Liberty Liner runs again...

[Blutorse4792]

Rockhill Trolley Museum has restored the "Liberty Liner" (formerly CNS&M 803-804) to operating condition.

From the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HISTORIC, STREAMLINED, ELECTRIC TRAIN RETURNED TO OPERATING CONDITION

Rockhill Furnace, PA – The Rockhill Trolley Museum (http://www.rockhilltrolley.org), the operating entity of Railways To Yesterday, Inc., a 501(c) (3) non-profit educational corporation, is happy to announce the return of its historic Electroliner/Liberty Liner streamlined train to operating condition.

Two of these historic trains were constructed in 1941 by the St. Louis Car Company for the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, which provided high speed electric service from downtown Chicago to downtown Milwaukee until 1963. These trains were specially designed to provide the most modern comforts at the time yet still be capable of operating in the tight confines of the Chicago elevated railways and with automobile traffic in the streets of Milwaukee. These trains were studied by the designers of the original Japanese “Bullet” trains in the early 1960s and perhaps influenced some of the features of these trains.

Both of these historic trains were sold in 1963 to the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company of Upper Darby, PA, commonly referred to as the “Red Arrow Lines”. These trains were refurbished and returned to operation on that company’s Norristown division in January 1964 and operated in regular service until 1978. Railways To Yesterday purchased train #803-804, named “Independence Hall”, in 1982 and moved the train to Rockhill Furnace where it was returned to operating condition. The train was set aside for display-only purposes in 1996 due to significant problems with the train’s electrical control system. Museum volunteers again restored the train to operation in 2011 for a special Membership event but electrical problems again sidelined the train in 2012.

Thanks to a substantial donation, replacement control system components were assembled and more than a dozen volunteers from several museum departments worked as a team over the past four months to return the train to operating condition once again. The train made its ceremonial roll-out and first trip on Saturday evening, February 15, at an annual gathering of volunteers from many east coast trolley museums.

The museum intends to maintain the train in operable condition in the future and operate the train on special occasions. The museum is accepting donations to help defray the costs of maintaining this historic vehicle and to rebuild additional components to provide increased reliability. The museum is a 501(c) (3) non-profit educational corporation and donations are tax-deductible. If interested in donating towards this worthwhile project, please contact the POC provided below.

The Rockhill Trolley Museum is one of the oldest continuously operating trolley museums in the Middle Atlantic, having operated trolleys every year since 1962. The museum offers a very scenic three mile round trip ride along scenic Blacklog Creek. For more information on the museum, as well as information on how to contribute to museum projects, when to visit, how to become a member, or how to volunteer, please visit http://www.rockhilltrolley.org

The Illinois Railway Museum is still attempting to raise enough donations to have CNS&M 801-802 running again by 2016, which will be both the Electroliners' 75th Birthday, and the North Shore Line's 100th.

 

[boyerm25]

Does this have any relation to the electroliner? I swear they look almost the same except for the paint.

 

[Blutorse4792]

Actually, it is one the Electroliners.

They both went to Philadelphia in 1963 and got refurbished/repainted by the Red Arrow Lines (Supposedly they wanted them for the bar inside)

 

[sawyer811]

Nice! Now both Electroliner sets are running again.

 

[Blutorse4792]

The one at the IRM actually needs its traction motors replaced, though it has been cosmetically restored.

They're having a big donation drive to get it running by 2016.

 

[JCitron]

This is awesome!

These were very beautifully designed Art Deco streamliners and I'm glad to see the Electro Liner / Liberty Liners being restored.

John

 

[sawyer811]

The one at the IRM actually needs its traction motors replaced, though it has been cosmetically restored.

They're having a big donation drive to get it running by 2016.

Ah, that's news to me then. Hadn't heard that...but hopefully they get the money they need to get her going.