Manchester Street Railway 94

History

By William E. Wood, January 2002

March 1905 was a devastating month for the Manchester Street Railway in New Hampshire. In that month, the railway company saw its main car house burn down, leaving it short-handed of streetcars to serve the Queen City. So, in 1906, they ordered 11 single truck, two-man cars from Laconia Car Co. No's. 94 thru to No. 116 (even numbers only). These cars were only approximately 30 feet long and some notable features were plush side seats (seats that faced in towards the aisle and dubbed "Look Me Over Cars") and hand brakes.

From 1905 to 1924 the cars worked with two-man crews, but with operating costs increasing the cars were taken into the company shops in 1924 and air brakes were installed and were converted to a pay-as-you-enter configuration for operation by a one-man crew. After becoming single-man cars, they would continue to roll on until 1938 when they were taken out of service. Not long after being taken out of service, the motors were taken out of the trucks for spares and the trucks were scrapped.

Car #94's body was sold as a house and for the next 50 years it was located along N.H. Route 101 in Raymond, New Hampshire. In 1987, the car was spotted by museum member Chris Chestnut and was saved from being scrapped. The car is currently unrestored and missing all its electrical and mechanical equipment, but it would make a fine exhibit as it's a trolley type that was operated by many companies in the eastern United States.

Technical