A friend recently sent me a mystery photo and asked if I knew anything about it. Given the Pullman lettering on the side I consulted the Pullman experts I knew, including Ted Anderson, curator of the Pullman Library at IRM. Within minutes I received the following reply from Ted.
Lot 779 Plan 1023-D 2 Double Deck Patton Motor Street Cars PPC Co.:
Pullman Ry. Cars No. 3 & 4 No. 4 – Negs. 2260, 2345-2346
I do not know if we have that plan number in file, usually not for many of
the trolley cars. The date would be 1893 and the car would have been used
on a special track between the 1893 Fair and the Pullman shops, showcasing
the Pullman Company. Interesting!
Sincerely, Ted Anderson
We usually think of IRM as an interesting and wonderful collection of physical railway equipment. But equally important and oft forgotten is the great resource represented by the collections of the Pullman and the Strahorn Libraries. Is there any other museum in the country that could have provided this information that quickly if at all? Thank You Ted
But now to the something old, something new part. The car itself is the old aspect. We don't often talk about something from he 1890s although the 1024 fits that category. But the two things that are new to me at least are the existence of this operation. I think most of us were not aware of this operation but might have been aware of the Intermural railway that represented a prototype for third rail operation of elevated type rail cars (albeit with locomotive cars and trailers as adopted by the Met). But also the operation of double deck ( open top no less) streetcars in Chicago. I'll bet if any of us were asked if such equipment was ever operated in Chicago our response would have been a resounding NO.
Hope you enjoyed this brief glimpse into the esoteric past.
