Two Milwaukee Streetcars

Wheelsets

With the wheelsets out of one truck, the bearing surfaces were being cleaned up and wrapped to protect them during the next steps at the machine shop.

Then it was time for a SWITCH MOVE!!  This can either inspire terror in the hearts of the crew assigned to do this, or awe and lots of pics snapped by the bystanders.  We needed TM 972 back in Barn 4, behind three cars at the west end of Track 41.  And it started the day four cars deep on Track 83.

TM 972

About 4 PM here it came, heading east into Barn 4.  I cannot remember the last time this car may have been on this track; and it was moved here to pull the remaining original truck from beneath the car, then to remove the wheelsets on that.

Sand Springs 68

One of the byproducts of any such planned string of moves is the appearance outdoors of cars that seldom see daylight.  Here, SS 68 rests on track 43 to the west of Barn 4.  Later it motored under its own power to a new spot inside Barn 8 for the coming winter months.

It has been some time since we posted an entry on this project.  But there is a lot of news!!  The new tires were ordered some months ago and the promised delivery date is fast approaching.

The Truck

One of the trucks from TM 972 has been on Track 42 at the east end of Barn 4.  John Faulhaber and Gerry Dettloff attacked it with the idea of dismantling the assembly to get the wheelsets out.  In this pic the traction motor is out, and the main truck bolster has been chained and is being lifted free.

Naked Truck

With the bolster assembly removed and set aside, we can see what the 'next layer' looks like.

Sideframes

The final step was to remove the lower sideframe castings, journal bearings, and journal boxes.  At days end the two wheelsets were out, marked, and ready to ship.

It is not too late for you all to help on this project.  A substantial amount of match money has been pledged to the project, and some of it still remains.  So every dollar you generously contribute to fund R TMS will become TWO DOLLARS!!  Please consider a year end donation to this project.