Railways To Yesterday Inc, operators of the Rockhill Trolley Museum of Rockhill Furnace, PA, is acquiring two historic electric trolley car bodies from the collection of the late Wendell J. Dillinger at the Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad in Middletown, PA. The museum plans to restore and operate one of the cars while preserving the other as an exhibit.
Lewistown & Reedsville Electric Railway car 23 – Car 23 was built by the J.G. Brill Company in 1914 for Jersey Central Traction Company and one year later purchased by the Lewistown & Reedsville Electric Railway (L&R). The L&R operated approximately 12 miles of track between Lewistown, Burnham, Yeagertown, and Reedsville. Following abandonment of trolley operations in 1933, car 23 survived as a summer cottage near Lewistown from 1933 to 2002.
This will be the second fully restored trolley car at the museum to have been transformed from a trolley to a cottage and returned to an operating trolley. Having originally operated in revenue service less than 40 miles from the museum, car 23 will be the most local car in the collection.
York Railways car 162 – Car 162 was built by the J.G. Brill Company in 1924 for York Railways. Following the abandonment of trolley operations in 1939, both cars 162 and 163 survived together as summer cottages until flooded in 1972 by Hurricane Agnes. With car 163 already restored and operating at the museum since 1989, car 162 will be preserved as a cottage. This will help educate visitors and tell the story of how trolley car bodies often led a second life after no longer serving the need as public transportation.
More information is available in the full Press Release:
Lewistown & Reedsville Car 23 and York Railways Car 162 Press Release
To donate to the Relocation and Restoration Funds for these two new acquisitions, go to our Donations page. or download this flyer to send us a check by mail:
Middletown Cars Fundraiser Flyer
Thank you!