Electric Work Equipment
Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transport B48
Description: | Double-truck snow sweeper |
Equipment Information
Milwaukee Electric B48 is the only surviving snow sweeper from the Milwaukee streetcar system. It was designed with large cylindrical brooms at each end which would rotate at high speed and sweep snow off of the tracks. It is also fitted with wing plows to clear snow off of the city street alongside the streetcar tracks.
COMPARE ME WITH: Chicago Surface Lines E223, a Chicago snow sweeper which was designed for exactly the same purpose but is much smaller in size and only has two axles instead of four.
Builder: TMER&L
Year Built: 1926
Length: 44ft 10in
Width: 9ft 3in
Height: 12ft 1in
Weight: 69000 lbs
Brakes: Straight Air
Motors: 4 GE 216 / 2 GE 216 (sweeper)
Control: K35 / 2 K6 (sweeper)
Compressor: A4 / DH-10
Trucks: StL 23MC
Description: Double End / Double Truck / Snow Sweeper
Arrived: 1989
Condition: Complete / unrestored / not operational
Ownership History
1926-1938 – The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company
1938-1963 – The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transport Company
1963-1972 – Wisconsin Electric Power Company
1972-1989 – The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society, East Troy, WI
1989-present – Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL
Click to return to Electric Work Equipment roster
Click to return to main roster page