Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys
A non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of trolley cars from the Philadelphia area
Anyone interested in our efforts to support the restoration of Red Arrow center door car 73 at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum will want to check out this video with FPT’s Harry Donahue, produced by Operator Logan.
You can visit the YouTube link by clicking here.
The talented staff at SEPTA’s Woodland Shops is in the process of giving the Girard Avenue cars a new lease on life, as documented in this post.
Bill Monaghan and Roger DuPuis visited the shops this week to see several of the current projects up close. This selection of photos from their visit should give you a sense of how much work is going into the cars.
SEPTA PCC III 2332 came out of the paint booth on March 9 at Woodland and can be seen in some of these photos. While there is still work to be done to complete the car (wiring, reinstallation of overhauled trucks, interior finishing), the body work and paint job are stunning.
We included the outdoor shot of 2326 to help convey the condition of some cars on arrival. The ghostly white car, meanwhile is 2328 (that’s its stripped interior you also see), while the green car with no number and disassembled side panels is 2322. Another car, 2337, can be seen up on jacks. Other items of interest seen here are a pair of shiny anti-climbers waiting to be installed and air conditioning roof pods undergoing refurbishment.
We’ve rounded out the album with LRV 9074 glistening in a flawless coat of white paint as it awaited reinstallation of various fittings — testament to the quality of work being done at Woodland.
We hope you will enjoy these photos as a glimpse behind the scenes at a critical part of maintaining trolley service in Philadelphia.
On March 2, 2019, Baltimore Streetcar Museum and Friends of Philadelphia Trolleys members started working on Matthew E. Nawn’s Eagle Scout project to renovate 1923 Philadelphia Rapid Transit sweeper car C-145.
On July 11, 2020, we installed the last piece of the tongue and groove on the sides of the car, a major milestone in the effort. Members of the group are seen here celebrating the occasion.
The project is not yet finished, however. If anyone would like to make a donation, please click on the donation button here on our website.
Thanks to everyone who has donated and participated in this worthwhile effort!