wjm@whuxk.UUCP (12/17/83)
For those of you on USENET who are in Southern California (or planning to visit there), and are interested in electric traction (as well as some steam and diesel equipment), I recommend a visit to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris (17 miles south of Riverside on Interstate 15E). OERM has preserved a large number of streetcars from West Coast cities (especially Los Angeles) but also cars from San Diego and San Francisco and as far away as Ireland and Japan. Many of the cars are in operating condition (and others are in the process of being restored so they can run again at the museum) and can be ridden by visitors on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as on holidays like the week between Christmas and 1 January.) The cars are maintained and operated by volunteers who are trying to preserve this form of transportation history. For more information, OERM's phone number is (714)-657-2605 and it is best to call during the day on weekends. While I'm on the subject of museums, I'd like to mention that there are a number of these museums around the United States. An interesting book that describes them and their collections is "Trolley to The Past" by Andrew D. Young (Interurbans Press, 1983) (Interurbans Special 85). If you can't find the book locally, you can order it from OERM's bookstore which has a large selection of rail (especially traction) publications for sale. Bill Mitchell (whuxk!wjm)
burton@fortune.UUCP (Philip Burton) (12/20/83)
When you travel to the New York metro area, be sure to see the trolley museum at Branford, CT. Several miles beyond New Haven. You can get there either via I-95 or by train, get off at New haven and take a taxi. Very much worth the visit if you're a trolley or rail transit fan. Much ex-NYC stuff, including a Brooklyn & Queens Transit PCC, several IRT gate cars and much more that I can't recall. There is operating trackage. Phil Burton Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA