Johnstown PCC Scans & a Pittsburgh Fantasy

[Kenneth and Tracie Josephson]

Jim Holland wrote:

>         Do you remember a time in the 80s (were you shaving yet, Ken?!)
> when they considered purchasing / leasing some Boston cars?  If they
> purchased the Dallas DE cars from Bean Town, they wouldn't have to put
> those ({[ooogly]}) front poles on three of their own!  Don't remember the
> details.  Both Johnstown and DC were long gone before ({[PAT]}), weren't
> they?

DC Transit retained many of their PCCs into the mid 1960's hoping to
sell them off. I have Hill pictures (soon to be offered on eBay) taken
in 1966 showing these cars in storage. I thought Johnstown kept their
PCC's for several years after abandonment before stripping them and
sending the components to Europe.

>         Los Angeles went out in 1963 and since Overbrook was once a
> narrow gauge railroad with some of that rail supposedly remaining in
> 1964, they could have used the extremely well maintained LA air-cars; the
> all-electrics would be too wide!  You did say "What if?" - didn't
> you???????

Sure. This is a fantasy, isn't it? I wonder if some retrucked
all-electric LATL cars could have been used on the East End or North
Side lines?

>         Bombardier, which built the superb LRVs for Portland, OR, initial
> order was contemplating building a car using "updated PCC technology!!!"

I guess that made too much sense. ;-)

>  Now here is a "What IF?" that you can run with!
>         Oorrrrr, there might be some good, used, articulated, PCCs from
> Europe or Russia that might have filled the bill as well!  These would
> probably be *more skinnier* than the Pgh. PCCs and would fit in very
> nicely.

True...since much of Pittsburgh is forested (and of course, very hilly
and mountainous) European cars would have been very exotic in the Steel
City.

>         Orrrrr, Pgh. could have purchased / leased the cars sitting
> around in El Paso and renumbered one #100 - they were almost as old!

I'd hate to those great vintage cars exposed to road salt after being
dry all these years. I have my own fantasy of those being rewired for
750 VDC and returned to San Diego for charter use. :-)

Ken J,

P.S.- I started shaving in 1975 ;-)