Track Gauge - PRCo vs PTC

[Fred Schneider]

Red Arrow and PRT streetcar lines were listed in some sources as 62 ¼ inches
whereas most of the other broad gauge systems were 62 ½ inches.  

My research on this is at home.  I can speak from memory (which sometimes
defaults to  something less than authentic).  I can remember one other gauge
... Altoona and Logan Valley was even wider ... 63 or 64 inches comes to
mind.  There were actually more corporations in Pennsylvania using 56 ½ inch
gauge than broad gauge operators ... the broad gauge systems were generally
limited to Pittsburgh, those West Penn lines which connected with
Pittsburgh, the Mars route, the Harmony Route, and the lines in far
southeaern Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, Reading, Lebanon, Hershey, Lancaster,
PST, PRT, the south end of Allentown and Reading, Southern Penn and
Wilmington, Delaware  ... I'm not sure about Bucks County, West Chester
Street Railway, West Chester Kennett & Wilmington).
Because Pittsburgh and Philly had such huge car fleets, there were more
broad gauge cars in Pennsylvania than standard gauge even though there were
fewer companies.  
		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Jim Holland [mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net]
		Sent:	Friday, February 11, 2000 4:01 AM
		To:	PRCo -- WP -- JTC -- The Big *3*
		Subject:	Track  Gauge  -  PRCo  vs  PTC

		Greetings!

			I think I remember this being discussed in *Trolley
Fare* but would
		like to confirm.  Was the track gauge for the PTC city lines
		5-feet-2.25-inches?  I think this is of some concern at the
Museum.  Was
		Red Arrow 5-feet-2.5-inches like PRCo?
			If PTC cars are slightly different gauge, has this
caused problems at
		the Museum?

		James B. Holland
		------- -- ---------
		        Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo), June of 1949 --
June of 1953
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