Branford rebuilding updates

The latest newsletter from Branford has arrived and, as usual, it has a trove of information on their massive years-long motor rebuilding project. This effort was begun not by choice but by necessity, following the flooding of the museum by two different hurricanes about a decade ago. The scope of work is remarkable: dozens of cars have had, or will have, their motors rebuilt and in many cases will also see significant mechanical and control system work. By the project's end, it will give Branford a collection of cars in better electrical and mechanical shape than any other trolley museum.

The latest car returned to operation with its motors rebuilt is Rhode Island Company 61, the attractive single-trucker shown above in a photo from Branford's website. Its record on the list has been suitably updated. The newsletter makes the point that car 61 is Branford's oldest electric streetcar that was built as an electric; Third Avenue Railway 220 is a year older but was built as a cable car.

Then there are the cars that are just entering the motor rebuild project. Lynchburg Railway 34, which was the first car ever acquired by Branford, has been jacked up and its motors removed for rebuilding. The same is true, though at the other end of the size spectrum, for Interborough Rapid Transit 3662. This is the only preserved deck-roof IRT car and one of only two preserved IRT Hi-V cars that were built with GE Type M control. It hasn't run in years so its return to operation should be pretty interesting.

The final category includes cars whose rebuilds are in progress. North Shore 709, the museum's representative Chicago area interurban car, has had its motors rebuilt and is awaiting their reinstallation. The same is true of Cincinnati & Lake Erie 116, which has been seeing quite a bit of interior restoration work. And control system overhaul on Brooklyn & Queens Transit 1001, the first production PCC car, has progressed enough to allow reassembly to begin. This car's motors have been rebuilt but its under-floor control equipment was also flooded and has needed significant work.