Trolley sign at P&LE station

[Fred W. Schneider III]

SMILE!!!  ONLY A PITTSBURGHER KNOWS THE TERM CAR CHECKS.  HAVE NOT HEARD
IT IN YEARS.  EVEN THE CHAPS AT THE MUSEUM SAY TOKENS.  

Bob Rathke wrote:
> 
> Carl,
> 
> I can't help you recall if the car was a low-floor, but your "hand over the
> coin box" sentence evoked a memory for me.  In the early 1950's my brother and
> I were out on Halloween.  We lived at the top of Spring Hill, about a block
> from the trolley loop, but that evening we got caught up in trick-or-treating,
> and found ourselves about 2/3 of the way down the hill on Itin St., near the
> passing siding.  We were beat, and had two bags of goodies to lug back up the
> hill when an outbound 5-Spring Hill car appeared.  It was a PCC, and empty.
> We flagged it, and as we boarded, the motoroman put his hand over the coin
> box, and I can still see his smile as he shook his head, "No."  Within two
> minutes, we were home.
> 
> If he hadn't let us board, I don't know what we would have done.  As ten- and
> twelve-year olds, I'm sure we didn't have any coins in our pockets, and
> certainly, no car checks.
> 
> Bob 11/25
> 
> -----------------------------------
> 
> Carl Zager wrote:
> 
> > Bob,
> >
> > I can't answer you questions, but the photo evoked quite a memory for me.
> >
> > I think it was Christmas season 1962. I was home from college. Mom was
> > working late at the Hilton desk, so I hitched some rides from Greentree to
> > try and meet her to do some shopping at Hornes, Kaufmann's and Gimbel's.
> > It was a miserable night.
> >
> > Somehow I ended up at the P&LE station, cold and wet. I decided enough was
> > enough and would catch a streetcar into Downtown. The first car that came
> > out of the tunnel was an old low-floor running with no destination
> > sign. He stopped for me -- probably out of sympathy -- and put his hand
> > over the coin box. "I'm deadheading in to get ready for the rush when the
> > stores close."
> >
> > I'll always remember the sights of Downtown all lit up for Christmas. I'll
> > always remember the smile and greeting of the motorman. It was a miserable
> > night.
> >
> > But I am now doubting my memory of whether it really was an old low-floor.
> > Maybe I just want it to be.
> >
> > On Mon, 20 Nov 2000, Bob Rathke wrote:
> >
> > > Derick uploaded one of my photos to the website.  Go to:
> > >
> > > <http://trolley.dementia.org/brathke>, and scroll down to "PLEsign.JPG".
> > >
> > > This is a photo that I took on 10/10/65 under the canopy at the P&LE
> > > station.  It shows the trolley route sign on the east - city bound -
> > > side of the canopy.  The light reflection obliterates a few words:
> > > "PENNSYLVANIA STATION" in the first line, and "DRAKE" in the second
> > > line.
> > >
> > > Some questions:
> > >
> > > 1. I don't recall an "Outbound Cars" sign on the west side of the
> > > canopy.  Does anyone know if such a sign was there too?
> > >
> > > 2. Was there a trolley route sign at the old B&O station at the north
> > > end of the Smithfield St. Bridge?  I have numerous interior and exterior
> > > photos of the B&O station, and many signs are visible, but no trolley
> > > route sign.
> > >
> > > 3. There was a trolley route sign (much like the P&LE sign) at the
> > > waiting canopy at the PRR station on Liberty Ave.  Does anyone know what
> > > happened to this sign - and the P&LE sign?
> > >
> > >
> > > Bob 11/20
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >  Carl Zager                                             KB9RVB
> >  czager at bloomington.in.us         http://www.mccsc.edu/~czager