[PRCo] Cutaways

[Bob Rathke]

Curiously, that cutaway steam locomotive at Steamtown in Scranton is a
former engine operated by Spang-Chalfant Co., in Etna, PA which was served
by the 2-Etna trolley line.

Bob 3/29/04

-----------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Schneider" <fschnei at supernet.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 8:38 AM
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.
RR