Smithfield and Carson Streets & 23 Sewickley

[Jim Holland]

Greetings,

	About 1950, this intersecion was two tracks short of a grand union - it 
was not possible to go straight east or west on Carson - a streetcar is forced 
into either a north or south move from either direction on Carson.

	But the turn from Northbound Smithfield to Westbound Carson and from 
Eastbound Carson to Southbound (into the tunnel) Smithfield was apparently built 
late in the game - sometime after WW II.  Does anyone have a precise date?

	In checking my photos, I have one of 4234 apparently changing ends on 
Carson at Smithfield - date is 1944.03.27 and it appears as though no turn into 
or from the tunnel exists.  A photo of 4380 at the same location (Jan 1995 PTM 
calendar) shows both turns in July of 1952.

	I also have a couple photos which show a crossover on Smithfield just 
north of the P&LE stop and just short of the bridge.  This crossover could have 
been used for two reasons:  1)--to get the 32 P&LE Shuttle cars in and out of 
the barn and 2)--the cars could have used this point to change ends so 
passengers would have a direct connection with all streetcars.  However, traffic 
at this location tends to over ride the latter.

	But this poses another problem.  The 23 Sewickley line was apparently 
operated from South Hills Car House for a number of years (offhand, I forget my 
source for this information) but this would dictate a need for turns to and from 
the Tunnel Car House to West Carson Street unless the cars operated into 
downtown over the Smithfield Bridge first in order to get to or from their 
route.  Why would such an obvious West End line be based at South Hills?  Can 
anyone shed further light on this?

-- 
James B. Holland
       To e-mail *off-list,* please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
              PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS COMPANY (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
      Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) member #273; http://www.pa-trolley.org/
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/