[PRCo] Re: West PENN 700's WE HAVE

[Edward H. Lybarger]

Let's not rush things, huh?

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Fred
Schneider
Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 4:31 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: West PENN 700's WE HAVE


And at five years per car restoration,  there is a 50-50 chance I'll be dead
by
then and won't care.

"Edward H. Lybarger" wrote:

> I think that may have been some gobbeldygook that someone issued in lieu
of
> knowing the facts.  I certainly don't know the facts, but I know that when
I
> started coming to the museum, back when the earth was still warm, the
> "official" line was that 722 would be rebuilt with air brakes.
>
> We have sufficient West Penn mechanical drawings to fabricate just about
any
> part for these cars, but a problem lies in that we have only one
controller.
> Fortunately, our thinking has matured sufficiently that we recognize that
> not every car has to run, and it is our immediate intent to display 739
with
> a great looking exterior paint job in the new visitor center.  Further
> restoration, including a decision of whether or not to make the car
> operable, will probably be the responsibility of another generation of
> museum staff.
>
> While I personally would love to ride in one of the 700s, I'm too much of
a
> realist to suggest that project in the face of all we have to do in the
next
> couple decades.  A non-operating example on display will work just fine.
> And there is no finite plan yet for what's next after West Penn 832 is
done,
> which will happen after 4398 is finished, which will begin as soon as 14
is
> out in June.
>
> Ed
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of
> rogertrolley.1 at juno.com
> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:32 AM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] West PENN 700's WE HAVE
>
> I had asked a technical question when I was back there once about the
> possibility of putting air-brakes on these cars instead of hunting for
> non-existant electric track brakes that these cars were originally equiped
> with. I was told the superstructure of these cars would not take the
weight
> or thrust of air brake equipment as they havent got strong enough frames
or
> mainframe ??? Monongehela West Penn had the same type car operating there
> with airbrakes.(I think thats what they had) Is this a fact(about the
> frames???) or were the cars built identical to each other (since West Penn
> built some ) ????    curious rogertrolley