I took this photo on a May 1983 visit to the Fox River Trolley Museum, located in South Elgin Illinois. This red open car wasn't being operated at the time of My visit. but made for a nice photographic subject. At some point in time, I believe that the Fox River Trolley Museum possibly traded open car # 441 to another Museum somewhere. ( These things can happen)Open cars like # 441 were once common in many North American citties during the early 1900's, and saw seasonal warm weather use on routes that served Beaches, Picnic Groves and Amusement Parks. Citties in hotter climates like Rio De Janero Brazil, and Vera Cruz Mexico used open air cars like this for many decades.
If anybody has any information as to the where a bouts today of car # 441, I would greatly appreciate it. I never got to experience riding on this particular car at the museum in the 80's.
The East Troy Electric Railroad and Museum in East troy Wisconsin, has a homemade replica 4 wheeled open trolley at their museum operation today.
2 comments:
The museum was originally formed by a group of railfans who bought the trolley cars using their own money. The open car in your picture was privately owned by one of the members. Apparently, the guy decided to move to another state (I think PA) and start a small museum operation with this car. It left the museum and I think it wound up in storage somewhere. As far as I know, it hasn't been used since. I started operating trolleys at the museum a few years after the open car left. The veteran members told me the car was a real blast to run. It did have occasional derailment problems because the single truck with narrow streetcar wheels didn't traverse steam railroad switch frogs very well. Years later, passengers would still ask me where the "open car" was. It was a shame it had to go, but situations like this one are common in the rail museum subculture.
I found some info on the car
http://www.mhrailroad.com/blog/
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