Workers prepare PATH Car 745 for its move to the Trolley Museum
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2017 BLET Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen Journal.
On August 6, 2015, the Shore Line Trolley Museum, located in East Haven, Conn., proudly received PATH Car 745 into its collection. PATH Car 745 was one of two cars that survived the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
“This car was removed intact from under the rubble and debris, still poised on the track as if the attack had never happened, ready for the World Trade Center-to-Hoboken Station run,” said Brother Alan I. Zelazo, a now retired PATH engineer and member of BLET Division 497 (Jersey City, N.J.). “She was in the lead position of a seven-car train when service was suspended, just minutes after the attack.”
Brother Zelazo was one of the many dedicated individuals who worked to save the iconic rail car and preserve it on static display at the Trolley Museum.
A native New Yorker, Brother Zelazo credits his father with igniting his life-long fascination with subways and railroads. “Growing up in Brooklyn the subway was my first introduction to trains, besides the obligatory Lionel train set,” he said. “Almost every Sunday my Dad would take me, and sometimes my friends, for a subway excursion. We’d always pick a different destination to go to.
“When I was 12 my parents took me on a trip to the Branford (now Shore Line) Trolley Museum located in East Haven, Connecticut. That was it — I became hooked. I became an active member of the museum when I obtained my drivers license at age 16, where I learned many lessons and made friends that would last a lifetime.”
Brother Zelazo eventually hired out on the railroad with Amtrak in 1976, working in many different crafts prior to earning promotion to locomotive engineer for PATH in 1994. One of the biggest events of his career came on a day that lives in infamy in American history — September 11, 2001.
“I was working the Newark to WTC route on the afternoon of 9/11,” Brother Zelazo said. “My conductor Rob Henry and I made the third trip to operate that day at 5:40 p.m. from Newark to 33rd Street. As far as I know PATH was the first rail operation to run after the attack. It would be two years until we got back to the WTC.”
PATH Car 745 is a class PA-3 built by Hawker Sidley at Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1972. She would have been replaced in 2009 by the newer class PA-5 cars. Brother Zelazo said a lot of hard work went into moving Car 745 off its special trailer and moved to a temporary barn location for storage.
“Utilizing Ex-NYCTA R-17 Car 6688, fitted with an adapter coupler, Car 745 was pulled off the flat bed trailer and down onto the street track. Then the rest of the move was completed with our 1928 Ex-Hudson & Manhattan car number 503. PATH car 503 was previously acquired into the collection in July 1979, when her useful days in active service at PATH was completed. It is ironic that Car 745 had replaced antiquated Car 503 so many years ago and now both cars are together at the Shore Line Trolley Museum.”
A special parade was held the day Car 745 was moved from temporary storage into her new home at the Trolley Museum.
“What a day that was!” Brother Zelazo said. “Leading the procession down a local street was New York’s Fire Department Honor Guard and Bag Pipers in full uniform. Then followed a multitude of the area’s finest: police, firemen and first responders. The parade of people and emergency equipment proceeded under an arch formed by the extension of ladders from two fire trucks.
“PATH Car 745 was on its special heavy hauler trailer with myself in the cab and Civil Engineer Peter Rinaldi waving from the window. The procession ended, where street meets rail, in front of The Frank J. Sprague Building.
“The festivities continued with speeches by the museum’s General Manager Wayne Sandford, the museum’s President, Jeff Hakner, East Haven Mayor Joe Maturo, Town of Branford First Selectman James Cosgrove, State Senator Sean Scanlon, Town of Branford Second Selectman Joe Higgins, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, as well as myself, Alan Zelazo. Covering and recording this Historic Event were several television and radio stations.”
Visitors coming to the museum can enjoy an educational audio-visual memorial display inside PATH Car 745 and ex-Brooklyn Rapid Transit Instruction Car 999. Photos, original rail and signs from the World Trade Center Plaza can also be viewed. All these artifacts were donated by and made possible by the generosity of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Brother Zelazo said.
“Many thanks to Shore Line Trolley Museum President Emeritus William Wall for making this acquisition possible along with all the good folks at PATH for their continuous support,” Brother Zelazo said. “A big thank you to Trolley Museum volunteer Conrad Misek and Museum President Wayne Sandford for the long hours and ingenuity in creating this display.”
The Shore Line Trolley Museum is located at 17 River St., East Haven, CT 06512 www.shorelinetrolley.org.
Brother Zelazo after a hard day at work volunteering.
