Summary of Work Accomplished during 11/21/2015 Work Session

Dear Volunteers and Friends:

This past Saturday's work session was a productive one, ensuring our cars are ready to carry the crowds we hope to entertain during our annual Winter Events.  The following is a summary of the work accomplished on each vehicle:

San Diego MTS #1019: Both harps were inspected; the trolley shoe and carbon insert at the inbound end was replaced.

STCP #172: The inbound end controller received a thorough servicing and the governor was inspected and serviced.

York Railways Co. #163: The governor was inspected and serviced.  Both controllers received a light servicing.  The compressor was inspected and the electrical end was cleaned.  All journal bearings were checked and topped off as needed.  The side bearings were checked to ensure they were sufficiently greased.

Johnstown Traction Company #355: Both controllers received a light servicing.  The governor was inspected and serviced.  The side bearings where checked to ensure they were sufficiently greased.

Philadelphia Transportation Company #2743: Door #2 was adjusted, tested, and returned to service.  Door #1 was secured against operation and the fuse pulled; this door set remains out of service when the car is operated.

None of this would have been possible without the volunteer service of (in no particular order) Jerry Evans, Fred Walter, Jim Cohen, Budd Blair, George Rich, Bill Monaghan, and your author.  All of these individuals helped until dusk (or later).  Thank you Maintenance Crew!

While not a Car Maintenance Project, the Museum looks FABULOUS thanks to the recent decorating efforts by our dedicated volunteers.  Be sure to see their efforts at:
www.facebook.com/rockhilltrolley

Thank you to all of our volunteers!

Best wishes,
Matt Nawn

Rockhill Trolley Museum Work Session Scheduled for November 21, 2015

Dear Volunteers and Visitors:

My apologies for letting this blog lapse for more than a year.  There has been plenty of car maintenance and associated projects going on at the Rockhill Trolley Museum in the past year; there just hasn't been as much time available to write about them.

With a new year brings new opportunities, and as such my plan is to get this blog going again. 

Anyway, first things first.  There is a Car Maintenance Session scheduled for tomorrow at Rockhill Trolley Museum to ensure our equipment is prepared for heavy use during the annual Winter Events.  Projects planned for tomorrow are as follows:

- Service (change filters, clean, lubricate, inspect) governors in cars 172, 249, 163, 355
- Inspect fluid levels cars 163 and 249
- Lubricate walkover seats car 163
- Inspect compressor brushes Plow 10
- Service inbound controller car 172
- Adjust front doors car 2743

Help is needed and appreciated.  New faces always welcome.

Looking ahead to the Winter and early Spring, the following projects are goals for the offseason:

- Comprehensive inspection and servicing car #402
- Brake inspection and adjustments to car #107 (possible repairs to air system as well)
- Complete door replacement car #6 followed by comprehensive inspection and servicing to return car to service for 2016 operating season
- Investigate heater problem car #205

Finally, one last item of recent note.  While not a car maintenance project per se, Maintenance Department Volunteers led the efforts to retruck former PST/SEPTA Car #23 as well as coordinate and lead the efforts to ship this car from Rockhill Furnace to its new home in Newtown Square, PA and unload it at its new home.  A few photos follow of this work.

Car #23 has just been loaded on the Silk Road trailer.  The broad gauge trucks were loaded first, followed by the carbody which was set on its trucks on the trailer. 

Car #23 departing Rockhill Furnace

 

Car #23 arrives the following morning at the Newtown Square Pennsylvania Railroad Museum

 Unloading in Newtown Square

 

Once unloaded, volunteers and staff tarped the roof for winter protection

 

 

The unloading crew poses for a final photo

 

 

Best wishes,

Matt Nawn

Work Session for November 8 is CANCELLED

Dear Volunteers and Friends:

I am sorry for the relatively late notice, but tomorrow's Maintenance Department Work Session is cancelled.  The parts delivery is being rescheduled for a later date.

However, the scheduled work session for November 15 will proceed as scheduled and help is still needed.

I will be at home this weekend overhauling the pneumatic door engines for JTC #311.

Thank you for your support of Rockhill Trolley Museum.  I hope to see you November 15.

Best wishes,
Matt Nawn

Upcoming Rockhill Trolley Museum Car Maintenance Work Sessions

Dear Volunteers and Friends:

Your help is needed for two upcoming Car Maintenance Work Sessions.  This is an important time of year for Car Maintenance as we are fast approaching the Holiday Events when our cars see their heaviest service of the operating year.

