[PRCo] [Fwd: Another Loss for PTM and the promised link to the photos]

[James B. Holland]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Another Loss for PTM and the promised link to the photos
Date: 	Mon, 15 Nov 2004 22:48:48 -0500
From: 	CuZinBruce <>
To: 	PaTM Shop News <>



I regret to report another loss to the PTM family. My wife Cindy just 
returned from the nursing home where her Mother, Martha Ellis passed 
away tonight from complications of a fall at she had taken at home two 
weeks ago.    Cindy's Dad is Pennsylvania Trolley Museum founding member 
Arthur Ellis who many members of this list know personally. Your 
thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.

Bruce Wells

Here's the link to the photos promised in my earlier message that I 
posted tonight.

http://homepage.mac.com/cuzinbrucie/Weakly.Report/PhotoAlbum33.html


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Weakly Report
Date: 	Mon, 15 Nov 2004 21:52:46 -0500
From: 	CuZinBruce <>
To: 	PaTM Shop News <>



Weakly Report
November 13, 2004

Work on 4398 has been just like the Mazda commercials... zoom zoomin' 
along. Work on the car has progressed to the point where the framework 
is mostly reassembled. Jack has been working with Tony to reassemble 
components for the car. Saturday Jack was concentrating on the 
reassembling one of the hand brake staffs and was showing off the 
completed pole bases that he and Tony had worked on. Late Saturday 
afternoon Jeff King, Jack Sutherland, Tony Desensi and Justin were 
applying rivets to the holes that Justin drilled in the step well area 
using our new magnetic base drill press which learned how to swim back 
on September 17th. As of this weekend the entire frame has been 
assembled with the collision plate and new curved end sill in place and 
riveted together. Last week Jack finished up the drawing for the 
replacement posts and they removed the old stuff. This coming week they 
will be framing up the dash end of the car and the side sheets won't be 
far behind.

Over the pit Bernie Orient prepared the Jacques (French Sefac car 
hoists) to lift 5326 off of its trucks so that the motors can be removed 
for service.    The flood water soaked into one of the motors just a 
little too much and it needs professional drying out. Although the other 
motor meggered OK it will go along so that this vital service car can be 
serviced completely. The motor shop foreman inspected the car and 
indicated that both motors need the commutators turned and undercut. 
Twenty-four years of continuous service probably has something to do 
with it. Next to the pit where track 5 used to be Bernie is setting up 
to rebuild the second truck for 66 indoors this winter.

Out in the parking lot Dave Hamley was working to complete reassembly of 
Pettibone crane #29 with help from Bernie. Dave then assisted Bernie by 
helping switch around the cars in the shop using RG2. 3618 was moved off 
of the pit and West Penn 1 was pushed to the other side of the visitor 
center passageway on Track 22 to allow 3618 and M551 to occupy the front 
half of the building.

Down at the East site Dan Bower and a large crew (Bryant Schmude, Tim 
Jones, Bob Powischill) were working to install the restraining rail 
needed to keep the cars on the track as they enter the curvey part of 
the loop. Larry Lovejoy was walking around the East site assisting the 
surveyor who is volunteering some time so that 'as built' plans can be 
produced. This will allow accurate plans to be formulated for future 
developments including buildings, the tracks into the Blimp Hangar and 
alignment of Trolley street.

Early in the morning a crew from the museum that included many from the 
above paragraph along with Scott Becker, Jeff King, Dave Crow and Scott 
Davis assisted a crew from local moving company Hartman & Hartman in 
transferring snow sweeper M56 from track 33 to 34 in the Blimp Hanger to 
consolidate the free track space in the building in one spot. For this 
operation SEPTA T16, horsecar 101 and PAT 4004 had to be pulled out 
front while the forklifts picked up the sweeper and made the sideways 
move. That took about an hour so by 9 o'clock it was done. It was about 
then when I arrived on the scene with the paint I bought to use on West 
Penn 739. My goal for the day was to pressure wash the horsecar and by 
midday I had acquired enough garden hose to make it happen.

So there I was getting ready to pressure wash the miscellaneous 
excrement from the roof of our horsecar. Car 101 sat at Station Square 
(behind the Grand Concourse) protected from the weather (but not pigeons 
and raccoons) for almost 20 years and it was a mess. It was a beautiful 
clear sunny but chilly Fall day and as I collected the 400 feet of hose 
and equipment together I thought to myself "ya know, this is just like 
the November day in 1965 when I rode my bicycle to the museum and 
visited for the first time".     Then I thought "ya that was the 13th a 
Saturday" and that when it hit me...this is the 13th. My how things have 
changed!

I remember that day, Lou Redman was leading a crew repairing the track 
down by Farm Road. I guess not to many recall just where that was but it 
was a dirt road crossing down near the Pittsburgh end of the County Home 
siding.     It was how the farm hands at the home got access to their 
fields on the other side of the tracks where Millcraft and Dynamet now 
stand. It's where the county built the pump house building (red brick, 
still there) that used to put the County Home sewage into the high 
pressure line. Anyway, Lou and the gang had 3487 out there and tried to 
use it to spread ballast cause "hey it use'ta plow snow". 4398 was out 
there too for some reason even though the air brakes weren't working, 
seems it had a blown air tank.

The New Orleans car was parked at the platform but the museum wasn't 
open.     It was only open on Sunday's in those days and closed for the 
season on the last Sunday in October. The platform was just a frame of 
ties filled with mill slag that, just as advertised, magically 
solidified after getting wet.     It was tough on the car floors but it 
was a dry surface for the visitors.     That was about 18 years before 
the Richfol shelter arrived and about 5 years before landscaping. I met 
an older gentleman who I later came to know as Kurt Freundt who was 
looking for a ride back to Pittsburgh. He asked me what I was driving 
and I pointed to my bike and said "I'm driving that black thing over 
there". Not seeing a car "over there" he didn't understand and I had to 
explain myself.

Anyway, that's how Saturday at the Trolley Farm went, harkening back to 
times long ago and being thankful for good times, good friends and great 
memories. Look for the latest photos on my web page sometime later this 
evening. Remember to stay safe, be alert and as always questions are 
welcome.

Keep smilin'
CuZinBruce