Broad Gauge

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	While looking for Dave Hamley's article about the baseball special 
streetcars, I cam across Ed Lybarger's article about *Why Broad Gauge?*  I quote 
part of this article (*Trolley Fare* July-August 1997, pps 8-9):

	"Here in Pittsburgh (and likely the thinking of other places in the 
state where broad gauge was adopted), the requirement for the Citizens' 
Passenger Railway Company (the city's first) and subsequent operators was clear 
and logical:  '. . . of such a gauge as to be most convenient for the use of 
carriages and buggies passing over the same road . . .'"

	This is what I had always heard *by rumor* but it is nice to see it 
confirmed.  With early roads dirt (MUD in rainy weather) carriages could travel 
along the streetcar tracks and avoid the mud.  But isn't it interesting that 
rubber-tired-autos didn't like driving or getting stuck *in-the-tracks* unless 
it was done purposely to avoid the rough ride on the brick pavement!

-- 
James B. Holland
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              PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS COMPANY (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
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