Saturday, November 8:
Focus for this session is reorganizing the spare parts stored in Carbarn 2.  We are long overdue for this work and we will be taking delivery around noon of a donation of several pallets of spare parts.  Many hands make light work!  I will be onsite around 8AM to start the work.

Saturday, November 15:
This is our final maintenance scheduled maintenance session before the Holiday Season begins.  This is our annual governor servicing session for cars 163, 355, 172, and 249, as well as a time to give each car a check of all bearings including the journal and side bearings.  We have kept up on controller and pole maintenance throughout the year but this final push is necessary.  Session will start around 8AM. 

New volunteers are always welcome - please feel free to contact me in advance to discuss further.  Thank you for your volunteer dedication and support.

COMING SOON - A SUMMARY OF THE WORK COMPLETED DURING SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL.

Best wishes,
Matt Nawn

Help Needed - Multiple Dates - Our U2 LRV is arriving and being reassembled

Dear Volunteers and Friends:

Your help is needed to receive, unload, and reassemble our newly acquired former San Diego MTS U2 Light Rail Vehicle #1019. 

Schedule is as follows; with help needed each day:

Arrival of car sections by highway trailer, unloading, and staging: Thursday, June 19. 

Reassembly preparations: Monday, June 23

Crane on site, reassembly of A and B sections into one unit: Tuesday, June 24

Maintenance and basic functionality training Part I: Wednesday, June 25

Maintenance and basic functionality training Part II: Thursday, June 26

Clean up, other maintenance tasks: Friday, June 27

Being these dates are on weekdays, it is especially important we get volunteer support.  We will have outside assistance with the work from June 23-27; but we have to have volunteer support to receive this help.  Our most critical need for help is Wednesday, June 25, but we need help every one of the days listed if we are to successfully reassemble our Light Rail Vehicle.

Please contact me (mwntrolley@aol.com) if you are able to assist, and for which days.

June 23-27 is museum's annual week-long work session, with overhead wire work and brush cutting planned as well.  Help is needed in these areas as well; if able to support this work, please contact Henry Long, Track & Wire Department Head at trackman1978@hotmail.com.

We are only a few steps away from getting this vehicle reassembled and back to operating condition.

Your help can make this happen!

In 1981, San Diego was thrilled with its "New Trolley". 

In 2014, we are thrilled with our "new trolley" too.

 

 

I look forward to working with you soon!  Thank you for your help.

 

Best wishes,

Matt Nawn

Friday, May 16, 2014 Maintenance Department Work Session

Dear Volunteers and Friends:

Rockhill Trolley Museum will have a Maintenance Department work session this Friday, May 16.  This session is to ensure our cars are ready for Members' Day and the start of the regular operating season.  I will be onsite by 9AM.

Prioritized projects for Friday are as follows:
- JTC #355: Grease side bearings and service controllers
- PSCT #6: complete repairs to door circuits
- P&W #402: reinstall coupler knuckles and lubricate couplers, including release mechanism (we are scheduled to tow the caboose with this car on Saturday)
- Liberty Liner Independence Hall: clean and lubricate controllers
- Carbon inserts: check/service all cars

New volunteers always welcome.

Thank you to all who keep the museum functioning.

Sincerely,
Matt Nawn

Electroliner/Liberty Liner - Next Work Session is Saturday, February 8; Report of February 4 Work Session

Dear Volunteers, Friends, and Visitors:

Rockhill Trolley Museum will be having another work session focused on the Electroliner/Liberty Liner #803-804 "Independence Hall" this coming Saturday, February 8.  New volunteers and additional help are always welcome.

Tasks for Saturday are as follows:

- Crimp on new terminal and re-connect ground wire from condenser to carbody under car #804A1

 

- Crimp new terminals on battery box leads and install batteries

 

- Inspect MG set and ensure brushes are free; clean brushholders as necessary

 

- Inspect outbound (#804) end motors; clean brushholders as necessary

 

- Inspect two functioning compressors; clean brushholders/communtators as necessary; check oil levels

 

- Grease brake slides on each truck

 

- Testing

 

Budd Blair and Matt Nawn participated in the work session this past Tuesday, along with some help from Nicholas Brightbill after he got home from school.  The wiring to the new resistor grids under car #804A1 is completed.  See below.

 

 

Finally, a correction is in order.  The report of the January 25 work session neglected to mention that Lance Myers and Nevin Byers assisted with the towing of NJT #10 (and perhaps most importantly, got the sometimes balky M-25 diesel to start).  My apologies for the omission!

 

I hope to see you at Rockhill Furnace this Saturday.

 

Best wishes,

Matt Nawn