[PRCo] Re: M454

[Edward H. Lybarger]

>From a curatorial perspective (NOT a railfan perspective), M452 would have
been the car selected because of its originality and completeness.
Unfortunately, vandals set it on fire one night in South Hills Junction yard
and reduced it to so much scrap iron.  We bought it for its trucks, and
moved it to the museum at the same time as curatorial choice #2, M200, which
had seen some indoor years.  M454, while a favorite of the emotionally
affected, was, by the time it became available, ravaged by the time outdoors
and not something that would even make it to Sphagetti Warehouse.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Ken &
Tracie
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 3:28 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: M454

Hey Ed,

I asked you about M-454 when we met for the first time. Simple
explanation....M-452 was in better shape, was a better preservation choice
and M-454 was scrapped for parts after being used as something of a
temporary storage unit.

That M-454 was used as fan trip car certainly wouldn't assure its
preservation. As a teenager, I asked a friend at IRM why Milwaukee trackless
trolley 441 was preserved and last scheduled coach, 428, was allowed to go
to Mexico City. Simple reply...428 wasn't in as good shape as 441 and the
museum wanted to preserve a typical Milwaukee Marmon-Herrington, not the
city's first, or last, or first to operate, or last to operate.

People tell me the North Shore Line's second to last order of cars (built by
Pullman) were better built than cars of the last order, built by Standard.
This fact has come home to roost as serious restoration efforts are being
made to some of these cars.

A NSL coach retired in decent, operating condition in 1963 is now sitting at
a museum in Connecticut, a tree or bush growing through one of its
platforms.

Preserving any artifact is a gamble. Some may be rescued and restored
immediately, others may die a slow death over decades.

Scrap prices are at their highest level in years.

We may live long enough to see one of the Electroliners and  dozens of those
preserved PCCs recycled.

K.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward H. Lybarger" <trams2 at comcast.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 9:18 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: M454


> The record shows eight through September 4, 1966. I don't have a 
> handy-dandy
> list for trips after that weekend.