[pta slowchat] Johnstown Traction Company Trolley Car 358

quote:

358 was originally an electric trolley car built in 1925 by St. Louis Car Co. Beginning in 2000, 358 carried its first passengers in Kingston after undergoing an extensive restoration since 1991. Some work remains before the restoration will be considered complete, but the car is run intermittently as the restoration and weather permit.

Johnstown Pennsylvania was one of the last cities in the US to abandon street railways. The last day of trolley operation in Johnstown was June 11, 1960. By this time several trolley museums were already established, so many of the remaining Johnstown cars went to museums.

358, however, was an exception. It was acquired by Stone Mountain, Georgia, to run a tourist ride around the mountain. They modified the car by removing the electric motors and controls and installed a diesel engine and a truck transmission. Stone Mt. renumbered the car 1910 and ran it until the 1980's. The Trolley Museum of New York acquired the car for the purpose of resting the venerable #120 gas car. We are restoring #358 from the floor up, but for the time being we will retain the diesel engine since the line in Kingston is not electrified yet.

Dimensions: 41'-5" x 8'-2" x 11'-4"
Weight: 38,680 lbs.
Seating Capacity: 44 (original), 28 (current configuration).