Connecticut Trolley Museum, Warehouse Point, CT

polybalt wrote:

Over the weekend, a massive switching operation occurred to get two Boston PCCs (3100 & 3306) and the 162 (Chicago North Shore) from the end of the Inner Loop Storage Track. Of course the three cars that we needed to get at were 3 of the last 4 cars on the loop.

Tim:
What were the reason(s) for the big move?

In the coming months, work is to commence on the 3100. The Chicago North Shore car is scheduled to be cleaned up and be put on display under the Train Shed of the Visitor Center once all of the tracks are completed. Since 3100 was behind the North Shore car, we pulled that out as well. Testing of some of the control systems of 3309 has been ongoing and since 3306 and 3309 are identical, it made sense to put the cars next to each other so that they can be tested simultaneously.

Tim,

Where are the pictures? All that moving around and no pictures... Come on...

Ted.

ted_roy wrote:The Niagara Junction car was a line car at the museum. It suffered an electical fire, gutting the the car body. The electrical parts on the car as well as the trucks were salvaged and the car was scrapped. When car 355 was originally rolled out, she rode on the salvaged trucks, very bad riding, so I have been told. So the car was placed on shop trucks and it waited for it's current trucks to be rebuilt.

Thanks, now I can finally put this car's fate to rest. I had slight hope that maybe the body was still rotting away in a forgotten corner or something. But now I finally know what happened.

For those wishing to keep updated on the Connecticut Trolley Museum, I have recently started a blog on the happenings at the museum. Check out http://connecticutcompany.blogspot.com.

Tim

Tim,
If you don't mind me asking why is Hartman Storage being removed and where are the three ConnCo cars going ?

Mr rt wrote:Tim,
If you don't mind me asking why is Hartman Storage being removed and where are the three ConnCo cars going ?

The main part of Hartman Siding is not being removed. There was a disconnected storage track that paralleled Gale Barn. That section will be removed to allow for the sweep of the track into the Visitor Center and around front of the VC. The 1739 and 771 are going in bays 1 and 2 respectively of the Train Shed and 154 (0309) is going into the Visitor Center.

Tim

Nice ConnCo blog and thanks for the link back to RAILROAD.NET. Keep us posted with reminders to check your blog for updates!

I have two questions the first is what is the museums plans for Long Island RR 4153? Will it ever be operational again? My second question is what are the plans on extending the ROW to Piney Ridge and/or farther to the scanic river?

Tpochron wrote:I have two questions the first is what is the museums plans for Long Island RR 4153? Will it ever be operational again?

Depends... How much money you got?

My second question is what are the plans on extending the ROW to Piney Ridge and/or farther to the scanic river?

Depends... How much money you got?

Well i know the Long Island RR car used to run during the late 70s early 80s wasn't sure if it was one of the cars that they can't find parts for and as for the ROW, I know a number of years ago it was talked about extending the line to Piney Ridge. I know it would never get past the scantic river one because the bridge was taken down for the war effort in WWI when the rest of the line was scrapped, plus that after the bridge the ROW is non existant. You can follow the ROW less than a quarter of a mile before is would of crossed mill st. Well anyways was just curious about the car and the ROW.

Tpochron wrote:Well i know the Long Island RR car used to run during the late 70s early 80s wasn't sure if it was one of the cars that they can't find parts for and as for the ROW, I know a number of years ago it was talked about extending the line to Piney Ridge. I know it would never get past the scantic river one because the bridge was taken down for the war effort in WWI when the rest of the line was scrapped, plus that after the bridge the ROW is non existant. You can follow the ROW less than a quarter of a mile before is would of crossed mill st. Well anyways was just curious about the car and the ROW.

The Scantic River Bridge was not removed until World War II. They were still running over it after World War I (Until 1926). It is planned to eventually cross the Scantic River because we have an agreement with the State to build a loop through the Scantic River Linear Park at Trolley Crossing. Also, the ROW never crossed Mill Street, it became Mill Street. When the State built CT-191 (CT-140 at the time), it built the roadway right over the old trolley ROW.

Track extension is most definately a plan at CERA. One of the biggest things we will need for this project is railroad ties. We don't have nearly enough to extend to Piney Ridge, or the river. However, we do have a lot of rail that could be utilized for this project. If anyone has a large supply of new railroad ties, this would be a big help. However, our mainline needs much attention in regard to tie replacements. That is also a priority now. But if we were able to acquire a huge lot of ties, they would most definately be used. We already have equipment to grade the ROW, equipment to install trolley poles, and trolley wire & other overhead components. So, we need ties and a few dozen kegs of spikes!

Okay I thought that the ROW used to cross Church st anad run behind the house which is on mill then run alongside of mill st up to main st.

So how many line cars do you guys have now? I seem to recall you guys had a single-truck line car, and didn't you guys just pick up another one at the Trolleyville sale?

I've posted photos from my trip to CTM last Sunday: http://carter.gamerspage.net/CERA/index.html. I'd appreciate any corrections and comments the rest of you may have, as well as some more detailed info (builder/date, retirement date, owners) about the various cars I photographed, especially #s 16, 1850, 355, 1326, and LEV-2*.

*The relevant Wikipedia entry appears to be mixing up the histories of LEV-2 and LEV-1, but I don't know enough about either to correct that.