All-
Rupert and I have been working on and off on documenting the history of the Burlington’s early efforts at a successful self-propelled passenger car which date prior to 18
In 1906, James J. Hill had Max Toltz, an engineer from Minneapolis who is closely associated with the Great Northern, travel to Europe to study the cars in use there on behalf of the Burlington according to press reports. Upon his return a car was built at Aurora to his specifications. After some trial runs it was sent to St. Paul and the Burlington side of the story ends there.
I’ve been in communicaton with Ken Middleton and Norman Priebe from the GNRHS. They have a few paragraphs, two photos and a diagram of the “Max Toltz Steam Motorcar” on pages 363 and 364 in Chapter 27 of their book Steam Locomotives of the Great Northern Railway, published in 2010.
If anyone has a copy of this book could you please make 300 dpi scans or better of the pages and send them to me? I’d like to include them with the material we have assembled on the pre-Edwards motor car efforts on the CB&Q and offer them either as a Zephyr or Bulletin article or at least a presentation for one of the upcoming BRHS meets. The article will be shared with the GNRHS and NPHS as well because apparently the car was owned jointly by all the Hill roads.
Thanks,
Charlie Vlk
….and if anyone has any idea of what the B&MR in Nebraska “Steam Trolley” was that is mentioned in the 1897 and 1898 Reports (or earlier??) I would much appreciate knowing more about it!!!