AdverTeasing Cars

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	The wartime 14s were probably the first PCC cars on PRCo to become
rolling billboards, mostly to embolden patriotism and to underwrite the
war effort.
	Car 1473 is probably one of the more colorful cars.  From a black and
white photo it is difficult to tell if the car is actually
red-white-blue, but from the design it would seem so.  It *appears* as
though blue is on the roof with the 48-stars of the union across the
curved roof end above the destination sign.  The blue comes down to the
first molding line above the windows with a white stripe between the
first two molding lines from the top and a dark color (red or blue)
between the top of the windows and the bottom molding line.
	I assume it is a red belt rail all the way around the car and the rub
rail at the floor level and all skirting below is red all the way around
the car.  The window area is white as is the portion between the belt
rail and floor all around the car.
	There is a "V" for *Victory* painted on the front - the wings around
the headlight force the formation of this letter very nicely and the "V"
itself stops short of touching the belt rail.
	Behind the center doors on two lines it reads:  "LET `EM HAVE IT -- 
BUY MORE WAR BONDS" with a Soldier or Marine lobbing a grenade!
	Between the doors it reads: "LET'S ALL BACK THE ATTACK  --  BUY WAR
BONDS"
	The front dash abbreviates these messages with: "BACK THE ATTACK" near
the doors and "BUY WAR BONDS" on the other side.

	Do the colors sound correct for this car?

	The Blood Drive cars for Red Cross are apparently Red and White.  Does
anyone know the colors used on the other war cars?

	This continued after the war and some 15s were included and by the mid
to late 50s, some of the North Side 16s were also included.  Those
advertizing for the symphony were the most colorful with musical scores
on the car and the County Fair Cars were quite elaborate as well
suggesting that people take the trolley to the Fair in addition to
advertizing Fair activities and Stars!

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