Remnants: (Was 62 Trafford - repaving)

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

Kenneth and Tracie Josephson wrote:

> What I find interesting (as well as ironic) is that the subsequent removal of 42/38
> trackage and overhead infrastructure from Washington Road during the 1980's appears more
> complete than the removal of other streetcar infrastructure that was abandoned in the
> '50's, '60's amd early '70's.

	Basically, it is extremely expensive to go back and dig up the tracks
after abandonment.  You will find *many* cities where the car lines are
literally tarred and feathered the day after abandonment.
	A classic case was Los Angeles.  Within weeks after abandonment the
streets were tarred - not dug up to remove rails, simply tarred - but
the wire was still up.  Saw this myself after I got out of boot in June
of 1963.
	The only time that tracks would be removed from the street after
abandonment is if there was a major rebuilding slated.  Removal of the
tracks would then be a part of the rebuilding program.

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