Finleyville

[Fred W. Schneider III]

There were only ten HS DE cars ... without looking I think 4378 and nine in the
4390s ... 4398 at Arden was one of them until the trucks were loaned to PAT for
use under the line car M210.  To the best of my knowledge, the high speed double
enders were assigned to Glenwood for use on 99 Glassport-Evans Avenue.  They all
had K-35 control.  After the last of the transfer or shuttle routes were
abandoned, the HS cars were retained and parceled out to various divisions for use
as emergency cars in the event of fires, wrecks, floods, and other catastrophic
events.  Remember that the 4300s were all out of service by December 1953 and,
contrary to expectations, the single end cars were OST by the summer of 1954
because of business lost in the strike that spring.  At that point there was
really no reason to keep training operators on K control and self-lapping brake
valves just for emergencies ... training men in how to drive buses was much more
practical. I would have to look at the roster, but I think if I did we would find
that the 9 HS DE cars (except for 4398) were scrapped in 1956 along with the last
5400s and 5500s.

By 1953 the DONORA cars, except in the rush, turned back at Black Diamond
Junction.

Jim Holland wrote:

> Greetings!
>
> Fred W. Schneider III wrote:
>
> > First is that
> > double end cars could have run to Finleyville
>
>         This caused me to remember that the double track ended at Lanks south
> of Finleyville.  How much further was that - probably another couple
> stops?
>
> > Riverview was the normal destination sign in my lifetime for extra
> > cars out of Pittsburgh in the rush hour.  I have no idea what kind of
> > sign the 4200s / 4300s working Donora normally carried on those rush
> > hour trips that were extended north from Black Diamond through
> > Monongahela to Riverview Loop.
>
>         The 1950.01.22 schedule that I have shows the Donora local on a
> 30-minute headway Riverview to Donora and return - none of them turn
> short at Black Diamond.
>
> > We do have a rush hour ca. 1951 or
> > 1952 picture of 1444 and 4359 at Riverview ... the PCC, which was not
> > normally used in interurban service, had a paper RIVERVIEW sign rammed
> > into the sign box in front of the linen roll;
>
>         Scholes photo #PGH-0033 shows 1442 at SHJ after coming out of the yard
> with a Black on white Finleyville sign.  It is mounted similar to above
> but looks hastily done with spaces on all 4-sides and the rebular
> destination sign half-way between all black and all white!  It looks to
> be about 1950.  All other temporary signs that I have seen like this are
> nicely centered and mounted directly against the glass without space on
> any side.
>
> > The double end car had
> > a DONORA sign,
>
>         Maybe this Donora sign functioned as a route sign without numbers!  It
> would be like any other PRCo route - the passenger knows the terminals
> inbound and outbound.  If you don't you ask!
>
> > Inbound trips normally used the same sign as outbound
> > runs, except that in the very late 1940s (up to perhaps 1951) the
> > PITTSBURGH signage could be used.
>
>         Pre-1951, the bulk of the photos inbound show Pittsburgh - one
> 3700-series Brill has Roscoe but a signboard on the dash saying
> Charleroi.  Another 3800 has Charleroi.  After local service in Shannon
> was eliminated and the interurbans displayed Shannon-Charleroi is there
> a lack of Pittsburgh signs inbound!
>
> > Third:  Perhaps most realistic of all is the possibility that there
> > was room left on the linen to add FINLEYVILLE and a sign painter
> > simply made them up that way one day!
>
>         And if this was used by double-end equipment, the same rolls might be
> placed in single-end equipment!
>
>         WERE  THERE  many  HIGH--speed  DOUBLE  END  cars??
>
> > "Edward H. Lybarger" wrote:
>
> > The cars turned at Riverview Loop, as Jim says, as there was no place to
> > turn between (West) Library and there.  I'm not entirely sure of the logic
> > of the Finleyville destination curtain, unless it was used just on
> > southbound cars, leaving Riverview as the destination for
> > northbound cars from Donora.
>
> >      Ed
> >      -----Original Message-----
> >      From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >      [mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of
> >      Jim Holland
> >      Sent: Friday, August 18, 2000 4:15 PM
> >      To: PRCo -- WP -- JTC -- The Big *3* --
> >      Subject: Finleyville
>
> >      Greetings!
>
> > I have several photos of single end low floor cars displaying the sign
> > FINLEYVILLE.  Turn around facilities do not exist at Finleyville.  The
> > cars would have to continue to Riverview to be able to
> > turn.  Was this a valid destination sign?
>
> James B. Holland
>
>         Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
>     To e-mail privately, please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
> N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/