Castle Shannon Car House; P&CSRR; SHJ

[Fred Schneider]

Regarding Castle Shannon admin building ... photos taken on a fantrip in
July 1956 show it as a closed PRC building.  I never visited Pittsburgh
in 1957 ... one of the few years I didn't go back.  I have pictures
taken in April 1958 showing it recycled as the Castle Shannon Municipal
Building.  So it was closed for 24 to 25 years.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Holland [mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net]
Sent: Tuesday, November 16, 1999 8:38 AM
To: PRCo -- WP -- JTC -- The Big *3*
Subject: Castle Shannon Car House; P&CSRR; SHJ


Greetings!

	In a discussion on another post about South Hills Jct., the
subject of
the Car House at Castle Shannon was mentioned.  From *Electric
Railroads* #20 July 1952 - Pittsburgh Interurbans - (published by the
ERA), pg 11, 2nd column, and the 5th paragraph - I quote entirely:

	"The Pittsburgh & Castle Shannon RR had maintained a roundhouse
and
shops at Castle Shannon.  These buildings were altered for interurban
use in 1912 and a car house of the interurban division established
there.  In 1925-26, a modern administration building was erected but the
subsequent depression resulted in the closing of the Shannon barn on
June 20, 1932.  At this time the cars and men were moved to South Hills
(Tunnel) Car house at the south end of the Mt. Washington tunnel. 
Actually South Hills is two car house in one; items of overhead are
combined but seniority, work and equipment are separate."

	My *guess* about SHJ is that the loop around the admin building
*had*
to be built by June 20, 1932.  Track here was probably realigned so that
cars could head outbound to the interurban line from the track behind
the admin building (this connection does not exist on the 1927 map) and
this track from behind the admin building continued on to connect to the
outbound 38-39-40-42 line, not the inbound track as had been done prior
to 1927.  Additionally, another track is needed into the barn from the
38-39-42 line as a yard lead was only connected to the inbound 38-39-42
on the 1927 map.  A connection from the inbound 44-48 to the track
behind the admin building *may* have been installed at this time as
well.
	The old Castle Shannon admin building remained closed for well
over 20
years before the local govt. moved in.
	Other interesting information gleaned from this particular
section:

	"Persons closely associated with the railroad [Pittsburgh &
Castle
Shannon R.R.] had secured franchises and R/W for additional passenger
lines through its valley and up the hill along Bon Air Ave. to
Brownsville Rd. on one side and into Brookline on the other.  These,
along with 3 locomotives, 5 passenger cars, 3 combinations, 10 flat and
gondolas and 275 (1-1/8 to 1-1/2 ton capacity) coal cars, were leased in
1905 by Pittsburgh Railways, constituting all the property of the
P&CSRR, except the old tunnel and the tracks of the old front incline,
which the coal company retained for its own use."

	"Electrification and the placing of extra rails outside the
narrow
gauge [on the Overbrook line] began in October 1908 and the first
electric cars were run inbound through the valley route on July 15,
1909.  Outbound service was established on November 1 of the same year,
. . ."

	"Freight, coal and passenger service with steam locomotives had
been
continued by Pgh. Rys. during the period of electrification and double
gauging, but after electric cars began running regularly, coal trains
were moved on the narrow gauge rails only at night.  Passing sidings
consisted of spur or stub switches into which the passenger car would
pull to let the string of coal cars pass."

	"Hauling of coal was discontinued on May 1, 1912 and most of the
narrow
gauge rail removed except where it was retained as a guard rail on
bridges and curves. . ."

	". . . On September 12, 1903, cars ran thru from Allenport to
Shannon
where passengers transferred to continue their ride to Pittsburgh by
steam train and incline of the Pittsburgh & Castle Shannon RR.  By
October 10, tracks had been extended from Castle Shannon to Mt. Lebanon
where by 950 year lease, cars passed onto tracks of the Pittsburgh &
Birmingham Traction to continue the trip to town via Washington Road,
finally transferring passengers at the top of the Pittsburgh Incline on
Mt. Washington.  The two electric lines were to split fares on thru
passengers and each company was to have an inspector at the junction to
count and agree on the number of fares.  Actual operation of both lines
was by the Pittsburgh Railways by the time thru service was established,
so these precautions did not have to be taken.  On December 1, 1904,
cars began using the present 42-Dormont line between Dormont and West
Liberty [the town, not the road!], replacing operation along a country
wagon road [38-Mt. Lebanon line!] with that along fine double track
PRW.  The new route then went thru the new Mount Washington tunnel to a
downtown Pittsburgh terminal at 3rd Avenue and Wood Street.  In August
1905, the downtown terminal was moved to the Union (PRR) Station, . . ."

	Cheese Whiz - someone had an  h-o-r-r-e-n-d-o-u-s  amount of
inspiration for the future  --  a 950 year lease  --  why not go for a
millenium!  Wonder what a streetcar will look like in 2853 A.D.?!?!  I
wonder if that could be a typo.  That is one of probably hundreds if not
thousands of leases which siphoned money out of PRCo.

	You have already noticed that the above is not necessarily in
chronological order!

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