I miss Drake

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

Robert E. Rathke wrote:
> Delays were especially common on the Overbrook
> hillside line where the passing sidings regularly got jammed with cars.

	The signalling system was originally designed to avoid a total 
shutdown because of too many cars in one direction.  A car going either 
direction reserved his place on a single track section about 2 1/2 sidings 
before arriving at that single track section.  (Sorry, I am not an engineer 
and don't know all the technical terms.)  Thus one inbound car in the PM 
rush would not be held up indefinitely by a steady stream of outbound cars. 
 This also reduced the chance of total gridlock.  Did that system fail in 
later years?

> The evening outbound PCC I was riding
> derailed when the asphalt lifted the front truck wheel flanges, and the
> PCC headed up southeastbound Ft. Couch Road.

	If you can get some scans, send them to Derrick so he can post them 
- please!

> I miss Drake.
> 
> Bob Rathke 9/13 
James B. Holland
       PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS COMPANY (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
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