Archived Headend Journals from the New York Museum of Transportation

Article From the Spring 2004 Issue of

HEADEND

The Journal of the New York Museum of Transportation

SHOP REPORT by Charles Lowe

NYS-R 437: Work on restoration of the car's K35 controller has resumed with the installation of new main contact fingers. Motor curves for the car's two 1920s GE265 (35 hp. ea.) motors have recently been located at the Schenectady Museum, copies of which were graciously made available to NYMT. These will be used to design the resistance grids
necessary to operate the car. By studying the underside of 437, it has been determined that these grids were located under the rear platform after the car was one-manned in 1922. The support boards are still in place, with cut off bolts matching the pattern of typical grid supports. On July 18, Charlie Lowe and his brother Tom removed one of the gear
case covers, counted gear teeth and determined that the trucks under 437 have a 17:60 gear ratio. This information will be used in developing the resistor grid design.

P&W 161: Trolley retrievers have been selected for this car from NYMT's stock of equipment. Unfortunately, new retriever bases, which attach to the car body, will have to be acquired or manufactured as none are available at present at NYMT. Don Quant is leading the restoration of the retrievers. Don has fitted one of the two trolley poles to a base on the car’s roof, with the help of John Ross and Jim Dierks, and expects to have the second pole in place by late August, bringing to conclusion roof work on 161. Meanwhile quarter-round for glazing the car’s windows has been primed and painted by the same trio, and painting of the window sashes is underway with help from Paul Monte.

P&W Car House: In July, final work by the contractor on the car house was completed, including driving pipes for cane bolts used to secure the car house's doors in both open and closed positions. The centerline of the car house's second track has been laid out on the ground and grade stakes placed so that excavation for ballast can be performed. Most switch items have been stockpiled at the work site, and
these include a #7 fixed frog salvaged from the Rochester Subway, provided by Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. On August 6, the first spikes for the new switch were driven when two long tie plates were spiked in place. The extra-long tie plates are used where the moveable points of the switch must slide laterally. Track foreman Randy Bogucki and Charlie Lowe are leading the effort to construct this switch and track; any assistance is most welcome.

Charlie Lowe puts down a base line to lay out the new switch.

NYS-R 1402: Rochester city streetcar body 1402 has been donated to NYMT by The Furniture Doctor, Inc. of Bloomfield, N.Y. The arrangement is contingent upon the car’s removal from its present location prior to the end of this year. This car, originally an open car built in 1904, was a trailer car in its later years and was of the same series as NYMT's 1406 which was scrapped in the 1980s. Some of 1406's parts were salvaged and these could be used in a restoration of 1402.

Substation: Virtually all of the many substation components and conduit have been mounted on the walls of the substation room. This work includes the former Denver Tramways control panel which has a heavy-duty DC disconnect switch and several electrical meters. Remaining work inside the substation room includes pulling AC and DC wiring in the conduits and making all connections, as well as installing the grounding system bus and completing metering instrumentation, already in progress. Through September, conduit will be laid from the building to the track, and AC and DC wiring pulled through it, and outside grounding will be installed and connected to the inside system. In parallel with that work, final quotes for hook-up will be received from Niagara Mohawk and an electrical contractor. The schedule for finally connecting to 3-phase 400 amp/480 volt service, and connecting the DC line to the trolley wire, will determine when we can implement live testing. A lot of top-quality work is being done by Jim Johnson, Charlie Harshbarger, Dick Holbert, Bill Chapin, Rand Warner and many others. We’ll be sure to appropriately celebrate when their work is done and our new substation is ready for service!

Electrification: Six more track bonds were applied to the rail nearest the NYMT buildings by Rand Warner. These are located between the trolley loading platform and the switch in front of the R&E shelter. Now, the loop track has both rails bonded from a point opposite the new substation to the R&E shelter.

Mack Fire truck 307: Don Quant has checked out the truck and hopes he has resolved engine problems by cleaning out the fuel tank and lines. In late July, Don and Jim Dierks drove the truck to obtain its annual N.Y.S. safety inspection, and the truck performed flawlessly.

Fire truck 307 responds to Don Quant’s call for a short drive.

Tangley Calliope: John Ross has fitted a clear acrylic plastic cover over the player mechanism so the calliope can be left in unattended operation during events. John is seeking reliable volunteers to be trained on operation of the calliope so they can help entertain our visitors on Sundays.

Chevrolet sedan: Lew Wallace has been refinishing parts for the engine compartment, and reinstalling them as they become available. Recently, he reattached the hood to its hinges, with help from Gary Morse, Don Quant and John Ross. The Chevy represents the post-World War II suburban movement in the U.S., an important part of the transportation history in our country.

Gary, Lew and Don concentrate on assembling the hood hinge.