Re: But not the Canal Street cars......

After a devastating flood/mudslide in Brig/Switzerland back in the 90's, some of of the NG Equipment of the then Furka-Oberalp and Zermatt Railway suffered massive damage, some of the equipment had to be burried out of the mud and silt before they could lift or move them away. That looked much worse than the Canal Street Trolleys...There were about 3 electric engines from old to new that were lifted onto lowboys and carted to their shops. These engines had a combined adhesion/cog rail gearbox, and they came back to life after the shop visit. The worst thing you can do is move the equipment on it's own wheels, since silt and sand that has made it into the bearings will start to act as sandpaper on the surfaces an ruin a bearing or commutator in no time. So don't worry, the Canal Street Cars will come back, considering that they're almost new, corrosion on the carbody should be minimal, and the elctronics ist state of the art, so replacement parts can be bought and installed. I guess they won't be RTA's first prioritiy, after reading that they have to bring back their busus from all parts of the state...
The older St.Charles cars might have fared less well beeing submerged, considering their age and electrical equipment, but even if their "feet"(wheels) were in the water, as long as it didn't reach the tractions motors and axle bearings they'll be fine..
So I wonder if the first trolley back on Canal Stresst will be a green one or a red one...
Boris, Rapperswil, Switzerland