The Rockhill Trolley Museum collection includes two snowsweepers, both of which are quite rare. Snowsweeper #107 is from Scranton, PA, and is a single-truck, four-wheeled car with rotating brooms at both ends. It is a “steeple cab” design with operator controls only in the middle.
Scranton Transit Sweeper #107 Car No. 107 | Previous Owner: Scranton Transit Previous City: Scranton, PA | Car Type: Maintenance of Way Car Car Style: Single-truck, snow sweeper | Builder: C&JER Year Built: 1910 |
Sweeper #107 arrives at Blacklog Narrows clearing the track. Photo Date: December 6, 2003.
Sweeper #107 is a one of a kind car built by the Master Mechanic of the Chicago and Joliet Electric Railway in 1910. It came to Scranton after the C&JER stopped operations in 1933. Car #107 spent most of its operating career in Scranton, PA, until that system stopped operating trolleys on December 18, 1954.
Scranton Transit #107 is a one of a kind snow sweeper, originally constructed as #99for the Chicago Joliet Electric Railway in 1910. This rare view shows the car in Chicago.
Sweeper #107 became the first trolley to operate at the short lived Magee Transportation Museum, in Bloomsburg, PA. Photo Date: March 24, 1967.
Scranton snowsweeper #107 and passenger car #505 were taken to the Rail City museum in Sandy Pond, NY, and ultimately to the Magee Transportation Museum in Bloomsburg, PA. In 1972, Hurricane Agnes flooded the Magee museum, forcing its closing. Our Museum acquired #107 (and #505) in 1973.
Sweeper #107 has been returned to operation at our museum and has been used many times to clear snow from the museum tracks.
The view from inside the sweeper as the sweeper #107 clears the track at the museum. Photo Date: December 6, 2003.
Snowsweepers have always created an impressive sight when they were in operation. Photo Date: December 6, 2003.
Text by Joel Salomon, (c) 2002