PAT Arch St. wye

[Bob Rathke]

The 1959 PERC map shows the Arch St. wye as a remnant of a single-track line
that ran on Arch and Jacksonia Streets, apparantly a bypass or alternate route
to the main double-track line on North Ave. and Monterrey Street.

Does anyone know which route ran on Arch and Jacksonia, or was that line
simply an alternate to North Ave., and if so, was that why the Arch St. wye
remained active into 1966?  Considering the speed with  which PRC and PAT
removed the turnouts to abandoned lines, there must have been a more
significant reason (other than infrequent fire reroutings) for the wye.

In 1966, the short track on Arch St. could hold one - possibly two - PCCs.

Bob 12/14

------------------------------

mrb190 wrote:

> P.S.   I didn't even know there was a wye there.
>
> Ah, if only the lines there had lasted a few more years...
>
> Bob Rathke wrote:
>
> > On March 19, 1966, while covering the last weeks of the 21-Fineview and
> > 6/14 Brighton/Avalon trolleys, I photographed an unusual turnback
> > procedure.  There was a fire somewhere west of Federal St. that required
> > outbound 6/14 trolleys to be turned back to downtown via the North
> > Avenue/Arch St. wye.  I took a sequence of photos of the procedure at
> > that intersection, and two of those photos can be found on the "Rathke"
> > page of Derrick's website:
> >
> > http://www.dementia.org/~shadow/PCC/brathke/AvalonArchf.JPG  -  This
> > view shows 1783 pulling northbound  onto Arch St. from North Ave.  Note
> > the PAT worker behind the trolley getting ready for the back-up move.
> > The view is toward the south - the 4-story dark brick building behind
> > the trolley pole is Allegheny High School.  The 6-story building in the
> > right background is (was) Divine Providence Hospital.
> >
> > http://www.dementia.org/~shadow/PCC/brathke/AvalonArchb.JPG  -  Here the
> > view is toward the northwest.  The 1783 is backing out of Arch St. as
> > the worker guides the trolley wheel.  The PCC will soon be on North Ave.
> > (foreground) and heading back to downtown (to the right side of the
> > photo).
> >
> > Bob 12/14