It is with a heavy heart that I report to the RYPN community the sudden passing of Branford / Shore Line Trolley Museum's Ted Eickmann on August 15.

Ted was very well known among the trolley museum world for his exacting restoration work. He came to the museum in 1971, interested in restoring New Jersey Public Service #2431. The skills that he displayed working on that and other projects, as a volunteer, led the museum to offer him a full-time position in 1977 as the Master Mechanic. Ted set aside his personal favorite project to work on so many museum priorities. Among the comprehensive restorations that Ted and the volunteers who worked under him accomplished were:

Conn Co birney-style single-trucker 2350
Johnstown 356 & 357
Conn Co Jewett wooden closed car 775
New Orleans 850
Atlanta 948

But in fact, as the Master Mechanic, Ted knew about, and worked on, practically every car in our collection. He also single-handedly constructed a demonstration trackless line and was working on restoring a 1947 Brill from Philly and a 1976 Flyer from Boston. Ted and another volunteer Bob put thousands of hours into the ongoing restoration of New Jersey center-entrance trailer 4584.

Although Ted officially retired from his paid position 10 years ago, he still came to the museum nearly every day to carry on the restoration projects in which he was involved. Sadly, he did not live to see the completion of his 2431 but was working on that quite actively until literally the day before his passing.

Ted was a jack of all trades and, exceptionally, a master of them too. He taught all of us so many varied skills in his 50 years at the museum. Ted was the only guy I've ever met who mixed paint by eye, and consistently got a much better match than any computer "color eye" ever did. He was an excellent painter, welder, wood worker, mechanical and electrical wiz, and could also hold his own in track and overhead line. In the early 1990s when the museum's two trestles needed new decking, Ted took charge of that project, from design to installation, probably saving the equivalent of several hundred thousand dollars.

It is probably fair to say that BERA/SLTM has never had another individual with both the depth and breadth of knowledge of its collection, as Ted Eickmann possessed.

Arrangements are in the care of the Goble Funeral Home in Sparta, NJ, with visitation from 3-6 PM on Monday Aug 23.

Jeff,

My sincere thoughts and prayers to you and everyone at Shore Line.

Wesley