Drake Loop In-Service Info

[John Swindler]

Jim Holland wrote:
>
>	It is interesting that a wye was built for Drake first knowing that a loop 
>would follow.  And I am sure that the loop would be far more convenient for 
>the passengers than the wye so the wye would be only an interim solution.  
>It is interesting to note that PRCo was quite focused on service at this 
>point.  I am sure PRCo had plans for truncation for quite some time but 
>probably didn't act until it received PUC approval.


Drake Wye not necessarily built knowing that loop would follow. Drake Wye 
and West Library Loop existed for short turns while lines still extended 
into Washington County.  Decision was made to truncate Washington and 
Charleroi within Allegheny County.  That's the interesting question to ask 
of PRC management.  What do the PUC abandonment petitions say?

Drake Loop was not built because of location of Drake Wye.  It was built to 
avoid cost of rebuilding Drake trestle.  Drake Loop was not a cheap 
solution.

John Swindler



>From early photos of the Drake loop it looked like considerable fill was 
>needed plus the grading necessary for the connection from the loop to the 
>main line.  This would add to the time necessary to get the loop built.
>	It would have been nice if the Drake line were terminated closer to the 
>Allegheny line - then it might be called *Shannon-Fifeshire* - 
>*Shannon-Valley-Farm* - *Shannon-Cremona* - *Shannon-Orchard* - 
>*Shannon-Paris-Lake*  But the density was not there and even though the 
>Drake trestle would probably last until the time Overbrook was closed, it 
>was probably the excuse to terminate at Drake!
>	The Fantasy of what could have been!
>
>James B. Holland
>------- -- ---------
>         Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo), June of 1949 -- June of 1953
>     To e-mail *off-list,* please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
>N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/

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