WILKES-BARRE — In the days when working men covered in soot and coal dust rode trolley cars to and from the mines and factories, the local streetcar company pointedly reminded them to keep their tobacco juice off the seats and floors.
“Spitting in this car is forbidden by LAW,” a yellowed Wilkes-Barre Railway Co. sign shouts at readers down the ages, adding: “Offenders are liable to be arrested.”
Just to hammer home the message, it’s repeated in Czech and Polish.
The century-old sign was one of several local transportation relics from Conrad Baut’s collection on display at Wilkes University on Saturday afternoon during a presentation on the region’s trolley history.
This was the first of two events as Baut and fellow volunteers with nonprofit Anthracite Trolleys Inc. work to raise awareness and money for their project to rescue and restore Wilkes-Barre’s last known trolley car.
Ninety-five-year-old car 790, which traveled the valley’s streets until 1950, has spent the past 70-odd years built into the structure of a summer cottage overlooking a small Back Mountain lake in Franklin Township.
The property owners have given Baut and the other volunteers until year’s end to remove the car and get it off the site. They need to raise $30,000 for that work, which will be the first step toward a much larger restoration effort, Baut said.
“We’re about ready to make preparations to ready the car for the demolition process, pending better weather,” he added. “Right now we’re at about one-third of the $30,000 that we need. Once we get the car free and secured we can move on to more fundraising.”
The group has said full restoration could cost about $300,000 and require at least two-and-a-half years to complete.
To highlight their efforts, Mayor Tony George has proclaimed March 16-23 “Trolley Week” in the city.
While most of the other Anthracite Trolleys volunteers are locals, the project has drawn interest from other parts of the state as well.
Montgomery County resident Andy Maginnis is an Anthracite Trolleys member who drove up from his home in Lansdale for Saturday’s presentation.
Retired from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority — which still operates trolleys in and around Philadelphia — after a 38-year career that included 20 years in purchasing, Maginnis is a lifelong trolley fan who has experience procuring items needed to make restored cars run again.
“I know where to get the parts and how to do it,” Maginnis said. “And these guys are my friends. The Coal Cracker seven, that’s what we call ourselves.”
Saturday’s presentation included a slideshow and lecture by Harrison Wick, a historian and archivist who has written three books about Luzerne County history, including “Greater Wyoming Valley Trolleys.”
Also in attendance was Tony Brooks, director of the Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society.
“It’s encouraging to see grassroots preservationists work together to save the various aspects of our local history,” Brooks said. “The Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society looks forward to working with Anthracite Trolleys Inc. to save trolley number 790.”
For those looking to learn more:
• At noon Saturday, the Luzerne County Historical Society will host a presentation by Anthracite Trolleys secretary/treasurer James Wert entitled “Let’s Take the Trolley,” which will look at public transportation in the valley from horse-drawn days up through the end of trolley service.
• Anyone with questions can contact Baut at 570-855-3977 or cdbaut@gmail.com.
