I am currently restoring a "Casey Jones"
track speeder for the New
York Museum of Transportation. The New York Museum of Transportation is
an all volunteer organization just South of Rochester, in the Town of Rush,
NY.I am currently restoring a "Casey Jones"
track speeder for the New
York Museum of Transportation. The New York Museum of Transportation is
an all volunteer organization just South of Rochester, in the Town of Rush,
NY.
This motorcar is of local historic importance to us, as it spent it's entire life working on the Rochester, New York subway. (1928-1956). The Rochester New York subway was only in existence from approx. 1927-1956 - it was only truly an underground subway for a little over a mile in the center of Rochester, the rest of the rail was laid in an open cut, formerly the route of the old Erie Canal through Rochester. Most of the route is now Interstate 490 through Rochester.
As for details, it was built about 1927 by Northwestern Motor Co. in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Model 551-A, serial number 3360. It uses a Ford Model-T engine and transmission in front of the Casey Jones track car transmission.
The picture captioned 1928 is the earliest that we know of.
The other b/w picture is not dated, but general opinion here puts it at the end of service around 1956.
The color photos were taken around 1980 when the unit was acquired by the museum. After sitting in a wooded area in the open, you can see the condition!
It had been in dry storage at the museum until November 1996 when restoration work started. I estimate about another 18 months will see it completed - perhaps sooner if time and money permit.
If you have information on this make and model, I would appreciate hearing about it.
Many Thanks,
Gary Morse
New York Museum of Transportation
Contact by e-mail
August 16, 1998
Here are some photos of our progress on Model 551-A.
Regards,
Gary Morse
New York Museum of Transportation
E-Mail Contact by e-mail
The color is slightly off in the pictures, the green is really a very dark "Hunter Green", which is as close as we could come to what Northwestern called "Wagon Green". Work progresses slowly, and as you can see the roof assembly is still absent. Probably next year for the roof.
We are quite near being able to start the engine and get it out on our track to shake out whatever bugs we will find. Hope to get some pictures when we have it on the track, and will send you some.