PRCo -- Gleanings -- Trivia -- Tidbits

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

        Am selecting the following interesting information from *Viewing PA Trolleys* by 
Kenneth Springirth:

        01)--   Street railway mileage in Pgh. was 43 miles in 1886; 63 miles in 1890.  By 
1896 the trackage reached 337 miles.  The record was set in 1895-1896 when almost 100 miles 
of track was put in service. After 1897 track extensions averaged 20 miles per year.

        02)--   Pittsburgh Railways by 1912 was operating more trail cars than any other 
trolley company in the US.

        03)--   On 1912.07.07 PRCo placed the first powered low floor car into service with 
a total of over 1,000 revenue cars (mostly high-floor), powered and trailer, in operation by 
1914!

        04)--   In 1914, Homewood shopmen could change out a truck in 4-6 minutes.  This 
involved moving the car under the hoist, lifting the car, disconnecting the electrical and 
air leads, moving out the old truck and running in the new truck, replacing the air and 
electrical leads, and lowering the car!

        05)--   In the 1920's, every mile of overhead wire was inspected weekly.

        06)--   By 1924, PRCo had 115 electric track switches!

        07)--   A PRCo brochure described the PCC in 1937::  "Never had any street car 
glided along so smoothly and quietly, never had street car seats felt so deep and 
comfortable, never had street car lighting been so bright and cheerful and easy to read by, 
never had a street car offered so many surprising advantages.  Here was something new on 
wheels, and as shipments of that first 100 arrived in town and were placed in operation, 
they were enthusiastically acclaimed."

        08)--   The first ten new PCC cars were assigned to the 38 Mt. Lebanon to provide  
a-l-l  off-peak service.  During the first week of PCC operation, riding increased 8% 
overall, but increased 16% off-peak!

        09)--   The first full Sunday of PCC service on routes 71, 73, 75, & 76 was 
1937.04.04 and ridership increased 68.9%!

        10)--   There were a total of 1,187 cars on the PRCo roster in 1950 which included 
the 666 PCC cars.

        11)--   In 1952, 77% of vehicle miles were operated by streetcar over 509 miles of 
single track; maximum trackage was 606 miles in 1918!  While there were some bustitutions 
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 68 and a few others) and the interurbans were truncated within Allegheny 
County, the system remained largely intact until the bustitution of the West End lines in 
June of 1959.

        12)--   PCC interurban 1723 made the last thru trip leaving Pittsburgh at 11.00 PM 
on 1953.06.28 to Roscoe on the Charleroi line.  Fifty people boarded at Charleroi and were 
greeted with *track torpedoes* in Roscoe.  The car left Roscoe at 1.30 AM over *track 
torpedoes* and arrived at the Charleroi Car House at 2:00 AM accompanied by a large crowed, 
fire sirens, and auto horns.  This was the first major trolley cutback by PRCo.

        13)--   On 1953.08.29. PCC interurban 1711 left downtown Pittsburgh at 12.20 AM for 
the last trip to Washington, PA.

        14)--   Carrick Car House closed on 1954.03.21.

        15)--   Car 4393 was the last regularly scheduled double-end car to be used in the 
city and made its last run on 12 Evergreen on 1953.12.13.

        16)--   By July of 1954, all streetcar service was provided by PCC cars.

        17)--   PCC 1784 was the last car on routes 28 and 30 and arrived at Ingram Car 
House at 3.00 AM.  PCC 1493 was the last car on routes 26 and 31/34 and arrived at Ingram at 
3.20 AM.

        18)--   Ridership in 1950 - 255,000,000

        19)--   Ridership in 1962 - <90,000,000

        20)--   In 1962:
                A)--    62,000,000 passengers, 333 miles of track, 424 PCC streetcars.
                B)--    26,000,000 passengers, 370 miles of route, 277 ({[buses]}).
		C)--	(Assume the balance to be inclines & misc(?))

        21)--   Homewood Car House closed on 1960.07.10 as an operating division but all 
heavy repairs for streetcars were still done here so a track connection existed until June 
of 1968.  After this date, only South Hills remained as a streetcar division and heavy 
repairs were moved there.

        22)--   The last regular car on route 56 McKeesport was PCC 1655 on 1963.09.01.
PCC 1450 was chartered by PTM and followed PCC 1655.

        23)--   PCC 1412 was caught on 98 Glassport because of severe storm damage and it 
took 6 hours to back the car to its connection with the 56 line.  Thus the 98 line closed 
before the scheduled date of 1963.09.01.

        24)--   PCC 1673 was the last car on route 65 leaving Lincoln Place at 12.33 AM on 
1965.09.05, arriving Craft Ave Car House at 1.26 AM.

        25)--   PCC 1438 was the last car on 77/54 leaving Robinson and Sandusky at 2.00 AM, 
arriving at Craft at 2.31 AM on 1965.09.05.

        26)--   PCC 1777 was the last car route 15 leaving town at 12.07 AM, arriving West 
View 12.40 AM on 1965.09.05.

        27)--   PCC 1790 was the last car on route 10 leaving town at 12.52 AM, arriving 
West View at 1.24 AM on 1965.09.05

        28)--   PCC 1683 was the last car on route 8 on 1965.09.05 and the last car to use 
Keating.

        29)--   On 1967.01.28, the last cars in the East End were as follows:
                A)--    PCC 1755 route 64
                B)--    PCC 1666 route 67
                C)--    PCC 1728 route 71
                D)--    PCC 1643 route 73
                E)--    PCC 1763 route 75
                F)--    PCC 1761 route 76
                G)--    PCC 1763 route 82 (last route 75 car then became 82 line night car)
                H)--    PCC 1426 route 87
                I)--    PCC 1734 route 88

        30)--   Executive director Harley Swift (Port Authority of Allegheny County - PAAC) 
was quoted in a Pgh newspaper on 1963.11.17 stating that the Library and Drake lines would 
be rebuilt into semi rapid transit during 1964!

        31)--   CordiCar M455 aka 4116 was painted in white with red blue and gold banners. 
 Inaugural run on 1954.09.10.  Within a few months the car was repainted orange and returned 
to duty as a snow scraper.

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