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Cool video, Bruce....thanks for posting it. I especially enjoyed the use of the Stinger at 8:00, the winter shots that start at 25:00, and of course, the various shots of George Krambles. In the winter shots, they showed cars crossing junctions at night, with the lights in the cars blinking on and off several times. This proves that the blinking lights in my old Lionel passenger cars are indeed prototypical. 

Originally Posted by jay jay:

Cool video, Bruce....thanks for posting it. I especially enjoyed the use of the Stinger at 8:00, the winter shots that start at 25:00, and of course, the various shots of George Krambles. In the winter shots, they showed cars crossing junctions at night, with the lights in the cars blinking on and off several times. This proves that the blinking lights in my old Lionel passenger cars are indeed prototypical. 

I have seen the stingers on freight motors but never in use, and putting that stick on the third rail was something else. Krambles was a national treasure. Theres a great description of the flurry of activities in the IRR freight house in Indianapolis that came from George in the CERA "The Magic Interurban"...its hard to believe he began his career there. He is sorely missed. 

Last edited by electroliner

Very nice video and very reminiscent, too.  In Milwaukee, Schuster's Department Stores, ran an annual "Santa Claus Parade" from 1927 until 1958, and for most of those years it operated on City streetcar tracks, circulating throughout the city, and traveling past all three of Schuster's stores.  It ran on the Saturday evening following Thanksgiving and consisted of a powered work car and three trolley flat cars all well decorated for Christmas.  The powered car was a Differential Dump Car with a cab at each end and on the front was a huge, probably 12' or 15' high, flat of a Christmas tree, outlined in white lights.  There was also a huge Bell and Howell loudspeaker playing only two Christmas songs:  "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers", and male choral group singing "Jingle Bells".  You could hear the music and see the big Christmas tree for what seemed like miles as it slowly came down the track.  When the train actually came by, it seemed to be gone in less than a minute. 

 

Each car was decorated with all kinds of Christmas related items, and i recall seeing a carousel revolving with decorations and lights.  On the last car, of course, was Santa himself and for many years they actually used eight live reindeer, which after the parade, could be visited at one of the three stores.

 

In 1972, I was Superintendent of the East Troy Trolley museum and we decided to run a replica of the original Schuster's train.  We worked on that project for several months and really did a credible job of doing a somewhat smaller version which attracted perhaps 20,000 people out on a cold Saturday night to see the parade.

 

Great Memories!

 

Paul Fischer

Originally Posted by fisch330:

Very nice video and very reminiscent, too.  In Milwaukee, Schuster's Department Stores, ran an annual "Santa Claus Parade" from 1927 until 1958, and for most of those years it operated on City streetcar tracks, circulating throughout the city, and traveling past all three of Schuster's stores.  It ran on the Saturday evening following Thanksgiving and consisted of a powered work car and three trolley flat cars all well decorated for Christmas.  The powered car was a Differential Dump Car with a cab at each end and on the front was a huge, probably 12' or 15' high, flat of a Christmas tree, outlined in white lights.  There was also a huge Bell and Howell loudspeaker playing only two Christmas songs:  "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers", and male choral group singing "Jingle Bells".  You could hear the music and see the big Christmas tree for what seemed like miles as it slowly came down the track.  When the train actually came by, it seemed to be gone in less than a minute. 

 

Each car was decorated with all kinds of Christmas related items, and i recall seeing a carousel revolving with decorations and lights.  On the last car, of course, was Santa himself and for many years they actually used eight live reindeer, which after the parade, could be visited at one of the three stores.

 

In 1972, I was Superintendent of the East Troy Trolley museum and we decided to run a replica of the original Schuster's train.  We worked on that project for several months and really did a credible job of doing a somewhat smaller version which attracted perhaps 20,000 people out on a cold Saturday night to see the parade.

 

Great Memories!

 

Paul Fischer

Hey Paul..Does this look familiar? 

 

Electroliner:  Actually, no that doesn't look familiar to me.  That must be from the time long after I left Wisc.  Nothing there is like our Santa Claus parade.

 

I first left Wisc in 1976 and moved to Colorado.  Ultimately our group that started the museum operation lost control and the Village of East Troy forced them off the line.  A breakaway group came in to take over but our group had all of our equipment moved, mostly to Ill Rwy Museum.  The Differential Dump car that we had used for power, I believe went down there, and the new group had to come up with their own rolling stock.  This group was a "for profit" corporation that tried to make a go of it.  I've kind of lost track, but as I understand, a new, non-profit society was formed and took over the line.  They still didn't have the equipment that we had but they have managed to make a go of it. 

 

As to what happened to all the decorations, including the 12' frontspiece "Christmas Tree", I have never been able to find out.  I had built that tree plus a lot of the other decorations that were used on the flatcars, but there seems to be no knowledge of any of it.  It was a bitter disappointment to me, but I was never in a position again to become involved with the group.

 

Paul Fischer

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