Route 9, 8, PHB&NC

[Fred Schneider]

By the way, Route 9 was not always a transfer route.  I remember an old
Pittsburgh map that my father had that showed two different routes to
the old Charles Street carhouse.  Route 7 Charles Street ran through
Manchester.  Route 9 came out Federal Street and Perrysville Avenue from
downtown, then turned down the Charles Street hill.  The route cards
would need to be searched to see when it became a transfer route, but I
think it was in the depths of the Depression.  

And if we want to stretch this out farther, who out there remembers when
Route 8 PERRYSVILLE also required double-end cars? The turnback point
was a crossover just north of Perrysville and East Streets.  The line
was extended beyond the city limits into Ross Township after Keating Car
House opened in the 1920s. 

And how about school cars on the Harmony Route?  My mother, who
graduated from Perry High School c. 1929 had a girl friend who, like
many other rural people in that era, came to the city to go to school.
This young woman came in on the PHB&NC interurban from somewhere up near
Warrendale.  Mom thought she came all the way to Perry High on a Harmony
Route car, which would have involved crossing over on East Street, and
then running from the rear controller up the hill to Perrysville and
East.  Anybody out there wish to add anything to this?

-----Original Message-----
From: Vigrass, Bill [mailto:billvigrass at hillintl.com]
Sent: Monday, November 08, 1999 9:44 AM
To: 'pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org'
Subject: RE: Maps-Carrick


Thanks for reminding me that Charles Street Transfer was No. 9.  I have
a
photo of the car someplace (filed in PRC "old cars"). I don't recall
that it
showed a route number. Now I will have to check. Interesting.  And yes
indeed, it did change ends at the top of the hill on a very steep grade.
When we rode it (three of us) there was/were one or two other
passengers.
It was not exactly a high volume operation. 
Bill V.