Streetcar No. 78 was acquired by the Museum
in 1972 and restored to service in 1991.
Here it crosses Morse Avenue on its way from Water Street
to Old Excelsior Road.
Duluth Street Railway No. 78
Description
Duluth Street Railway No. 78 was one of twenty streetcars
delivered by the LaClede Car Company of St. Louis, Missouri
in October of 1893. It served Duluth until it was retired
and its carbody was given to Mrs. Florence Lee of Duluth
on September 11, 1911.
Between 1899 and 1905 it was rebuilt from double-ended
operation to single-ended. Also, between 1899-1901 or
1904-1907 the rheostat controller was replaced with a
K-2 series-parallel controller.
Museum members located the body near Duluth. In December
1971 it was acquired and moved to a University of Minnesota
research facility. In September 1973 it was again moved,
this time to the Northern Pacific's Como Shops (today's
Bandana Square) where the Museum was then doing restoration
work. Another move occurred in November 1984, when it
was moved to the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line's Linden
Hills Carbarn and Shops for restoration. Because of its
deteriorated condition and the amount of new material
required, No. 78 could almost be termed a replication
instead of a restoration. The body, including the bulkheads,
is essentially original material. Both platforms and vestibules
are new material. The power truck came from Belgium via
the East Troy Electric Railroad Museum. When finished
in May 1991, it was the Museum's third operable streetcar
and the oldest operating streetcar in the nation.
In the spring of 1999 No. 78 was moved to the new Excelsior
Streetcar Line in time for its grand opening.
Photos
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When
No. 78 was discovered it
was a shed in Duluth, Minnesota
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No.
78 before restoration was started.
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Materials
The streetcar's frame is made of wood. The body is made
out of wood with canvas over the roof.
As-Built Technical Data
| Type |
Enclosed Passenger |
| Number of trucks |
1 |
| Truck type |
McGuire |
| Wheel base |
7' 6" |
| Number of traction motors |
2 |
| Traction motor type |
Westinghouse #3 |
| Controller type |
Rheostat |
| Weight |
18,000 lbs. |
| Width |
8' 4" |
| Length |
32' 9" |
Information from The Electric Railways of
Minnesota, by Russell L. Olson. Published by the Minnesota
Transportation Museum.
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