Demise of the Interurbans

[Edward H. Lybarger]

John thought he was sending the message only to me.  My father is 91 and not
aging entirely gracefully.  Thus the last line.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
[mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of John
Swindler
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2000 3:26 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: RE: Demise of the Interurbans


Thanks for forwarding, Ed.

Unfortunately, while a handful of us enjoy ELT's remarks, this would be
totally lost on most railfans.

How are things going on the homefront?

John


>From: "Edward H. Lybarger" <twg at pulsenet.com>
>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
>Subject: RE: Demise  of  the  Interurbans
>Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 14:53:22 -0400
>
>I sent the inquiry about the tax out to someone who was there!  You too
>will
>enjoy Ed Tennyson's response:
>
>
>    Yes, federal bureaucrats ruled that interurban strip tickets (3.5 cents
>each zone) were not tax exempt if the fare exceeded 35 cents.  The same
>bureaucrats ruled that Blue Ridge Bus commutation tickets (Ten Trip) were
>exempt. I was there at the time.  Canonsburg (from Pittsburgh) was just
>under 35 cents (maybe six zones) so when the 1948 fare increase of 20
>percent went in, Canonsburg (and Finleyville, etc) became taxed on the rail
>but not on the bus. Instead of a 20 percent fare increase, it became a 35
>percent increase. The fully loaded Canonsburg trippers fell off to weak
>loads. Full length Washington and Charleroi trips were already taxed. The
>operators and the Ohmer registers got a real workout to collect that tax,
>the purpose of which was clearly stated to reduce the demand for public
>transit.
>
>I told Mr. Fitzgerald that he needed to hold the six-zone (no 9 zones at
>3.5
>cents) fare below the taxable limit, but he was adamant. The system needed
>the 20 percent after wages had doubled without any fare increase. If he
>gave
>the interurbans a break, Anne X. Alpern would be in court crying unjust
>discrimination against the City of Pittsburgh. She was Hell-bent to
>eliminate rail transit from Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, but had
>already
>got approval in 1941 to eliminate  Washington County operations. Tom
>Fitzgerald made sure the Office of Defense Transportation ordered service
>to
>continue, court or no court, Anne Alpern and Mayor Lawrence drop dead.
>
>Because of this fare problem, the interurbans got the short haul travel
>which left cars nearly empty out in the sticks, while Blue Ridge got the
>long hauls that paid the bills. In 1948, the system averaged 40 cents per
>car mile, but interurbans only half that. That is not as bad as it sounds,
>since city cars averaged 11 miles per hour and interurbans 17 mph, so the
>earnings per hour (by which operators are paid) were $4.40 for city lines
>and  $ 3.40 per
>interurban hour. Operators got $1.55 plus about thirty (30) cents "fringes"
>so there was no loss on the interurbans, but they did not carry their
>artificial share of the system "overhead" (office, not trolley wire).
>RAILWAY AGE explained it very well years ago. "You lose money on every
>shipment but you would lose more if you did not carry what you did at a
>small "loss."  The overhead would be shifted to other lines, increasing
>their costs. Anne Alpern was not interested in service or economics. She
>wanted P.Ry.Co. to pave Dave Lawrence's streets and eliminating street
>railways was the way to do it. The Public Utility Commission would require
>rail abandonments to repave the vacated streets. In Philadelphia, National
>City Lines cut a deal with the City Street Commissioner (of the Road Gang)
>to repave at a bargain rate just to rid the streets of street cars.  Again,
>never mind the economics or the riders.  I fought that one, too, but the
>Streets Commissioner was closer to the Mayor than I was.  The Mayor's
>limousine was sometimes stuck behind a trolley on a 27 foot wide street
>with
>parking on both sides.  Congratulations on your Museum's progress.
>
>E d  T e n n y s o n
>
>-----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 11:43 PM
>Subject: Demise of the Interurbans
>
>Greetings!
>
>	I have heard that in 1948, the federal bureaucrats applied the
>15-percent travel tax to interurban strip tickets but not to Blue Ridge
>Bus commutation tickets.  And this helped to do in the Charleroi and
>Washington interurban lines.
>
>James B. Holland
>

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