Route "#s" - long routes

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

John Swindler wrote:

> >Jim also mentioned:  I think the PRCo system of 42 DORMONT  and  43 NEELD
> >makes much more sense!
> >
> 
> Seems that there was no consistent practice for route numbers for
> Pittsburgh.  There is 42-43; 35-36-37; 68-69; 13-14; 10-11; 64-66.  But
> there was also 38-38A; 55-55A; and wasn't there a 56A to Lincoln Place and
> also something called 88 Frankstown Short?????

	Now who was it that said your memory is failing?!?!<VBG>

	Great recall - didn't stop and think about the system as a whole - just
one that came to mind immediately.

	With 42-43, the latter is a simple loop short of the end of the line.
	The above is similar for 10-11; 13-14; 35, 36, -37; 55-55A; 56-56A; 
		64-66; and 68-68.
	With 55A and 56A, the next higher number to be used for a short turn 
		was already taken by another route!
	With 38-38A, the latter is an extension of the former, not just a 
		simple short-turn loop.  Again, the next higher number was
		already taken (as was the one below it!)
	But the anomaly is 88 Frankstown Short.

	So it does seem like there was a system - use the next higher number
for a short turn; if that number is already taken, tack on an "A."  I
think that is still much better than 41-Union/Lyon or 41-Union/Steiner,
the latter a cutback of the former.  People do not read beyond the 41. 
Looking at 55A, it is hard to miss the "A."  (Bet San Franciscans could
miss it - they don't even see the number - they just get on the bus. 
Someone once asked:  "How long will it take to get to Candlestick Park?"
- on an outbound Judah streetcar!  Additionally, my route shares with
other routes and people constantly jump on without looking but they want
another line.  Some will look at and presumably read the destination
sign only to ask:  "What bus route is this?"  And these people are not
interested in the routing of the bus; they quite plainly state afterward
that they want another bus line (usually a diesel and I drive trolley
coach!))

> I guess from the Railways perspective, the question was "what do we have to
> do to minimize confusing the public".  As Jim said, using different numbers
> helps.

	That is certainly different than today where they seem to do the
maximum to confuse the public.  Green Line  --  for Martians only??? 
Blue-Line  --  for Sad People only???  Is everything in the towns
painted the same color?  Is that the name of the towns or the
destination?
	And why not try to maximize Federal subsidies by counting outbound
passengers in the AM rush and inbound passengers in the PM rush to
justify high levels of service (fewer fares mean higher subsidies to
maintain service levels)?  SF did this in the early 80s.  Maybe the Feds
got wise because I don't see it happening any more!

James B. Holland
------- -- ---------
        Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
    To e-mail *off-list,* please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/