Rockhill Car Projects: Report of July 20 Maintenance Session and July 21 PCC Car Day

It has been busy recently at the museum. Thanks to the efforts of a number of volunteers, much was accomplished. Highlights include:

Interior Work on SEPTA PCC #2743

Thanks to the efforts of Harry Donahue and Jim Walsh, interior work continued on SEPTA #2743. More paint work was completed (particularly the step wells, which now look wonderful and inviting), followed by a thorough interior cleaning. The car looked better than ever for PCC Car Day.

Bill Monaghan, George Rich, and Jerry Evans took care of some minor electrical details by replacing a defective headlight bulb, and then, with some assistance by Budd Blair and Nicholas Brightbill, replaced trolley shoes and carbon inserts on both the front and rear poles.

Harry hard at work on his favorite car at Rockhill

Can't wait for the day #2743 looks like this again!

Minor Work on PSCT #6

With repairs previously completed to the headlight/marker light circuit, Bill Monaghan, Jerry Evans, George Rich, and Nicholas Brightbill replaced the marker light bulbs with the correct (brighter) bulbs.

Platform Modifications at Blacklog Narrows

Bill Monaghan and Nicholas Brightbill took a trip to Blacklog Narrows, where they carefully ground down the corner of the platform on the pocket track side, which had been fouling the skirt of #2743 and preventing it to run deep into the pocket track. Thanks to their efforts, not only were excellent side by side photo opportunities of museum PCC cars PSCT #6 and SEPTA #2743 available for visitors last Saturday, but this gives greater operating flexibility when #2743 is in service.

Touch up paint work still needed, but the excess concrete has been removed.

Photographers and visitors got this scene to enjoy on Saturday

Work on NJT PCC Car #10

With a myriad of tasks to be completed Friday for PCC Car Day, there was insufficient time to get NJT #10 fully prepared for test operation. However, some work still was able to be completed. Jerry Evans, George Rich, Carl Salomon, Budd Blair, and Stephen Lane got a pole and pole base from RTY inventory, prepared these for installation, installed the pole base and pole, and wired these for test operation. The pole base and roof boards will be removed before the car is shipped to its owner (since they use only front-mounted pantograph operation), but this work is essential for testing at RTY.

Pole base installation in progress.

First Annual PCC Car Day at Rockhill Trolley Museum

There are photos posted to the museum website (www.rockhilltrolley.org), and a full report will be provided in the next issue of The Retriever, but a few additional photos are posted here as well.