[PRCo] Re: Fwd: First outing for Rio 1758

[Dwight Long]

Ed

I actually agree with you on your point about the open car.  And the NOLA car has been a good workhorse and has proven its utility more than once by absorbing the dings and dents of outraged fate.  As one of my favorite railway museum keepers, Uncle Bob Richardson, once said, precious artifacts should never be used in daily service.  But some of the other stuff?

Dwight
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Edward H. Lybarger 
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org 
  Sent: Sunday, 27 June, 2010 16:48
  Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fwd: First outing for Rio 1758


  Yes, it fits right in with the New Orleans car and all the Ohio stuff.  The
  West Virginia cars were at least owned by a Pittsburgh concern (if you
  ignore the New York holding company).

  But it's a strong marketing tool that will bring revenue and help keep the
  doors open.  If PTM had to survive on historians, it wouldn't.

  Ed

  -----Original Message-----
  From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
  [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Dwight
  Long
  Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 12:35 PM
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
  Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fwd: First outing for Rio 1758

  Fred

  And of course there is nothing like a Brazilian tram to illustrate the
  mission of PTM--preserving Pennsylvania's tramway history!

  Dwight
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Fred Schneider
    To: Pittsburgh-Railways at Dementia.Org
    Sent: Saturday, 26 June, 2010 10:29
    Subject: [PRCo] Fwd: First outing for Rio 1758


    Following photographs of the open car at Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
  received from Dave Hamley and forwarded with his permission.
    The car was one of a group of Rio de Janeiro open cars imported in the
  1960s, two of which (and this was one of those two) went to the Magee Museum
  in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.   For those who don't know the story,
  Hurricane Agnes devastated the property in June 1972 and a few days later
  its owner and local carpet company baron, Harry Magee suffered a fatal heart
  attack.   His children showed no interest int he trolley and antique car
  museum and the equipment was spread to the winds.  The other open car he
  owned is at the Midwest Threshers Museum in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.    This one
  passed through Florida before coming to rest at PTM.   

    "The car was purchased in 1973 by the Lionel Train and Seashell Museum in
  Sarasota, Florida, where it was used indoors as a display and as a seating
  area to watch videos.  In 1990, the car was purchased by the City of
  Orlando, Florida.  It was to be used as the first streetcar (and as a device
  to generate public interest and Federal funding) for a proposed Heritage
  Streetcar line in Orlando.  The car was refurbished, re-numbered 1 and given
  the nickname of "Oscar" (for Orlando Streetcar).  ...Orlando never created
  the proposed Heritage Streetcar line, and the streetcar sat unused in indoor
  storage for many years until being sold at auction in [to PTM] 2006."
  [This paragraph was lifted off the internet with minimal editing.]

    Other cars imported from Rio at the same time include but may not be
  limited to:  Number 1875 at Rockhill Trolley Museum in Lancaster,
  Pennsylvania livery, 1850 at Connecticut Trolley Museum at Warehouse Point,
  1794 running on the streets of Memphis converted to a closed car for their
  heritage line, 1718 and 1779 are at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and one may be at
  Northern Ohio Railway Museum (NORM).   I thought that Paul Cass had one in
  Oregon but that isn't turning up on a quick search.  

    Of course the PTM ca has been slightly altered.   The original standard
  gauge trucks don't work.   In the process it has been lowered slightly.   

    So here is Dave Hamley note that goes with the pictures:   

    "After several years in PTM's shop, ex- Rio open car 1758 was out in the
  sun today.  Towed out by shop switcher RG2 while the guys were still
  painting the floor.  First public exhibit is Sunday 6/27, actual in-service
  date probably early August.  I also took the occasion to shoot RG2, with the
  Porter for background, and P&OC's SW1500 1545 rolling past.
     
    Dave"