Until now this car has been listed in PNAERC as having been built by Laclede in 1904 and having run for DEP from then until about 1940, when it was sold to Philadelphia and used as a rail grinder until retirement and preservation in 1971. Some quick digging revealed that I had my early history wrong: DEP wasn't created until 1927. Before then it was Wilmington & Philadelphia Traction, and before 1910 that system was Wilmington City Railway. So I've updated the car's ownership history and I think I've got that correct. (I should mention that Wilmington had some of the most horrendously ugly streetcars ever built - feast your eyes on this - but fortunately 120 is not one of them and is a very attractive little car!)
The biggest question is exactly who built the car and when. ECTM's website says that it was built either by Laclede or Jackson & Sharp around 1904, so of course my next step was to refer to Harold Cox's roster site. This indeed has rosters of both builders but it's not apparent whether or not either roster is complete. There aren't any orders listed under Laclede built for lines in Delaware while there are several orders listed under J&S for Wilmington City Railway that have sketchy information and no fleet numbers listed. (I also can't figure out WCR numbering at all, which judging from Cox's order list seems to have bounced back and forth between two-digit, 100-series, 200-series, and 300-series numbering.)
Anyone have any thoughts? I'm tempted to change the car's builder to J&S but either way I'm just speculating. I have, at least, made a note that the car's builder and date of construction is uncertain.
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