Route "#s" Etc

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

John Swindler wrote:

> Another question:  Did 10/15 cars always take layover time at West View
> terminus (location of three crossovers on Center Ave. vicinity Cornell -
> don't have schedule or map handy) in later years?.

	Only if they were running on time!!!!!!
	And this begs a question - why do you say *later years?*  I think the
official layover point was the outer *end* but exactly what is
considered the *end* of a loop-line is arbitrary (Smith's book noted
later indicates the 3-crossovers area as the official end of the line as
does the map by PRMA - all of this in the area of Princeton, Yale, and
Harvard Avenues!); it would be very difficult to do downtown.  Layover
was a function of several items - sometimes unions wanted a certain
amount of time per trip and sometimes layover was by design to give a
cushion when running late - the latter preventing short turns to return
to schedule or operator trades to return to same.  Layover is also a
function of running time and headway - if it takes 45 minutes to make a
round trip on 20 minute headways then there is a 15 minute layover.
	But if it takes 40 minutes to make a trip on 20 minute headways, this
would be way too tight to use two cars so three would be used.  But
going to 15 minute headways allows for more service with the same three
cars and a tiny layover.  Take a look at the odd ball headways of 17,
18, or 19 minutes on many of the PRCo schedules.  It seems that headway
was a function of running time and this would seem to be the most
efficient.  Toronto had little if any layover on at least *some* lines
in the early 70s - cars kept right on moving end to end.

> Also, where did motormen
> punch in their time for these lines?

	The picture on page 22 of *Touring Pittsburgh by Trolley* by Harold A.
Smith shows 1788 on one of the crossovers right near a *time clock.*  It
was probably right at the terminal.  This practice was waning in latter
PRCo days and disappeared sometime during PAT.
	Interestingly, it was outbound before Biltmore that the 42 line punched
its clock and 4-car lengths inbound from the wye where a special stop
was made to do the same - neither location was a passenger stop.
	We kids used to punch these clocks on a very regular basis - lots of
ghost streetcars on the 42 line!

> Drake or Simmons Loop was unofficial place to change sign - for convenience
> of operator so that he would not forget.  I want to say that Oak was where
> sign was supposed to be changed, but maybe it was Washington Jct or Castle
> Shannon.

	. . . or South Hills Jct.  Good point.  Someone getting on the 
Shannon Drake at Kings School could be confused!

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