Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Washington PA

Have any of you been to the PA Trolley Museum in Washington (suburban Pittsburgh) PA?

Their website indicates multiple guided tours and multiple operating trolleys. What were your impressions?

It is certainly a top-notch trolley museum. A variety of operating cars and the new barn is impressive. A must see.

I Have, its a wonderful place and I wish them well.. but they get grants and have a PA train buff in the state gov't so all PA museums are doing pretty good

Ok, I finally got there this weekend. What an extensive collection! There are 9 cars in the "operational" barn (including these Red Arrows: Center-door #66, St Louis #14 (perfectly restored, but temporarily out of service with a brake problem), and Brill Lightweight #78 (which was the "tour" car for the day).

Elsewhere on the property is a 30-car display barn (most of these are unrestored, and non-operational). Here I found Red Arrows #73, 5, and 24; a MFSE car, a P&W Bullet, and a bunch of other cars, mostly from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

I'll definitely go back there (not so sure about Electric City.)

I visited the museum in May. Click here for photos.

Thanks for the pictures Bob. It brings back memories.

I visited there in the early '80s when that was part of my territory. Behind them was one of my customers, Hankins if memory serves me, so I had to cross the tracks to get there. Imagine my surprise when I turned the corner off the main street and saw trolleys! Back then they only had three or four cars and a curved section of track. After my sales call, there was a motorman sitting on the step of his car eating lunch. We chatted for a while and then he took me for a ride to the end and back. He let me pull down the pole and put up the other one. I let it go too fast and it jammed. Boy, did I feel dumb! I joined the museum with intentions of extending my trips to Pittsburgh to include some time to work on some equipment. But a week after that visit, they changed my territory and took Pittsburgh away from me and gave me Maryland instead.

Later!
Mr. Ed

chuchubob wrote:I visited the museum in May. Click here for photos.

I really want to go to this museum... it's been on my list for years. Bob, your photos are great, thanks for sharing!

-otto-

Red Arrow Fan wrote:
I'll definitely go back there (not so sure about Electric City.)

Why not?

I'm a volunteer at the PTM, one shift away from revenue operator. We recently took in 3 cars from the defunct Lake Shore Electric Railway collection, will be restored as time and funds permit.

Miketherailfan wrote:I'm a volunteer at the PTM, one shift away from revenue operator. We recently took in 3 cars from the defunct Lake Shore Electric Railway collection, will be restored as time and funds permit.

That's great, please keep us updated if you can!

This museum has a very talented General Manager named Scott Becker who was a volunteer member with me many years ago at Branford. He was very bright and imaginative, and I always knew he would be very succesful at whatever he did. The fact that this is a top notch museum must be due, at least in part, to Scott's talent and vision. They are very fortunate to have him, and I'm glad he found a group that appears to appreciate him.

Scott is a good person to have. But we also have a core of long-time members that have been active for 40 or 50 or more years -- quite a few started when they were in their teens and are now either retired or nearing retirement.
Likewise we're blessed with support and donations from the corporate arena as well.

I've been a member on and off since 1958, and was one of the crew that ran on the first day of operation back in the eatly 1960s -- exact date eludes me at the moment. In the intervening years the line has extended from 2200 feet to about 2 miles, and the collection from 4 cars to 40 or so.

Y'all come for a visit, 'ya hear!

PTM recently finished sprucing up their Rio open car. Really nice job.

Come out and visit next year and enjoy the breeze as we roll along at a stately 22 mph -- all the faster the car will go when the controller is on the brass!