[PRCo] Re: That damn PCC car on eBay

[Fred Schneider]

Sadly, all museums are democratic and respond to the whims of their current
membership, often ignoring what had been done by the earlier membership.  At
Baltimore we have a rusting hulk of a steel trailer and, stored inside, the
remains of a house made from a Newport New semi-convertible.  I have great
doubts that either prior project will amount to anything.  And the latest whim
is to take a San Diego / El Paso PCC and rebuild it to look like a Baltimore St.
Louis-built car.  In the meantime our members continue to age and loose the
stamina they need to do anything.

National Capital now has a Washington center-entrance car that Branford sat on
since 1947.  The people in charge at Branford in the 1980s preached that they
needed a center entrance car while denying that they had the Washington 650.
They needed a Red Arrow car.  When 650 was mentioned, I heard, "But we never
rode on it."  Again, the feelings of a new membership.

And one of Ken Josephson's friends is constantly complaining about Orange
Empire's practice of ignoring their trolley fleet while working on national
network railroad equipment.  The Bamberger / Fonda NY bullet car that was
heavily restored a decade ago is now outside in the weather.  A bright red PE
Blimp that I remember looked great when I did the PCC books is now pink ... sun
bleaches paint pigments in the desert.  Again, new members and new goals.

One of the few that remains constant in their outlook is Seashore ... they still
need to buy everything and restore zip.

And trolley museums are not alone.  The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission never deaccessions anything.  They may loan something out ... the
Birney to the Manheim Historical Society and the Kuhlman-Wason-American builders
photos to PTM, but they never relinquish title.  Sounds a lot like Seashore and
Perris to me except that they have the ability to tax the rest of us to support
the idiocy!

Finanny, in that this is a Pittsburgh fan group, I won't take any stabs at PTM.

John F Bromley wrote:

> If this car is anything like the crap that OERHA has at the museum in
> Rockwood there will also be the problem of trees growing through the floor.
> OERHA took some PCCs as well then left them out to rot and./or vegetate.  No
> sense out there at all.  Then this "Canadian" museum bought a Chicago PCC El
> car to run.  Oh the joy!  Guess who quit in disgust and refuses to have
> anything to do with those looneys.
>
> -----

xx