[PRCo] Re: Arden Progress

[Boris Cefer]

Remember PRCo M11. She had the large plexiglass covered box in her interior
and also one smaller plexiglass covered box in front of it. Do you remember
my request regarding that handrail in M11? It was just around that small box
which seemed to show power, brake and field weakening contactors under the
floor. And if you have a question how the accelerator was cooled in such a
small box which would not allow an adequate air flow, then I think I can
answer also this question. Do you want to know my theory? You can't guess!!!

Would be interesting to have a glass floor, but it would scratch, yes. And
what about a narrow bridge structure (with grids) along car side above the
glass floor for visitors? They would have to go thru the car on all fours.

B

----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Schneider" <fschnei at supernet.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 4:38 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Arden Progress


> You didn't hear me argue with you.  I'm smiling.
>
> The engineer in me says grrrrreat.  The museum manager in me says no,
because
> the public would not understand.  They can recognize complexity, but not
> differences between a B2 and a B3.
>
> Really, the purpose of a museum is to educate and demonstrate, and if it
works,
> good.  The only trolley museum I know of that cut open a car to show how
it was
> made was not run by railfans ... it is the city owned operation in
Scranton
> which took a Birney and carved it up to show the public the different
parts.
> Someone there must have looked across the street at the steam engine that
was
> carved up by the National Park Service to show the same thing.  And guess
what?
> The public looks at it and relates to it.  While I'm not supporting taking
a
> torch to something really significant like the Derby, Connecticut freight
> locomotive at Branford, I'm certainly not going to take offense at
butchering
> one of the many New Orleans 800s or Boston Type 5s or PCCs to show how
they were
> put together.  How about a PCC laying on its side to show its belly?  Or
with a
> glass floor?  (Would scratch, wouldn't it?)
>
> I liked the response.  It gives me entertainment.
>
> Boris Cefer wrote:
>
> > And what about to make 1613 (its repair isn't sheduled yet) with one
half in
> > PRCo paint and second half in ugly PAT gray. And front truck B-3 and
rear
> > B-2. Did I say I'm an engineer? Cheeze whiz!
> >
> > B
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Fred Schneider" <fschnei at supernet.com>
> >
> > >
> > > 3.  And what about Pittsburgh Railways 4398?  Justin told me has to
> > > start on it on May 13th.   That will be the car that cannot ever be
> > > restored to one time frame without a great deal of effort and our own
> > > gold mine.  Pittsburgh changed them so much over time that there may
not
> > > have been a handful of identical cars by the time they were scrapped.
> > > Some had level floors, some drop center.  Some had center doors that
> > > worked; some had blocked center doors with seats added.  Some had  25
hp
> > > motors, some 37 hp.  Some went to the scrap yard with Jones control,
> > > some had the Westinghouse copy of GE type M, and others had K-35
> > > control.  I would not surprise me if at least one got a K43 out of a
> > > 4100 at some point.  Bells were on the roof, some were under the
floor.
> > > Some were scrapped as two man cars, some as one man cars.  Brake
ratios
> > > were changed on some cars.    What a wonderful chance to make a Jones
> > > car on one side and a one-man K car on the other!
> > >
> > > That out to stir up a little hate mail?
> > >
>
>
>
>