo] Re: FUNDING RESTORATIONS ETC

[Fred W. Schneider III]

ROGER Jenkins wrote:
> 
> When I was at PTM last year #739 SAT BESIDE THE shop bldg  on a pair of
> trucks from a PRC work car I think , 27 E type . The car was in a
> tarpolin cacoon but enough showed , including that  3 ribbed anticlimber
> that was so familier to everyone . I was happy to peek under thru the
> door window to see some of the interior . The car to me , looked in very
> good shape , but hard to tell  what the roof was like.  Any way to get
> around the difficulty of trying to get the electric track brakes to
> function and to fashion all that goes with that , air brakes could be
> installed to get the car running.!!  That may get more people interested
> in it.

I thought we were through this last week.  There is no abiding interest
among the members to get it running.  The bodies of both 722 and 739 are
on the property.  Current plans call for using the best one (739) as a
static display (probably nothing inside initially) inside the proposed
east site visitors center.  I imagine that the body of 722 will
eventually be scrapped for parts.  The people who are there today grew
up with PCC cars.  The West Penn system was gone by then.  There is very
limited interest in restoring such a car.  If you want to pay to have a
commercial shop make something out of it, that could work.  But I think
you want to provide about $1 million to make sure it gets done, and not
just started and then forgotten.  The museum is in the process of
rebuilding Red Arrow 14 ... might be done next year, might be 2003. 
There is several more years work to finish 4398.  And five years to
finish West Penn 832.  I'll be 80 before anyone gets around to worrying
about 739.  It is far more important just to keep a half dozen cars
available to give rides to the public.  AND AS I POINTED OUT LAST WEEK,
THE PUBLIC DOESN'T CARE ABOUT SPECIFIC CARS AND THEY ARE THE ONE'S THAT
PAY.  
> 
>    On another tack , ILLINOIS RY. MUSEUM I was told , hired a full time
> crew for its workshop and laid off the members that used to work there
> because they spent more time talking about old times and sneaking out to
> ride trolleys or trains ! They got little work done !  And they were
> being paid for this. The new crew acomplishes more as they are not
> railfans and are more interested in working !  This happened a few years
> ago . Interesting way to do things if you can afford to pay the going
> wages and medical besides. They do get the crowds to show up there being
> so close to the Chicago area.

Not at all surprising that they can't keep railfans working in the
shop.  We are our own worst enemies.