Speaking of Air Brakes on 1600 B-2s and B-3s

[mrb190]

I need to take a crash course in PCC Braking.  The story I'm about to
relate would be a bit more interesting if I knew the mechanics better.

And I wish I could be more specific about the car series number, but I
think it was a 1600...anyway, while staying at my aunt's house in the
summer of 1966, there was the occasion where a car on the 39 Brookline
route lost one of its braking capabilities.   We came down Brookine
Blvd. slowly onto West Liberty, and continued coasting down West
Liberty, not very fast, but we all knew something was up.   
First we went through a red light.  Then, we passed some very befuddled
folks standing on the safety islands on West Liberty.  We just kept
gliding without too much incident down West Liberty and up to South
Hills junction.   I don't remember what track we turned off on up there
- OR, even if we did (I was 8 or 9 years old at the time).  I remember
hearing what I thought was a lot of crossing over or onto special work,
and getting a kick out of the fact that we were all getting off the car
near all these parked PCCs.
Apparently, the brakes that slowed the car worked well enough to stop
the car up in the yards, but the brake that actually grips the track to
a complete stop, normally on the downgrade of West Liberty, did zilch. 
What I recall of out conductor was his soaked blue-gray shirt.  He was
perspiring, to say the least!   My aunt was laughing as we passed all
those people waiting on the West Liberty islands, (this was a.m. rush
hour!), and so I guess I wasn't too worried.  

Anybody else remember anything about this incident?  Since it went off
without much trouble, i.e., nobody hurt, no derailment, perhaps it was
never reported in the press.  In fact, I think we watched the news that
night to see if it was mentioned to no avail.

Matt

Fred Schneider wrote:
 
> I have a tabulation of brake variants done about 1951 by Homewood
> engineering staff ... I think the 1200s were the only air cars with spring
> applied drums and they came from the factory that way.
> 
>                 -----Original Message-----
>                 From:   HRBran99 at AOL.COM [mailto:HRBran99 at AOL.COM]
>                 Sent:   Monday, February 28, 2000 10:25 AM
>                 To:     pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>                 Subject:        Re: Air  Brakes  on  1600  B-2s  and  B-3s
> 
>                 In a message dated 02/28/2000 5:25:43 AM Eastern Standard
> Time,
>                 pghpcc at pacbell.net writes:
> 
>                 << Which way did the brakes work on the 1600s? >>
> 
>                 The brakes were air-applied and spring-released. Hence, the
> hand brake to the
>                 right of the operators seat in case air pressure was lost
> and the car had to
>                 be stopped with that device. This did happen to me one time
> coming down New
>                 Arlington Avenue on the 49 line.
> 
>                 HrB