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<DIV><FONT face="Century Gothic">Fred</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Gothic"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Gothic">Hey, combine the London system with the DC
Transit automatic pole raising and lowering (never, I think, extended totally
throughout the system) and you would really have something. Except you'd
still have all the additional maintenance costs of the conduit
system.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Gothic"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Century Gothic">Dwight</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=fwschneider@comcast.net href="mailto:fwschneider@comcast.net">Fred
Schneider</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org
href="mailto:pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org">Western PA Trolley
discussion</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 22, 2013 2:38
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [PRCo] DC Streetcar</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Did not take any act of Congress, Herb. The
previous restriction was written into the franchise. Once Capital
Transit and its predecessors were gone, so was the need to use underground
conduits.<BR><BR>London used a system in which the plough simply hung in a
track or frame under the car which ran the entire width of the
car. The conduit then crossed the running rail to a storage area
between the inbound and outbound tracks. Outbound the car simply
shot the plow … the "driver" came into the change area fast enough that the
flow simply followed the conduit and shot out from under the car.
And a man on the street walked up to the car and raised the pole.
In bound the street man used an insulated fork to guide the flow to the frame
under the car … he walked along beside the car as the car slowly pulled ahead
and simply guided the plough into the car. With proper timing, you
probably could have done it in 15 seconds.<BR><BR><BR><BR>On Dec 22, 2013, at
12:53 PM, Herb Brannon wrote:<BR><BR>> Interesting is the fact that the
reasons (dreamed up by Capital Transit in<BR>> 1947) for conversion of the
Benning Road service from streetcar to bus were<BR>> first, the fact that
during rush hour periods the service frequency had to<BR>> be less than
60-seconds between cars. These lines (Rosslyn-Kenilworth;<BR>> Washington
Circle-Seat Pleasant; Washington Circle-Kenilworth Junction;<BR>> 15th
& New York-Kenilworth Junction; and Potomac Park-Seat Pleasant)<BR>>
required the use of a "plow pit" at the interface between conduit and<BR>>
overhead operation. The changeover from conduit to overhead and vice<BR>>
versatook an even 60-seconds and could not be<BR>> speeded up using Capital
Transit methods (London (UK) accomplished this<BR>> faster than 60-seconds)
Therefore headways could not be less than<BR>> 60-seconds. Buses were the
answer. Second, eastbound cars at 15th & New<BR>> York Avenue were
being delayed do to heavy traffic and the fact that<BR>> streetcar
movements at that intersection caused missed opportunities for<BR>> cars to
go on their proper routes. Streetcars were always backed up two or<BR>>
more blocks waiting for a green light to go their respective ways at 15th
&<BR>> New York. Third, traffic congestion along Benning Road was
increasing and<BR>> those two lanes of streetcar track would make more room
for autos. Now,<BR>> nearly 70 years later, suddenly traffic is no longer a
concern for the<BR>> operation of streetcars on Benning Road.<BR>>
<BR>> Not to mention that the new Washington streetcar system uses overhead
wire,<BR>> hanging above the streets, inside the District of Columbia. I
supposed that<BR>> this took "an act of Congress" to allow overhead wire in
D.C.<BR>> <BR>> I'm glad the streetcars are coming back, however, why
did they have to go<BR>> in the first place?<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> On
Sun, Dec 22, 2013 at 11:47 AM, John Swindler <<A
href="mailto:j_swindler@hotmail.com>wrote">j_swindler@hotmail.com>wrote</A>:<BR>>
<BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> Benning Road from front of tour bus
during recent TRB meeting. About half<BR>>> the span wires were in
place, but no contact wire. Work was underway at<BR>>> turnback
near Union Station. Grading completed no construction yet on<BR>>>
carbarn at east end of the line. A stated purpose is to help revitalize
a<BR>>> run-down area.<BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>>
<BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>>> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2013
16:00:29 +0000<BR>>>> From: <A
href="mailto:bobrathke@comcast.net">bobrathke@comcast.net</A><BR>>>>
To: <A
href="mailto:pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org">pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org</A><BR>>>>
Subject: Re: [PRCo] DC Streetcar<BR>>>> <BR>>>> An
interesting animation teaching people the things we learned from<BR>>>
parents and friends in the "old" streetcar era. Attached are a couple
of<BR>>> photos I took in Georgetown on 11/3/78. I had thought that the
sign was a<BR>>> remnant of the streetcar days in D.C., but it may have
been posted later to<BR>>> warn bicyclists of the rail that was still in
the street 16 years after<BR>>> trolleys ended in the
District.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> ----- Original Message
-----<BR>>>> <BR>>>> From: "DF Cramer" <<A
href="mailto:alto_trombone@hotmail.com">alto_trombone@hotmail.com</A>><BR>>>>
To: <A
href="mailto:pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org">pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org</A><BR>>>>
Sent: Sunday, December 22, 2013 6:26:15 AM<BR>>>> Subject: [PRCo] DC
Streetcar<BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>> <A
href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/21163/watch-ddots-beautifully-animated-streetcar-video/">http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/21163/watch-ddots-beautifully-animated-streetcar-video/</A><BR>>>>
<BR>>>> We now have to teach people how to react.<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> Dennis F. Cramer<BR>>>> <A
href="http://home.windstream.net/dfc1/">http://home.windstream.net/dfc1/</A><BR>>>>
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<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> -- <BR>> Herb Brannon<BR>> <BR>>
<BR>> *In Pittsburgh.............................A City And.........A State
of<BR>> Mind *<BR>> Let's Go Pens<BR>> Let's Go Steelers<BR>>
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