17-12-24 PHOTOS: Second Ave Nostalgia

This holiday photo set has a little bit of everything! Of course the headline content, continued from last week's video post, covers my trip to NYC to ride the Holiday Nostalgia Train on it's new (and long delayed) routing up the 2nd Ave Subway to 96th St. From there I take a holiday road trip to the Easton, PA area where I was alas too late to photograph some former Lehigh Valley searchlight signals on the former Conrail Lehigh Line. Instead of grabbed some photos of the new signals at some area interlockings. Finally I grabbed a few more holiday photos from the Baltimore Streetcar Museum.

You can find the full set of still content right here!

I took NJT to NYC, but earlier in the month I was in 30th St station on other business where I caught a snow covered Metroliner Cab Car #9644 in Keystone service.

NJT ALP-46 #4606 at Newark Penn Station. Catching the Nostalgia Trains at the 2nd Ave terminal is best accomplished through taking the PATH and then catching an (A) train at World Trade Center.

The new World Train Center PATH station is quite pretty, but not at all worth the cost. I dearly miss the old rabbit warren mall as it gave an advantage to savvy commuters over the tourists in terms of speedy navication.

The Nostalgia Train parked on the 2nd Ave center stub tracks that I believe were built to support the original Second Ave Subway plan, which today only runs between 63rd St and 96th St. The leading and training R1/9 cars were #1802 and #381.

With interest from the 1950's vintage cosplay set, the Holiday Nostalgia trains are more popular than ever, even on the "early" morning 10am run. A GoPro window mount or selfie stick are easy ways to avoid the crush of kids at the Railfan Window.

#381 at 96th St.

15-12-20 PHOTOS: BSM Annual

Every year as Christmas begins to roll around I make a point to visit Ye Olde Baltimore Streetcar Museum as their seasonal Santa runs provide an extra dose of photographic subject matter. Although the content of museums tends to change slowly over time, in recent years the BSM's collection has been expanding at a rapid clip as it acquired a number cast offs from SEPTA's back lot so at the very least I wouldn't be photographing the exact same equipment in the exact same places.

Unfortunately it was during this visit that I learned that Dan Lawrence had passed away in October of 2015. I hadn't been able to run into Dan at the BSM for the better part of a decade, but I always asked if he was around. Whatever issues people had with his personally this is a huge loss to the community, although I suspect his grandson will be able to step into Dan's role if he wants. You can find all the photos here.

The BSM sweeper C-145 sits adjacent to former NSC PCC #26. The weather was great for a mid-December afternoon.

I could not recall seeing #26 out and about the last time I had visited. Maybe we'll get to see it in operation sometime soon.

PCC #7404, a BTC survivor, is of course the BSM's original PCC car.

Funny how 5 120v light bulbs, wired in series, equals the 600 volts of most trolley systems. Coincidence? 

SEPTA PCC #2168 was once again performing the task of shuttling young children to their meeting with Santa at the 28th St loop.

BTC #6119 was providing the non-Santa service.

13-12-14 PHOTOS: A BSM Christmas

As we face what looks to be the final major snowstorm of the season, looking back three months winter was just getting under way and a good coating of the white stuff was cause to fire up the old point heater and roast marshmallows. Every year during the month of December the Baltimore Streetcar Museum attempts to attract some visitors under the age of 65 by offering a special Santa car to the "North Pole" with all the related holiday pomp and circumstance.

Since there's not much else for me to railfan during the dark days of December I have made it a habit to go on down and ride the trolleys, even if I had been there only a few weeks earlier for the 50th Anniversary of the end of Baltimore's streetcar service.  You can see all the Holiday streetcar photos in addition to some shots of N&W signals here.

As always car #264 was working for the non-Santa crowds. Not the asymmetric trucks which only contained one motor each.

PCC #7407 was sitting out, but went unused as Philly car #2168 was flying the PCC flag that day.

Here we see a PA Streetcar gauge truck awaiting the 1" shims that will expand it to the 5'4.5" Baltimore Streetcar Gauge.

The repainted Philly work car #2187.

1930's car #6119 sitting on the loop in direct sunshine.

On my trip on #264 I grabbed some video of the operator's movements on the inbound trip.



PCC #2168 was being used for the Santa trips and was signed specially for them.

Heading out on the Santa run we waited for #6119 to clear the section of single track.

Oldest operating electric streetcar in the world #417 was in the mix, but for testing purposes only.

#264 soon departed again on another non-Santa run.



As the day wore on it was time to put everything away. Here is #264 again having its poles changed before reversing into the barn.

