PCC Speed

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	This question is mainly intended for Dr. Fred Schneider, III!

	On other lists the topic of PCC speed has come up and one individual
claims that he rode PCCs at 50 mph and he knows this because he was
timing mileposts along the line (which system used mileposts on their
streetcar lines where such sustained speed could be maintained?!?!) 
Another knows he was doing 60 mph because the motorman let him operate
the car and the police stopped him and said he was doing 60 (the officer
probably said he was *goin' like 60!* [some motorman was really in
trouble, wasn't he?!])

	While aberrations in equipment is possible and an occasional car might
have a top speed of 45 mph (as opposed to the official 42 mph), I
seriously doubt that a car or a number of different cars could be
capable of sustained 50 mph on the level and would be concerned about
safety downhill.  And 60 seems like total fabrication.

	The Mt. Washington tunnel was close to a 6% grade and I believe the top
speed uphill for a PCC on such a grade is 28 mph.  A car going full bore
up through that tunnel *sounded* like it was doing 50 but it was only
25-30 at the very most!

	The only place I know of where I *might* have experienced a ride at 50
mph on a PCC was on a 17 interurban on a PM rush hour trip on Library
with Charlie Diehl!  We got bogged down in traffic downtown and lost the
interurban in front of us.  Then we got held up by opposing traffic on
the Overbrook single track (another Library car was on our tail as we
cleared the single track!)  As we left Hillcrest outbound, Charlie put
it to the floor and the power cut as we passed Lindemere heading into
the roller coaster dip and the power didn't come back in until the
trestle before the road crossing before Brightwood!  Somewhere in there
we probably got close to 50 but we never sustained that.  Incidentally,
we had the power cut may times heading to Simmons and got back to Kings
School before we passed our follower!

	ANY  COMMENTS????!!!!

James B. Holland
------- -- ---------
        Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
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