Roy Benedict:
While the postmark says Kokomo, the vintage manuscript on the face of the photo says GREENTOWN IND, the first town east of Kokomo on the Kokomo, Marion & Western Traction Company. On the other hand, the views of the Greentown station in CERA Bulletin 102 don't match the postcard scene. Can it be a street scene elsewhere in Greentown? What is the postmark date?

The KM&W cars attributed to Jewett Car Company, 1905, were similar to the one in the postcard, but were numbered low 101-104 at least in later years and when the property ended up as the Northern Indiana Power Company. The next car, built in 1912, was 105 as built, so I'd infer that if there were earlier numbers in the 150s it was not for long. Is it possible that the very legible number 151 is retouched from 101 or something?

Jim Graebner:
Greentown was on the Kokomo Marion & Western, and
was first reached by a predecessor compnay from Kokomo in 1903.  The 29 mile line from Kokomo to Marion was completed in 1905.  Jewett built 6 passenger cars for the lne in 1905, but that doesn't account for the 16 first class and 6 second class cars reported to the Indiana PUC in 1908.  One thing:  the roster in CERA #102 has a number of errors, and I have long wondered whether it represents a time after the fleet had been renumbered.  SO... my guess is that the car was a KM&W car.  COuld it have been a visitor? Yes, but Union Traction appears to have numbered their interurbans in the 200 series; THI&E #151 was a city car, and Bradley'sthorough book on the Fort Wayne & Wabash Valley yields no #151 that would be a car as in the photo.

Here is some information on the roster of the Kokomo line.  It shows that the difference in cars between the 1902 and the 1907 Census can be accounted for by the cars ordered during the intervening years, less some scrappings, presumably of earlier city cars, or conversion to freight trailers.  If the date on the postcard is before the opening of the Kokomo Franfurt & Western in July, 1912, then it is likely (and logical) that #151 is one of the two Jewetts built on lot 166.  If the card is dated after 1911, then there is an additional possibility:

Note that the KF&W claims to have owned 8 passenger interurbans, and that the reported total in 1913 would seem to confirm this.  Therefore, there are 6 cars unaccounted for.  Since these do not show in McGraw Hill listings, it may be that these were cars either purchased second-hand, or that they were built for another line, but delivery was never taken, and they were sold by the builder to the KF&W. In either event, they were most likely disposed of before the CERA #102 roster date, which is apparently from the Northern Indiana Power era.

KOKOMO MARION & WESTERN – ROSTER DATA

General History of Line:

The Kokomo City Street Railway began service in December, 1891.  In March, 1899, the system was reorganized as the Kokomo Railways & Light Company. The Kokomo Marion & Western was formed March, 1903, as a successor to the Kokomo Converse & Western, which had not been an operating company.  In April, 1903, the company purchased the Kokomo Railways & Light.  It opened a 10 mile line from Kokomo to Greentown October 20, 1903, and extended that line to Marion September 1, 1905.

In 1911, the Kokomo Frankfort & Western was formed, and opened a 26 mile line between Kokomo and Frankfurt in July, 1912.  Both this company and the KM&W were merged into the Indiana Railways & Light Company December, 1912.  This company in turn was merged into the Northern Indiana Power Company November, 1922.  Beginning in 1930, the interurban lines were operated by the Indiana Railroad.  The Kokomo city system was abandoned March 11, 1932; and the interurban lines June 24, 1932.

Statistical Data:

1893 Manual of Statistics:

Kokomo City Street Railway Co.; 5 miles; Electric – Detroit System; 10 cars.

1894 Red Book:

4.88 miles, 35# T rail; 9 motor cars, 4 trail cars; Brownell cars; Jan. 1894 data

1895 St. Ry. Journal

4-7/8 miles, 35# T rail; 13 cars, of which 9 are motor and 4 trail; Jan 1894 data

Marlette

Kokomo City Street Railway; 4.9 miles; 9 power, 4 trail (Feb. 1898)

1899 Red Book

Kokomo Street Railway Light & Power Co.;  (This company formed when the local power company was purchased and was the successor to the Kokomo City Street Ry.) 6 miles; 10 motor, 3 trail cars; St. Louis and Brownell cars.  February, 1899 data.

Marlette

Kokomo Railways & Light; 9 miles; 14 powered passenger cars and 1 powered work car (1902).  Line sold 4/03 to KM&W.
1902 Census

Kokomo Rys. & Light; 16 passenger cars (7 closed, 9 open) plus 1 work car.  9 are motor cars and 8 trailers.

1907 Census

Kokomo Marion & Western;  31 cars total; 24 passenger, of  which 14 closed, 8 open, and 2 combination;  also 3 express, 3 work and 1 plow.

1908 Indiana RR Commission Report

16 first class and 6 second class passenger cars (total 22); 2 freight cars, 5 coal cars, and 3 “company” cars

Marlette

Kokomo Marion & Western (1911); 27 miles interurban plus 9 miles city; 23 power passenger cars; 2 freight power, 2 service power and 4 service trail.  Total 31

Marlette

Kokomo Frankfurt & Western (1912); 26 miles; 8 power passenger, 1 power freight, 1 power service; total 10.

Marlette

Indiana Railways & Light (1913); 31 passenger power; 3 freight power; 3 service power and 4 service trail; Total 41.

McGraw-Hill 1918 Directory

24 motor passenger; 2 trail passenger; 4 other motor; 15 other;  2 electric loco

McGraw Hill 1924 Directory

27 motor passenger (of which 14 are one-man); 4 trail passenger; 2 motor freight; 18 trail freight; 1 motor service; 1 trail service; 2 electric loco.  Date of info 11/23.

Known Cars and Source of Data:

Jewett built 4 lots of cars in 1905, for the Kokomo Marion & Western as follows:
 (Source: Jewett Lot List)
4 wood combination pass/smoker  with baggage, about 45’ long; lot #167, plan 112W.
2 wood combination pass/baggage, about 45’ long; lot #166, plan 112V
1 Flat work motor, 30’-6” long, lot #164, plan 195B.
1 Baggage, 34’ long; lot #165, plan 212B

Electric Railway Journal reported the following orders for the company in its Annual Statistics:

1906:
 2 open 37’-8.75” city DT Cincinnati Car Co.
 2 open 29’-9.25” city ST Cincinnati Car Co.
 2 closed 30’-8”  city ST Cincinnati Car Co.
1911:
 2 Combination  inter. DT McGuire Cummings
 (CERA #102 has a builder’s photo of #105, apparently from this series)
 1 Express  inter. DT McGuire Cummings
 (CERA #102 has a builder’s photo of #200, believed to be this car)

1915:
 1 Sweeper 28’-3”  city
 2 pass/closed 25’  city one-man

1917:
 2  passenger/closed 39’ city two-man

1920:
 10 Safety  28’ city motor
 (American Car Co. Birneys)
 2 passenger 45’ inter. trail
 3 work  24’ inter. trail

1925:
 2  freight  25’ inter. trail

CERA Roster from Bulletin #102: