Valley Express Newsletter Spring 2020 - FCVRRHS.org French Creek Valley Railroad Historical Society, Meadville, PA 16335

P. O. Box 632
Meadville, PA 16335
"Preserving Railroading's past, for now and the future."
https://www.meadvillerailroaddepot.org

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Valley Express Newsletter Spring 2020

    Although thc Erie had already begun purchasing gas-electric motor cars in the middle of 1930, they chose: not to replace the #4053 with one of the newer cars. Insteacd, with the April 30. 1933 timetable, the railroad began using Walsh Bus Line for providing service to the branch. By September 25, 1938, the service, which was now provided bv Harmony Short Line, who had acquired the Welsh operation in July of 1937, was down to one round trip daily. Finally, Oil City passenger service ended with the publication of Erie timetable dated June 3.1939.
    So, what happencd to the #4053? In March of 1936, the #4053 was converted into trailer car No.4013, and appcared to work out of Avon, NY. By 1951 the entire motor car flect that remained on the Erie was retired.
    For me, this picture was a great find, for it answered one unknown question: what motor car was assigned to the Oil City branch? And, the resulting research of its histony resulted in answers to the operation that the #4053 was part of.
    Thanks goes to Robet Daly, whose donation of his collection of Erie Railroad Passenger Timetables to our Sociery aided in the research of this article.
-Dennis Mead








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