Ohio Railway Museum Postcards - Set 2

        These post cards show the six original cars in the museum collection.  The photos were taken c.1957.  Photos by BJ Kern with help from Dave Bunge.  Alex Campbell Collection.

Ohio Public Service (OPS) #21 was the first car that the Central Ohio Railfan's Association acquired in 1946.  #21 was a wooden interurban car built in 1905 by the Niles Car Co., Niles, Ohio, for the Toledo, Port Clinton and Lakeside Railway.  B.J. Kern, one of the museum founders and a long time trustee, was the motorman.  The car is southbound approaching Proprietors Road in the foreground.  The museum had 1500 feet of right-of-way on the west side of Proprietor's Road, following the original Columbus Delaware and Marion Railway (CD&M) Worthington cutoff of 1927. 

OPS #21 is at the south end of the track before the CD&M bridge over SR 161 was rebuilt in the 1960's.  Erie Railroad gas-electric #5012 is generating the 600 volts DC power for the electric traction cars.  James "Jimmy" Osborn is the motorman.  #21 has a CD&M "Through the Heart of Ohio" logo on its side.  Later the members would remove it and restore #21 to its 1930's OPS livery.

Columbus Railway Power and Light Co. (CPR&L) center cab work motor #067 with B. J. Kern at the controls.  The CRP&L had three of these cars that they used for track work.  The cab was indented on the side so rails could be carried.  The cars were often photographed with ties or paving blocks stacked on the ends.  They were also used to switch railroad cars at the Grandview Avenue pole yard.  Numbers 065, 066 and 067 were built in 1923 at the Kelton Avenue shops.  The trucks and electrical equipment came from retired streetcars.

Erie Railroad gas-electric #5012 next to the ORM car barn.  #5012 was built in 1931 by the Bethlehem Steel Co. and the Electric-Motive Corp.  It has two 300 HP gasoline engines used to power two 600-volt DC generators which, in turn, powered the electric traction motors geared to the  axels.  #5012 was used to provide power for the streetcars from 1953 until replaced in 1959 with a motor-generator set donated by the Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Co.

#5012 at Potter Street generating power for the traction cars.  A cable coming from the trolley wire can be seen on the side of the car leading to the open electrical box just behind the gas tank.  A second cable also coming from the box is connected to the track.  Its was safe, really!  A phone line can be seen going in the front cab window.  Note the old washing machine frame used as a stepping stool.

The Kansas City Public Service Co. Birney Safety Car #1545 is at Proprietors Road.  The term "Birney" refers to the engineer who designed this 1920's four wheel streetcar which was operated by one man.  The ORM's Birney was built in 1920 by American Car Co.  They were popular on lightly used streetcar routes, often in small towns.  Because of its short wheel base, it would bob up and down if the track was not perfectly level.  Above 25 MPH some ORM members thought it might jump the track.  It was a fun car to operate.

Cincinnati & Lake Erie Railroad (C&LE) lightweight interurban #119 at the Proprietors Road crossing.  O.M. Hoock is the motorman.  #119 was built by the Cincinnati Car Co. in 1930.  One of these cars, when new, was used in a publicity newsreel showing it racing and beating an old bi-winged airplane. It reached 95 mph during the race.  #119 gave a very smooth and fast ride, even on the museum's short main line.  After C&LE ceased passenger operations in 1939, some of these cars were sold to the Cedar Rapids & Iowa City interurban railway and to Lehigh Valley Transit in Pennsylvania.

Once a year in the 1950's and 60's the museum held an annual night operation.  It gave the old timers a chance to see the traction cars all lit up once again.  C&LE #119 is shown at the car barn with the Kansas City Birney #1545 and OPS #21.