Speed

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

> > From:         Kenneth and Tracie Josephson[SMTP:kjosephson at sprintmail.com]

> > To get back on topic, when I was in Pittsburgh last month, the buzz was
> > the governors on the LRVs were reset to 31 mph. . . Scott Davis showed
> > me signalling hardware which indicated that some sections of the system
> > *could* support 70 mph operation. I see no reason why the line isn't
> > operated in the 40-60 mph range.

        W-H-E-R-E-?-!  Forget it thru Dormont and Beechview.  From Dormont 
Junction to Cape May trestle there is either too much actual street running, too 
many curves, or too many grade crossings.
	Also, too many curves on the prw from Palm Garden to Beechview Streets 
in addition to grades.  Any speed approaching 40 mph between Dormont Junction and 
Palm Garden seems way out of line.
	The only section for any speed is between Mt. Lebanon and the Village, 
and that is severely limited.  And the best place in this section for any real 
speed is from the Village to Washington Junction.  There is or was a good open 
stretch between Mt. Lebanon and CS but there are several grade crossings to 
contend with.  One near CS might warrant crossing arms but the others are smaller 
and less used crossings.
	Maybe 40 mph, but I have an extremely difficult time visioning 70 mph.  
Outer Library if upgraded and then for maybe one second at 70 mph!  There isn't 
any light rail today running that fast.  Most new systems held top speed to 50 
mph; Portland was the first with 55 mph - don't know if others have followed!

> > Seriously, I would like a comparison of present running times between
> > Downtown and Mt. Lebanon and the best schedule of the 42/38 before
> > rebuilding. I have PAT schedules of the line from 1972, 1975, 1979 &
> > 1982. What I need is the current schedule. Ken J.
> >

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