Eastern Railroad Discussion > Interesting Move at the PA. Trolley Museum

I volunteer at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) ( https://pa-trolley.org/ ) as a motorman. I operate the trolleys there. I have been doing this for about 2 years, so by no means do I know it all. I enjoy it and they are looking for help in any way. Car shop, track & signal, operators to name a few. Anyway back in the 70's the museum acquired 3 reefers. All Swift Refrigerator Line cars.  One of them, SRLX15405 with a build date of 5-54 used brine tanks. The other two where converted to compressor types for cooling. I heard that SRLX15405 was going to be acquired by the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek Ohio. Word was that the Ohio Central RR (OHCR) was going to pick the car up. I live close by so Sunday evening (7-28-19) I went over to take a few pictures of car SRLX15405 before it left. I came back Wednesday (7-31-19) for the pickup of the car. And that proved to be the day. The  sun was kind of high and I did my best to take decent pictures as this was something I wanted to record. So on with the pictures. There are 17 pictures. For continuity I thought it best to keep it as one post.

1. Old Swift Refrigerator Line meat car, SRLX15405. Build date 5-54. Acquired by the PA Trolley museum in the 70"s. This car had brine tanks. The thin rod on the end of the car opens the dump valve. You can see the ninety degree drain line at the center of the rear truck. It is going to the Age of Steam Roundhouse in Sugarcreek, Ohio.  7-28-19

2. Baldwin-Westinghouse locomotive B73. Behind are the other two reefers that may be scrapped.   7-28-19

3. Baldwin-Westinghouse locomotive B73 info.   7-27-19

More photos........

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4. OHCR main is far right. Their local will take SRLX15405 with them after servicing Washington Penn Plastics about a quarter mile behind me.   7-28-19

5. Reefer SRLX15405 is now coupled to Bladwin-Westinghouse locomotive B73, waiting to be picked up by the OHCR local.   7-31-19.    Note: The rest of the photos are 7-31-19.

6. Age of steam psersonel are at the PTM. Looks like SRLX15405 will be moved today.

More photos ...

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7. Journel box lubed.

8. What is left of the refrigeration unit for SRLX25046. SRLX 25043 indentical.

9. SRLX 25046 & 25043 also aquired in the 70"s may be scrapped.

More photos.... 

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10. OHCR has returned from servicing Washiington Penn Plastics, behind me. OHCR Hi  Railer has just arrived. But the locomotives will have to back from the road crossing to await a OHCR car man to OK the move.

11. Waiting for the OHCR car man.

12. OHCR car man has arrived (in hard hat). Two to the left are OHCR. Guy partially hidden with blue cap is from Age of Steam Roundhouse. 3 guys in foreground at PTM personel. 

More photos....

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13. OHCR throws the switch to connect PTM with OHCR main line.

14 & 15. Bob Jordan (PTM) in the cab of B73 pushes SRLX15405 towards the OHCR main.


Two more...

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16. Data plate for B73.

17. OHCR with SRLX15405 in tow will couple onto the covered hoppers on the siding and will head back to the yard in McKees Rocks, PA.

Thanks for looking,

John Breitigan
Washington, PA.

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Excellent and very informative.  Great pictures to go along with the story.  Thank for posting.
Rich S 

Great story.  Well told and well illustrated.  

What a great set of photos. That B73 can still operate is amazing. She might have been the oldest operating diesel in North America on this day!
Bob

John, very well done post capturing this part of railroad history!!
Pic #8 looks to be a Carrier compressor proving the refrigeration.

Thanks for the "Great post!!!"
NSSpike

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

Nice to see that a 40' Swift car has survived. I've seen quite a few of the stretched versions. Also interesting that it's being moved on its own wheels with solid bearings. I think those are air circulating fans in your photo, not actually a "refrigeration unit."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/19 07:40 by CPR_4000.

Thanks, John, for the pictures and story.  Gerry

I briefly cabrode B73 at the museum a few years ago.   Unforgettable.   Throttle and brake bicycle chain linkages.

The inside of it reminded me greatly of the German U-boat U505 in the Chicago Museum of Science & Industry...

Glad to see it's still running!

Wow, that Baldwin is one strange looking beast.  Thanks for the post, enjoyed it.
john

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> I think those are air
> circulating fans in your photo, not actually a
> "refrigeration unit."

Shown in that picture are a Carrier two cylinder refrigeration compressor, freon pressure switches, a liquid solenoid valve, and a two-section air cooled condenser.

Yes, they are air circulating fans, they circulate air through the condenser coils so they dissipate the heat from the cooling process.

The muffler for the engine is still visibible on the upper left, and the engine and generator were in the empty space in the front.
G 

Thanks for the interesting post...

Thanks all. Glad you found the post interesting. And thnaks for the additional info on the cars that had the upgraded refridgeration units. I heard that SRLX15405 was not going all the way to Age of Steam by rail. At some point it was supposed to be put on a flatbed for the the rest of the journey. 
John

Very cool story and photoes! Did Ohio Central have to get wavers to move that refer acount friction bearings?

SantaFeRuss

SantaFeRuss Wrote:
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> Very cool story and photoes! Did Ohio Central have
> to get wavers to move that refer acount friction
> bearings?
>
> SantaFeRuss

I don't know. 
John

SantaFeRuss Wrote:
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> Very cool story and photoes! Did Ohio Central have
> to get wavers to move that refer acount friction
> bearings?
>
> SantaFeRuss

I do not think any waivers are necessary. It is Ohio Central's choice whether to handle the car. I think it was nice of them to do it. Many railroads would have chosen otherwise.