Public Service Railroad Line Car #5221
The following information was taken from photocopies of the original record cards of Public Service Coordinated Transport.
1912
Dec. 1912 This car was originally built as a plow by the Russell Manufacturing Co. for the Trenton Terminal Railroad (later the Public Service Railroad) and served as a line car, snow plow and locomotive.
Original equipment included Taylor Extra Heavy Freight Trucks, four General Electric No. 57 motors, and Type K-35 controllers.
1913
Jan. 20, 1913: Car was recieved in Plainsboro and assigned to the Milltown car house. From 1913 to 1917 the car was recorded as being on the roster of the Trenton Terminal Railroad.
1914
Whistles were installed.
1915
Aug. 18, 1915: Car was reported to be in the Perth Amboy shop.
Sep. 3, 1915: Car was returned to Elizabeth.
1916
May 20, 1916: Car was assigned to Milltown.
July 7, 1916: Moved from Elizabeth to Dunellen.
1917
From 1917 through 1925 the car was assigned to Milltown.
1920
Car assignments are now being recorded as being under Public Service ownership.
1922
Dec. 11-13, 1922: GE No. 57 motors were removed and replaced with four 310’s.
1926
Car was assigned to New Brunswick, with a visit to the Newark shops from Nov. 24 to Dec. 9, and then on to Elizabeth before returning to New Brunswick, on Dec. 10, where it would remain until 1933.
1933
Oct. 1, 1933: Car is now based in Elizabeth from where it would be used to remove the remaining overhead of the Trenton Fast Line.
1935
April 3, 1935: Car is now assigned to the Roseville car house in order to service the, soon to open, Newark City Subway. Continued at Roseville until the shops at Newark Penn Station opened, on June 5, 1952.
1937
Oct. 1, 1937: C50P trucks replaced the original Taylor trucks.
2001
Aug. 24, 2001: PCC service ends on the former Newark City Subway, now Newark Light Rail, rendering the older equipment (5221, 5223) surplus.
2009
Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center had cars 5221 and 5223 shipped from Newark to National Capital Trolley Museum for temporary storage.
2013
Ownership of 5221 and 5223 is transfered to NJERHS from Friends of the New Jersey Transportation Heritage Center.
2018
Jan. 2018: Cars 5221 and 5223 arrive at Kinkisharyo International, in Piscataway, NJ.