Rolling Billboards

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

John Swindler wrote:

> From PERC/PRMA roster dated 10/15/63

> Chrysler cars:  Tunnel:  1451, 1623, 1635, 1661
>                 Craft:  1556, 1607
>                 Keating:  1488, 1496, 1678

> Hillside Dodge:  1605

	So this is after my experiences in Pgh - left there in March of 1963. 
Honestly don't remember much in the way of ad cars in South Hills and in
those days I was happy that we didn't have the ad cars.
	But it was different under ([[pat]}).  I would prefer a standard
trolleycar paint scheme on the trolleys, but the vivid colors after 1972
were excellent PR!  Not only did the public know the name of each
trolley, they also knew its number - there was real passenger
identification with the equipment!  The trolleys actually became
household words *not only* among passengers, but among the city folk in
general!  The trolleys were generally very well accepted.
	It is interesting to note that in their glory days, trolleycars were
highly respected.  But as they aged they were recognized more as a
necessary nuisance.  Of course, after WW2, trolleycars were highly
disliked by a vocal faction.  Finally, the trolleys fell into poor
disrepair and were thought goners.  Then came their rebirth after 1972. 
This final stage might be called the *senior-citizen* era.  Much like we
get the warm-fuzzies when considering seniors and how cute they are,
this is how the trolleycars were in the final days.
	But as the seniors of our society are quite active to participate in
public, civic, and private affairs and volunteer their skills in a wide
variety of areas in addition to working yet at regular jobs, the
trolleycars worked and served their purpose well in their Golden Years!
	But even though the trolleycar era itself has ended, their memory lives
on thru this list!  (Please see another post entitled *Memories.*)

> F8 (ex W&C) scrapped 1961 with M282, M453, M701, M17, M24, M26, M32, M35.
> W&C 201-204 became PRC 3551-3554, then PRC F6-F9.  Photo F7(?) in ERA
> publication on PRC interurban lines shows arch bar trucks.  Jim H was right
> - trucks were changed in later years.

	Yes - the W&C cars were very handsome cars, even if shorter than the
usual length we associate with trolleycars.  And what especially makes
them handsome is their original trucks which can be seen in the cover
photo for *Trolley Fare* of Nov-Dec-1997.  They look somewhat like MCB
but could be another brand.  Work equipment on PRCo was fairly much
relegated to the arch-bar style and PRCo changed out trucks were
practical (couldn't do that with the high-floor cars because they were .
. . well . . . high, and wouldn't take the smaller wheeled trucks!
	Wasn't fond of the trucks under the low-floor cars  --  and guess the
passengers weren't as well!  But they are still *my* PRCo and that makes
it ok by me!

James B. Holland
------- -- ---------
        Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
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N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/