New trolley poles now available for real trolley modelers!
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In a surprise development, new HO and O scale trolley poles for real trolley modelers are now available from Custom Traxx. In a still developing line of trolley poles and trolley pole bases now fabricated by Miniatures by Eric, the following items are now available in HO scale:

HTP1 - Pair of trolley poles with Pacific Electric Greenamyer bases and trolley shoes (below) - $29.95

HTP2a - Pair of trolley poles with US Form 11 type trolley base and trolley shoes (below) - $24.00

HTP2b - Pair of trolley poles with US Form 11 type trolley base and trolley wheels - $24.00

HTP3 - Pair of trolley poles with US Form 1 type trolley bases (below) - $24.00

The Greenamyer trolley pole base was also used for a brief time by the Sacramento Northern. US Form 11 pole bases were commonly used on PCC cars and trolley coaches and are currently used on most of the current heritage cars throughout the U.S., as parts are still available. Poles with bases similar to the Form 1 were common on the British Columbia Electric.

Other poles with different bases are in the works. The first is a representation of the US Form 13; four-spring base commonly used on many of the 1920s conventional cars.

All these poles are designed to fit the SCTC-1 pole pivots available from Custom Traxx and they have excellent spring tension. For detailed photos of the poles and other traction items, check the August 2004 Custom Traxx catalog, which has been available on-line since July 28th.

In O scale, the Pacific Electric poles with Greenamyer bases, OTP1, are available now at $29.95 per pair. It is planned to release all the poles currently available in HO scale in O scale. Currently these poles are only available directly from Miniatures by Eric or Custom Traxx. For more photos of these poles, please see the Custom Traxx catalog, Section V, Other Products, Miniatures by Eric.

Former Pacific Electric Birney Visits San Pedro
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Early in the morning of July 12^th, Orange Empire Birney car 10, formerly Pacific Electric 332, was moved under its own power at the museum in Perris, CA and loaded on a flatbed truck. After traveling about 87 miles, the car was unloaded in San Pedro onto the tracks of the San Pedro Waterfront Line and test run for some time. This is probably the first time a Birney car ran under its own power in two locations that far apart on the same day.

The car was part of the festivities on July 17-18 celebrating the First Anniversary of the beginning of operation of the San Pedro Red Car Line. This was the first time that four cars have been at the line at one time.

Tuesday morning, July 13^th, was the beginning of the weeklong festivities. Channel Five, KTLA, was on hand to let commuters know of the free rides on the San Pedro Trolley Line the coming weekend.

John Smatlak, Railway preservation Resources, provided the interior and exterior photos of 332 during service on the San Pedro Trolley.

Birney 332 returned to the Orange Empire Railway Museum on Monday, July 19^th. and immediately returned to service.