Purchased about 1950 by T. Clarence Marshall from Spencer Sharpless of Wayne, PA, who
last ran the car in 1946, with batteries that had been purchased new in 1943. These were the
original-type batteries, which were in the car until 2002. A mercury-vapor type charger
came with the car, but the vapor bulb had lost its vacuum by 1950, and attempts to charge
the batteries at that time were unsuccessful. In the early 1950's, a motor-generator charger
was donated to us by Frank V. duPont.
The car was a static exhibit in the Museum until late in 2001 when members of the
Steam Team, notably Emil Christofano, convinced Tom that it should run again. New deep-
cell golf cart type batteries were purchased and installed, and the motor-generator charger
was activated. It seemed more practical to have a small charger installed right in the car next
to the rear batteries, however, and this was done quite successfully. Emil has done a lot of
work on the car, has demonstrated it many times, and drove it about 200 miles during the
2002-03 seasons. Finally the windings on the electric motor failed, and the motor has been
rebuilt and was re-installed in February, 2005. The Rauch & Lang and Baker Electric cars
were closely connected for many years, and through 1916 practically identical lines were
sold under both names; Baker built the power plant, Rauch & Lang built the bodies. Starting
with 1917, even though the manufacturing was the same, the cars were sold only as Baker
Electrics. A larger Rauch & Lang, of the same period as our car, was owned by Denver
resident Mrs. Doud, mother of Mamie Doud Eisenhower. That car, which can be steered
from either the front or back seat, is on display at the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, KS.
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