Lehigh Valley Transit

LEHIGH VALLEY TRANSIT

Ref

Description

Limited edition
of

438 1931 Lehigh Valley Transit Co. ACF Coach-Lounge Car No. 1030 (ex-IRR, acquired in 1941).

The Lehigh Valley Transit Company provided trolley service from Philadelphia through Norristown to Allentown, PA from 1912 to September of 1951. This interurban line was known as Libery Bell Route. The company distinguished itself in the transit industry with its remarkable 1938-1940 rehabilitation program and the stars of the modernization were the thirteen ex-Cincinnati and Lake Erie highspeed cars. They were extensively modified by the LVT and were renumbered into the 1000 and the 1020 series. In December 1940 car 1004 was destroyed by fire on Philadelphia and Western Railway company's third rail trackage at King Manor. In January 1941 Lehigh Valley Transit Co. purchased club car No. 55 from Indiana Railroad Co. as replacement for its lost car 1004. The former IRR car was extensively rebuilt by LVT to specifications like the C&LE cars, mounted on car 1004's Cincinnati ABC trucks and given the number 1030. The LVT attractive livery of picador cream and mountain ash scarlet with pearl gray roof was applied. Lehigh Valley Transit Company retained the interior club arrangement, but installed the refrigerator at the first left side window. Transit company officials introduced No.1030 to the public on September 14, 1941 and on October 3, 1941, luxury car entered the revenue service on the Liberty Bell Route. Passenger traffic increased steadily after United States's entrance into World War II in December 1941 and in May 1942 several side-facing individual chairs were removed and replaced by forward and rearward facing sofas in order to increase the seating capacity from thirty to thirty-six.

Scale 1:48
Available Now
Available through SPTC, U.S.A./Canada Dealers

First production run is SOLD OUT. The reservations for second production batch (2008 or 2009) may be placed through our dealers.

50 438-1

1931 Lehigh Valley Transit Co. ACF Coach Car No. 1030 (ex-IRR, acquired in 1941) - post'49 version.

Started from 1947, the Lehigh Valley Transit Company started to use the darker red color on their cars which replaced the original mountain ash scarlet paint. In Autumn 1949, club car No. 1030 was converted to coach type; forward facing double bucket seats salvaged from Easton Limited car No. 1101 were installed. The Liberty Bell Route's revenue declined after the end of World War II and on September 6, 1951, the route was abandoned. Car 1030 was purchased by Seashore Trolley Museum.