PSRMA TROLLEY WORK PARTY SCHEDULED FOR OET
The PSRMA traction committee has made plans to go to the Orange Empire Trolley Museum in Perris to work on San Diego Electric railway PCC car #508 on Saturday April 18. All interested PSRMA members are invited to come and help out. SDERy car #508 ran in San Diego in active service until April 1949. Its primary useage was on line 2. The car was also used on lines 3, 7, and 11 on the weekends. It was delivered to the railway in 1937 and was the most modern type car of its day. The car is still very modern in appearance and the visitor to OET can compare this car to Los Angeles Railway (Narrow Gauge) car 3165 built in 1947, one of the latest of the PCC type cars built. There are few external differences.
Car 508 of late has suffered from neglect and needs rust proofing, seat repair, painting and general cleaning. Who would be the most likely people to help her out. Why we hope the people of San Diego would since it is their car on display in the world's third largest trolley museum.
PSRMA is a member of the trolley museum and stores operable coal burner 0-6-0T, E.J. Lavino & Co. #10 and non-operable oil burner 0-6-OT, Mojave northern #3 there for your viewing. OET owns car #508, but will permit and encourages us to work on her. By the way your PSRMA pass (membership card) is good for a ride on the OETM trolley's (per OET operating rules) so come out and give us a hand (particularly until we have our own trolley). For further information contact Tom Matson, Traction Committee chairman, 4282 Taos Drive San Diego, 92117 273-8951.
PSRMA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MARCH
19 - THE-TRAIN, Ken Theatre, 7 & 9:15 pm
20 - Traction Committee, 7:30 pm, Gary Johnson's 7422 Tweed, Lemon Grove, 465-1838
22 - Open House at Locos, Jim Lyerla - Host
29 — Open House at Locos, Jerry Windle — Host
APRIL
2 - RETIREMENT OF MR NAPOLEON, Ken Theatre, 7 & 9:15 pm
7 - Board Meeting, 7:30 pm. San Diego Trust & Savings
18 - Traction Committee, 7:30 pm, George Geyer's 2928 Fir Street, 234-0555
19 - General Membership Meeting, 7:30pm, AT&SF depot
25 - Traction Work Party, OBTM, 10 am
MAY
5 - Board Meeting, 7:30 pm, San Diego Trust & Savings
16 - Puerto Penasco Excursion
WORK PROGRESSES ON THE SDERy LINE TRUCK
Restoration work is progressing on the former San Diego Electric Railway line truck which belongs to the museum. The line truck, which features a rising wooden platform for work on overhead trolley wires, was donated some years ago to the museum. The weather was beginning to take its toll on the all-wooden body of the truck.
March 14, a work party attended by C.L. Benbow, Jim Lyerla, Bob DiGiorgio, Tom Matson and Jerry Windle was held. The old paint was scrapped from the aged wood and a primer coat of paint was applied to protect the wood from the elements.
The museum is hoping to restore the truck to its former condition so it can be driven in parades and other activities which might benefit the museum in public relations. Hopefully the truck will be ready for a Fourth of July parade. If so there's a lot of work that needs to be done.
The highlight of any work party on the line truck comes with the cranking of the motor and a trip through a vacant field to the chugging of the four cylinder motor in the old White truck. The truck is a real collector's item and at present the only piece of equipment the museum owns that was a part of the San Diego Electric Railway.
D&RG narrow gauge engine #473 is being serviced in the Durango yards before a day's work on the Silverton line during the busy summer season. Colorado and New Mexico are trying to purchase more than 200 miles of the line which zigzags through both states between Alamosa and Durango before the railroad scraps the line. This picture was made in the summer of 1966 when freight activities on the line were in their dying days.
END NEAR FOR THE NARROW GAUGE?
DEADLINE FOR THE D&RGW NARROW GAUGE NEARS
Efforts to save the Denver & Rio Grange Western's narrow gauge line between Antonito and Durango are moving ahead on two fronts in Colorado and New Mexico. Both legislatures have approved bills to fund state railroad authorities. In addition, a non-profit corporation has been established in Colorado to accept donations toward purchase of the line.
The entire drive is towards the April 1st deadline set by the railroad. The Colorado General Assembly approved a bill for $295,000 while the New Mexico assembly approved a similar bill giving a combined total of $590,000 for the initial outlay. The Rio Grande has put a total cost of the trackage at $1,088,000.
The authroities have given priority to purchase of the road between Antonito and Chama, but almost all involved would like to see the entire route saved. To help, Colorado Senator Hugh Fowler established a non-profit corporation to receive contributions to increase the total available by the April 1st deadline. Called the Colorado Society for the Preservation of the harrow Gauge.
Society funds will be contributed directly to the Colorado authroity to bolster the amount available for the purchase offer. The society has prepared a "Conservation Bond" certifying receipt of gifts of $10 or more. The bonds are admittedly worthless, but the society stresses that all gifts will be acknowledged. With regard to Colorado Railroad Authroity plans, officials say that first priority is the purchase of as much track right-of-way as possible. The authority will then seek a concessionaire to operate the railroad, there being no intention of the states to operate the railroad themselves. Should any operating plans fail to materialize, the states could recover their investments through the slavage of the line as scrap. Should the entire project fail, monies collected by the Authority would be turned over to the state to aid in the Georgetown Loop restoration project.
Persons desiring to aid the effort to save the narrow gauge should direct their donations to the Colorado Railroad Authority, Box 2000, Englewood, Colorado 80110.