October, 31 2019 I was recently notified that this trolley website has not been updated in 3 years! MY BAD… so here is a little catch up. The first year we kinda puttered around with things. Sorta lost our wind. We still had the door mechanism to do (step goes down when door opens, and visa versa). Also we were still needing trucks and a home. It would seem that the powers that be have made the engine house option a thing of the past. We had a little scare that we might be out in the cold. Our new quarters at the Ideal Coatings facility in Falconer NY, had some good news. Seems they had a job opportunity that would require the use of their entire facility. Unfortunately, before we had to get out, the job fell through and we were once again given the opportunity to use the space. I know that sounds a little strange that we would say unfortunately, and no doubt their loss was our gain, but we would have been happy for them.
4/2018 Another trip to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. This time to figure out the step and door mechanism.
4/2018 The guys there were very helpful talking us through the door / step operation.
4/2018 Jim studying the upper door track.
4/2018 Jim reconnoiters the operation underneath the museum's original 1926 St Louis car. #93's big brother, but with the same door setup.
1/2019 Floor threshold panels finally in place.
1/2019 Plan for the railings.
1/2019 Support for the fare box.
1/2019 Fare box drops in place.
1/2019 More railings.
2/2019 Jim decides to make a wood pattern to help us design the upper door track.
2/2019 Making adjustments to the upper track parts.
2/2019 Switching to metal. Thank you Jamestown Steel Service for assistance and material and to our landlords at Ideal Coatings for a bit of welding too.
3/2019 Looks good!
3/2019 Looks good!
10/2019 After months of begging, borrowing and no, not stealing, we finally got our door step brackets made up. Dan at Williams Fabricating here in Jamestown, NY took some steel plate from another Jamestown Steel Service donation, cut it out with a waterjet cutter, and did a beautiful job of welding the parts together making it look better than a cast part. The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA, lent us some step parts that were used in designing the step parts for #93.
10/2019 Hard to believe, but we may have a line on some trucks. Not sure how the juggling is going to work, but we are hopefull that plans work out. Won't be the originals though…
10/2019 Jim and I gave the trolley restoration presentation to the local Norden Woman Club. They surprised us with a very generous donation too!