[PRCo] PRCo Windber

Fri Nov 21 13:15:30 EST 2014

This thread goes back almost three months.   I love Herb's statement back in August about finding out how electrochemical processes work.   Yes, Herb, many of the artifacts man has saved will become ferrous oxide stains on the landscape because of man's grandiose delusions.    Jedlika has been mentioned.   So has a man in Kane.   Until now, no one mentioned the rust deposit in Uniontown that vanished with the owner's death.   Remember Rail City up near Watertown, New York that also failed?  Then there was the Magee Museum that was washed out in a hurricane.  And nearby, the Columbia Park and Southwestern.   

We all seem to be desirous of saving what we remember and then we discover that (1) it costs more than we have in our bank account to fix it and (2) the public doesn't care as much as the fans do about saving every last PCC car.  The general public would probably enjoy, far more, a ride in a four wheel car behind a team of two horses or two mules.   However, our "museums" are all about saving what we remember and that is probably why they fail.   

There are some truly good museums dedicated to electric railways and maybe we should worry about making sure they survive and not worry about the ones who will disappear.

1.   I think PTM has developed an excellent reputation.   Oh, the guys have their arguments and not everyone agrees with all that is taking place but it is doing better than most places.

2.   Remember when Vane Jones published a story titled the "Wrecks of Perris?"   Well, every time I pass through that part of southern California, Orange Empire gets a little better.  A couple of years ago I popped in during an auto show … trolleys and antique cars   They must have had 2,000 people on the grounds.   They got the message about to attract people.   The place doesn't look junky like it once did.   

3.  Western up in Rio Vista … have not been there in 30 years but I keep hearing good things.

4.  IRM … They too must have a lot of support because I am not hearing anything bad.  

I am cannot offer personal opinions on the New England properties because it is easier for me to get to California than to Branford or Kennebunkport or Warehouse Point … they require passing through metro New York City and that is something I avoid.  However, look at this video of Seashore.   I like the idea of having buses in your trolley museum because they show what kept many private companies in business until the public authorities could take over in the 1960s.  But I don't like the idea of displaying rows of them rusting….

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fV2Brr2qOE

And if I showed the crap, here is a nice video of a Seashore parade of their good stuff

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmSrA1UNb9I

5.  If you like European operations, I have to admit I always had a warm fuzzy spot for National Tramway Museum in Crich, England.   I remember when I was a member there, how amazed I was when they were looking to hire a matre 'd for their restaurant.   A trolley museum with their own restaurant?  A place where you could get roast beef and Yorkshire pudding on Sundays in addition to riding tram?   To us it seemed so unreal.   They also have some great events every year like World War II days.   Here are three Crich videos … enjoy or delete.   The last two are a half hour of World War II days.   Crich has junk but they hide it in a former railroad shop miles away from the public.   

By the way, you can get to within several miles of the museum by train.   After that it's a long up hill walk unless you can convince someone to come down to the train station to pick you up.   Best way is learn to drive on the other side of the road.   It's not too oppressive … just the first time is bad.  It becomes easier each time.   I can state from experience that after about 12,000 miles the left hand automatically falls on the shifter when the eyes are looking out over the right side of the bonnet.   

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVjx2hv6LkY

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pBWdW4iaik

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ACkFKM1Ex4

On Nov 21, 2014, at 7:48 AM, D Brashear via Pittsburgh-railways wrote:

> I hadn't realized before 4006 went to Cleveland that it sat in Columbus
> 
> http://rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27357
> 
> On Sat, Aug 30, 2014 at 10:42 AM, Herb Brannon <hrbraninpgh at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> Dwight,
>> Which is under one roof, the Windber rust pile or the Ohio I-70 rust pile?
>> 
>> The cars near I-70 in Ohio are owned by Ron Jelicka who used to be a member
>> of Northern Ohio Railway Museum. The cars were at NORM originally, from
>> what I was told. Jelicka (may not be the correct spelling of last name, but
>> close enough for identification) had some kind of fight with some other
>> NORM people, took his cars and went home. However, home did not have a car
>> barn. So they now are an experiment showing how electrochemical processes
>> work and act. This scenario was what was told to me by a NORM member.
>> However, all stories have two sides. I have not heard the other side to
>> date. Jelicka also owns the ex-PAT PCC sitting near the lower level of the
>> Detroit-Superior High Level Bridge in Cleveland. I suspect it is rusting
>> also. The attached photos of 4006 where taken in 2007.
>> 
>> 
>> On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 8:28 PM, Dwight Long <dwightlong at verizon.net>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> At least they are now all (or mostly) under roof.
>>> 
>>> Dwight
>>> 
>>> From: George W. Gula
>>> Sent: Friday, 29 August, 2014 08:47
>>> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
>>> Subject: Re: [PRCo] PRCo Windber
>>> My guess is that this collector was another guy who wanted to establish a
>>> trolley museum all by himself, then found out how expensive and
>>> labor-intensive such an endeavor really was. There is a lot of now junky
>>> cars sitting off I-70 in Ohio that were collected for the ams reason.
>>> 
>>> George Gula
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 8/28/14 10:03 PM, "Robert Netzlof" <rnetzlof at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> On 8/28/14, Herb Brannon <hrbraninpgh at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> 2. What was the purpose of someone amassing this very large collection
>>>>> of
>>>>> PCC cars then letting them sit in the elements, to rust away?
>>>> 
>>>> Probably the same as the fellow up by Kane who acquired an ex-BR&P
>>>> caboose, a box car, and (I think) an RPO; then let them rot beside his
>>>> garage.
>>>> 
>>>> Big ideas, little forethought, tiny budget.
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> Bob Netzlof a/k/a Sweet Old Bob
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
>>>> Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
>>>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
>>> Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
>>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -------------- next part --------------
>>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>>> URL:
>>> 
>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140829/a66cc303/attachment.html
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
>>> Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
>>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> *Herb Brannon*
>> 
>> *In Pittsburgh...........A City and*
>> 
>> 
>> *..........................A State Of Mind *
>> 
>> *Let's Go Bucs*
>> 
>> *Let's Go Steelers*
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -------------- next part --------------
>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>> URL:
>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140830/238bc91d/attachment.html
>> -------------- next part --------------
>> A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
>> Name: HPIM0516.JPG
>> Type: image/jpeg
>> Size: 1518602 bytes
>> Desc: not available
>> Url :
>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140830/238bc91d/attachment.jpe
>> -------------- next part --------------
>> A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
>> Name: HPIM0519.JPG
>> Type: image/jpeg
>> Size: 1264926 bytes
>> Desc: not available
>> Url :
>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140830/238bc91d/attachment-0001.jpe
>> -------------- next part --------------
>> A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
>> Name: HPIM0520.JPG
>> Type: image/jpeg
>> Size: 1641898 bytes
>> Desc: not available
>> Url :
>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20140830/238bc91d/attachment-0002.jpe
>> _______________________________________________
>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
>> Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20141121/37c044af/attachment.html>
> _______________________________________________
> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list
> Pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20141121/02c627b6/attachment.html>