The Rockhill Trolley Museum has nearly completed the restoration of an Aurora, Elgin & Chicago interurban car built in 1909 by the Kuhlman Car Company. Among the finishing touches is hand-crafted gold-leaf lettering.

Car 315 has been at the museum since 1963, when it was purchased from the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago for $500. The car was made operable in 1967 and was used on special occasions from then until 2001, when it was taken out of service because of a deteriorating platform. Initially, the plan was to rebuild just the platform, but it eventually turned into a 25-year total rebuild (although not all at once).

Among the finishing touches is gold-leaf lettering and numbering. 

The museum has contracted with a local artist, “Hot Rod Jen” from Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, to apply the gold-leaf lettering and numbering. The Rockhill Trolley Museum was the first railroad museum to hire Jen, and she has since gone on to do work for the Strasburg, McHugh Locomotive & Equipment, Fox River Trolley Museum and others.

Volunteers are also working on reupholstering the seats inside, installing upper clerestory windows and interior trim.

—Justin Franz