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 Post subject: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport #26
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 7:20 am 

Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:28 am
Posts: 72
Location: Central Pennsylvania
There is substantial progress to report on the restoration of former Public Service Coordinated Transport PCC Car #26 by the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. Interior repainting back to PSCT colors of dark green and cream is nearly completed and interior reassembly has begun at restoration contractor Rail Mechanical Services (RMS), Inc. in Columbia, PA. The passenger windows have all been reglazed with new safety glass (to replace the deteriorated Lexan used in later in the car's service life) and the frames refurbished thanks to a very successful "Buy A Window" campaign organized by the museum. Replacement rubber flooring in on hand and all of the seat frames have been restored as well.

Upon completion of the interior work, final exterior body prep and repainting in PSCT colors of off-white, gray, and blue will commence. Exterior steel repairs have been completed. Repairs both to the exterior skin as well as the supporting structure (some of which had to be accessed from inside the car) were rather extensive.

The car is scheduled to return to Baltimore Streetcar Museum this fall for 6-9 months of completion work, including rewiring of the auxiliary heaters (individual heating elements were replaced with new units), completion of modifications to the backup controller, additional wiring work, and replacement of the trucks (what is under the car now was used for testing purposes) with a set that was overhauled in recent years, along with a number of finishing details.

The restoration scope has been rather extensive, and included modifying the car to Baltimore gauge, modifying the General Electric control system to operate with Westinghouse Electric shaft brakes, multiple other wiring repairs (although, thankfully, significant parts of the car were rewired in the 1990s by NJ Transit), replacement of the field shunts, fabrication of new passenger doors, recovering of all seats with period correct material, procurement of green tinted standee window glass (to match what the car had until the 1980s), restoration of both destination sign mechanisms, restoration of a period correct style farebox and fare register, and a myriad of other details to ensure the restored car is as accurate as possible to a circa 1964 appearance, including interior advertising that is both geographically and period appropriate. The scope of restoration is comparable to that performed by Minnesota Streetcar Museum on former PSCT #3 (restored as TCRT #322). The reference information on this project on MSM's website has been informative and inspirational, and the PSCT #26 team appreciates MSM's willingness to answer our questions during this project.

The project has been well-supported by BSM donors from across the United States and has benefited from being a recipient of a challenge grant from the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation as well as a 2020 Railway Heritage Grant from the National Railway Historical Society. A team of 16 volunteers as young as 14 have actively supported this project, as well as contractors RMS, Inc, and Sateriale Woodworking, Inc..

The following video helps provide an idea of what the finished car will look like. A number of the same volunteers who performed the minor restoration of PSCT #6 at Rockhill Trolley Museum in 2011 are involved with the restoration of #26.

https://youtu.be/oVLPERHJC9o

Additional information about the project can also be found at the following link:

https://www.baltimorestreetcarmuseum.org/donate/#car26

The Baltimore Streetcar Museum greatly appreciates the support of its donors and friends to make this project feasible. Final completion and a celebration marking the completion of the restoration project is planned for late August 2021, which will coincide with 20 years since the end of PCC service in the Newark City Subway.

I've attached a photo of the car (and some of the volunteer team) on it's first successful test run in 2018 as well as several photos of the most recent progress.

Sincerely,
Matt Nawn


Attachments:
File comment: End view showing restored windshields, PSCT #26, September 2020
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IMG_8807.jpg [ 87.68 KiB | Viewed 5697 times ]
File comment: Exterior progress, PSCT #26, September 2020
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IMG_8804.jpg [ 91 KiB | Viewed 5697 times ]
File comment: Restored window, PSCT #26, September 2020
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IMG_8798.jpg [ 86.48 KiB | Viewed 5697 times ]
File comment: Interior view, PSCT #26, September 2020
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IMG_8797.jpg [ 101.23 KiB | Viewed 5697 times ]
File comment: PSCT #26 first successful test run and team, November 2018
PSCT 26 First Test Run and Crew November 2018.jpeg
PSCT 26 First Test Run and Crew November 2018.jpeg [ 152.86 KiB | Viewed 5697 times ]
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 Post subject: Re: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:59 am 

Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2004 3:07 pm
Posts: 705
Looks Good!

But one question: Don't you mean Westinghouse AIR BRAKE shaft brake actuators?

Keep up the good work!

Dave H.


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 Post subject: Re: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2020 7:53 pm 

Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:28 am
Posts: 72
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Hi Dave:

I’ll bet you are correct, although the vintage SEPTA manuals the BSM crew frequently uses for reference on the collection’s all-electric PCC cars refers to the SE-2 electric brake actuators as “Westinghouse Electric”.

Thanks for the compliments!

Matt Nawn


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 Post subject: Re: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport
PostPosted: Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:12 pm 

Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2018 3:51 pm
Posts: 442
Location: Ipswich, Mass., Phoenix, AZ
Love those Saint Louis built PCC's. For some reason they look better than the Pullman-built cars. IMHO of course.


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 Post subject: Re: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:59 pm 

Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:28 am
Posts: 72
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Latest update video on this project just released this afternoon.

https://youtu.be/Sqh4ONM2skk

Thanks to all supporters and friends who have made this progress possible!

Sincerely,
Matt Nawn


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 Post subject: Re: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport
PostPosted: Fri Sep 18, 2020 8:41 pm 

Joined: Fri May 01, 2020 12:46 pm
Posts: 37
Very nice work. Did NJT keep the Twin Cities interior unchanged when they repainted the exterior?


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 Post subject: Re: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport
PostPosted: Sat Sep 19, 2020 9:54 pm 

Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:44 pm
Posts: 198
That is quite a comprehensive restoration! NJT changed a lot of things in that early 80s overhaul. I wasn't sure if the seat frames themselves were changed or just reupholstered with that tan quasi-plush fabric stuff.

Interesting mod going to the WH actuators which are upside down and backwards, electrically, with respect to the GE MK actuators. I'd be curious to see the modified wiring diagrams. The GE actuators draw 0 current in release in the service winding and minimal current in the emergency winding. The WH actuators draw quite a bit in release. Did you have to replace the brake control resistors in the brake controller?

I guess you are using ex-Philly trucks?


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 Post subject: Re: Restoration Update: Public Service Coordinated Transport
PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:43 pm 

Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:28 am
Posts: 72
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Thanks for the positive comments and feedback on this project!

Regarding the original TCRT interior colors, the areas below the window sills were dark green, areas from the window sills to above the standee windows were light green, and the ceiling was cream. The colors used in NJ prior to the NJ Transit era were similar except the dark green only was used. A photo of the restored interior of TCRT #322 showing the original interior colors can be found at: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi ... ar_322.jpg

Regarding the changes necessary to convert the car from GE Mk 16 to Westinghouse SE-2 shaft brake actuators, the changes include:

- Disconnecting the Brake Reset Contactor
- Changing the cams on Brake Contactors (BC) 5, 6, 7
- Changing the cam on KM10 Contactor
- Changing the shaft brake Lock Out Relay
- Changing the shaft brake resistor
- Rewiring the shaft brake actuators from a series-parallel configuration to parallel

There were also wiring changes required at the C2 interlock.

This is what I recall quickly; part of the work when the car returns to Baltimore includes completing back up controller wiring and making actual drawings from my notes. Once this is complete I’ll be happy to share copies.

The trucks used under the car for testing purposes and the pair of trucks to be used under the completed car are ex-SEPTA which have been regauged to Baltimore’s even broader gauge. The parts necessary to do the GE to Westinghouse shaft brake conversion also were obtained from former SEPTA PCC cars.

Best wishes,
Matt Nawn


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