Pandemic slows work on historic Scranton trolley restoration
Jun. 13—The organization spearheading restoration of the former Scranton Transit Co. 505 trolley eagerly wants to get the project rolling again after the COVID-19 pandemic considerably slowed the progress.
Although restoration continues on some of the trolley's components, more could be done if the contractors that will perform the work for Electric City Trolley Museum Association's Project 505 committee had enough people to do it, said Rocco Genovese, the group's capital funds manager.
He acknowledged it's a familiar pandemic-related refrain, with many companies having trouble hiring or retaining employees.
"The car, I hate to say, is stalled for the time being," Genovese said of work on the 505, which currently sits inside a Delaware, Lackawaxen and Stourbridge Railroad shop in Honesdale. "We are doing as much as we can, trying to quote out some future work and getting some things lined up.
"But until we can find some avenues to pursue, the car is indoors. It's safe. It's insured. It's just that we can't get much done with it right now, unfortunately. There is more work than people able to do the work, especially something like we have."
Manufactured in 1929 by the Osgood Bradley Car Co., the 505 operated in Scranton until trolley service ended in 1954. After spending time in a couple of museum collections, the trolley deteriorated in a salvage yard for more than 20 years until the committee brought it back to the city in 2012.
It is one of just three trolleys that ran in Scranton known to still exist.
As a Scranton car that operated for many years in the city, the 505 is expected to be a big draw for the trolley museum, said Wayne Hiller, executive director. It will also help take some of the load off the two trolleys the museum now regularly uses for its excursions.
"It will be a major plus for our fleet," Hiller said. "I'm really looking for the 505 to get into the mix down here."
In 2019, the restoration effort received a major financial boost when the state awarded a $100,000 Local Share Account grant from casino gaming funds to the project.
While work on the car has slowed, Genovese said it is not at a complete standstill.
A company in western Pennsylvania is fabricating eight new wheels that will allow the car to operate on the trolley museum's excursion line. Another company in southeastern Pennsylvania is rebuilding the first pair of the car's four original Westinghouse motors.
"The motors are in poor shape because they have been outdoors since at least the 1960s," he said. "They need a lot of work, but they're usable."
An application is pending with the state for another LSA grant for $65,000, which would be used to help complete some work underneath the car, Genovese said. After that, the committee would look to have the car's woodworking done, including the roof and platforms, which will "get it looking more like a trolley again."
So far, the committee has raised about $360,000 for the restoration, with probably another $90,000 needed to see it through to completion.
If the funding comes through, and there are no additional delays, the committee expects to deliver the fully restored and fully functional 505 to the trolley museum within three years, Genovese said.
"We really can't complain," he said. "We've been fortunate, and we've gotten some really good support."
Tax-deductible contributions for the 505 restoration may be sent to ECTMA-Project 505, P.O. Box 20019, Scranton, PA, 18502. Donations can also be made online by visiting the museum website at www.ectma.org.
Contact the writer:
dsingleton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9132.
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