Trolley trucks that will be added to the Jamestown Trolley Car No. 93 restoration project. Submitted photo

An important part of the restoration of Jamestown Trolley Car No. 93 has finally been secured after a two-year delay.

Bob Johnston, Jamestown Trolley Car No. 93 restoration project founder, told The Post-Journal that because of the COVID-19 pandemic there was a two-year delay in delivering the truck, which contains four railroad wheels, two axles, an electric traction motor, brakes, journals and other things that connect to trolley body to the tracks.

“Trolley No. 93 is a single truck trolley. That means it uses only one framed set of four wheels,” he said. “Prior to COVID, we had been in communication with Bill Pollman of the Seashore Trolley Museum in Portland, Maine. Due to a mix-up in an exchange of equipment, the wrong set of trolley trucks was sent from Maine out to the Illinois Railway Museum. As a result, our restoration project has benefited from this logistic error in a big way. The trucks were offered to us if we could pick them off the trailer passing through Dunkirk on their way back to Maine. Unfortunately, when COVID hit, everything was shut down and the delivery was delayed for almost 2 years.”

Johnston said even though the plan for the trolley is to store it at the Fenton History Center, obtaining the truck is a major step toward having an actual working trolley.

“Special thanks go out to Mr. Pollman and also to Scott Symans. Scott lives in Dunkirk and is the owner-operator of the working 1924 Baldwin 0-4-0 “Viscose Company” No. 6 steam locomotive he restored that made appearances at the National Train Day events that were once held at the former Gateway Train Station, now the National Comedy Center,” Johnston said. “Scott provided the initial contact with Mr. Pollman and also provided the means to unload and store the trucks. He has also offered to consult on making the necessary alterations to the trucks.”

In September, Johnston discussed how the project received a trolley catcher. A trolley catcher attaches to the front or back of the trolley car and houses a spring-loaded rope attached to the end of the trolley pole near the trolley wheel. For the electric trolley car to run, electricity is drawn from a bare power wire suspended above the track. Electricity flows from the wire into a grooved trolley wheel, then down the trolley pole where it is directed through an insulated cable down to the electric motor under the trolley car.

Johnston said the catcher has been refurbished and installed on the trolley.

“Using photographs taken early on in the project and the only known rear view photograph of the Jamestown Street Railway 90 series trolley cars No. 91 through No. 98, the correct placement of the trolley catcher was figured out,” he said.

Johnston said adding the trucks and the trolley catcher would have been a big deal to the late Jim Mitchener, who was the trolley project restoration craftsman.

“Special thank yous go out to all his friends, family and others who donated in his memory to our trolley fund with the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation,” Johnston said. “Donations directed to this fund will be used for the construction of a permanent home for Trolley Car No. 93. Our plan is to build on the property associated with the Fenton History Center properties where No. 93 will provide an opportunity to view the last of the hundreds of trolley cars that once serviced Chautauqua County residents.”

Contributions to the trolley restoration project can be made by visiting crcfonline.org or by contacting the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation at 661-3390.

The Jamestown Street Railway ended service in 1938. Johnston said bits and pieces of the long-gone local trolley era still linger, trolley car No. 93 is pretty much the last stand-alone Chautauqua County trolley remaining of the hundreds of cars that once serviced the county.

The restoration of the trolley car has been a project that has been ongoing for more than 25 years. However, restoration work really started to move forward on the trolley car in 2014 when the Mitchener came aboard the project.

The trolley car restoration project first began in 1996 when Johnston was discussing his love of local history with a friend, Sam Lucariello. Lucariello mentioned his parents, Mauro and Harriet Lucariello, had an old Jamestown trolley car they used as a hunting camp near Dewittville. The family donated it to Johnston and the trolley car was moved back to Jamestown.

Many local businesses have provided materials and services toward the restoration, and many individuals from around the city, county and country have made contributions to both the endowment and non-endowment funds at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

The Jamestown Street Railway Trolley Car No. 93, sometimes referred to as the “Swede Hill” trolley, was purchased by the street railway in 1926 and was in operation on the Willard Street Route until the end of service for the line in 1938.

Johnston said anyone or group wishing to learn more about the project or wanting to see trolley car No. 93, can contact him at 338-5051 or can visit its website at jamestowntrolley.org.