Cars #417 and #6119 didn't bother with a pole change and just backed in to the barn pushing their poles ahead of them.


That's all for now. Tune in next week for trip back to New York City to rise the Holiday Nostalgia Train.

13-11-03 PHOTOS: BSM Antiversary

While most railfans in the Northeast were enjoying themselves on a rare millage excursion courtesy of Amtrak on the first weekend in November, 2013, a small group of non-conformists decided to sit out the festivities in Baltimore and celebrate what they considered to be a somewhat more important milestone. The Baltimore Streetcar Museum was founded in 1966, got its stuff in 1968 and started operating in 1970, so one might wonder what they would be celebrating in 2013. Well this is the 50th anniversary of the cessation of streetcar operations in Baltimore City by the Baltimore Transit Company in 1963. While celebrate might not be the right word for this unfortunate, but by no means unique event, the BSM was not going to miss the opportunity for a special shindig.

I believe that the date of the last run was on Nov 3rd, 1963, but the interesting things was that it took place around 6:30am instead of something like midnight and that was because while official scheduled service ended at the time you would expect, trolley enthusiasts had chartered a special last run car which stayed out until just before sunrise. Now I am not sure that I would count a charter as "service", but the BSM seems to and 50 years later they reenacted the event by having a simulated last run at the appointed time before continuing on with a full day of Streetcar Museuming in conjunction with a Maryland Classic Car enthusiasts group to provide additional "atmosphere".

You can find all the roadcar and streetcar photos here.

I am going to start off with this photo of a classic Baltimore Transit Company GM bus #1426 because I think the BSM missed a wonderful opportunity to have a little fun. Instead or commemorating the last run then having a normal museum day they should have converted the Baltimore Streetcar Museum into the Baltimore Bus Museum, declaring that the trolleys had been retired from service because they were too "old fashioned" or something. They then could have kept up the charade for the remainder of the day giving rides in this and other buses until some pretext brought the trolleys back.

Anyway, the coolest piece of equipment on display was this yellow 1970 Pontiac GTO. This is one of the first road cars to be outfitted with a modern solid state AC propulsion package...or at least that's that Wikipedia's disambiguation page seemed to imply. It would take over two decades before this technology made it to rail vehicles.

Here is Baltimore's very own PCC #7404 sitting out on the loop under the fall leaves and sun.

 One special treat was the car #417 was finished its restoration work and ready for limited service. #417 is the oldest operable electric streetcar in the world having been built around 1880 as a pre-electric horse car then later fitted with electric traction. Unfortunately while riding #417 I missed my chance to ride in the GM Bus :-(

Business end of #417.

1959 VW Bug.

I should know what this is, but I don't. Perhaps one of the folks who had one of these as a kid could help me.

BSM workhorse #4553 with a 1980's Corvette in the foreground.

1970's flame painted GMC van that did not happen to be a-rockin.

It was warm enough for open car #1164 to be out, seen here at the 28th St loop.

Full house on #1164.

While I didn't get to ride the evil GM Bus #1426, I did snag a few photos inside it.

One wouldn't think that a streetcar rail designed to be used in the street would present a hazard to road vehicles, but while exiting the event this Ford Falcon ripped off its oil pan and exhaust system. One of the major disadvantages to low riding.

The BSM did have two work cars on hand to tow the hapless Falcon, but there was no room in the carbarn to perform the needed repairs.

Well that's it. Next time tune in for some Thanksgiving stuff.

12-12-15 PHOTOS: More Streetcar Santa

You might remember how in 2011 I stopped by the Baltimore Streetcar Museum during the month of December when it was running its special holiday service with Santa, you know, for the kids. Well all those free cookies and hot chocolate could not be resisted and I gathered some friends together and made the trip again this past holiday season. Not much more to say except you can see the whole set of photos here.

I got there early enough to catch the volunteers shuffling cars around in order to get ready for that day's service. Here car #6119 is making a backup move with the motorman at the special rear control stand.

The Santa car was supposed to be ex-SEPTA car #2168, but it was having problems so former BTCo cat #7407 was trotted out as a substitute.

Also out on display that day was the snow sweeper C-145, here standing in front of #6119.

#417 has a strong claim to being the world's oldest electric streetcar and here it is still under restoration, but now moving under its own power.

Wow, the restoration makes 417 look factory fresh.

#264 was waiting out on the loop for that day's non-Santa service.

After getting some quick repairs #2168 was taken out for a test run on the main line.

While 7407 waited on the loop with Philly's own Bill Monaghan ready to take the controls of whichever PCC will be assigned to the service.