A PRC troop train!

[Harold Geissenheimer]

>From Harold Geissenheimer

In 1950, I transferred into the Pennsylvania Natonal Guard's 724th AAA
Gun Bn
when I moved from New York City.  The unit was located at the old
Logan Armory at Bayard and Thackery Streets in Oakland, Pittsburgh.
The Armory has since been demolished and a new University of Pittsburgh
building stands there.

As usual for National Guard units we went to annual firing practice.
Our
unit used guns and ranges at Fort Miles and Bethany Beach, Del.  We
travelled via PRR Main Line and then the Delmarva Branch in a long
all-pullman train.  Our unit boarded the train at the East Liberty PRR
station for the 195l troop movement.

Here is where the PRC troop train came into place.  We marched
one block from the Armory to 5th Avenue and boarded half a
dozen PRC PCC chartered cars for the trip to East Liberty.
Each man carried his rifle and equipment pack on the trolley!.
PRC made charter moves by trolley when ever possible and this
was no exception.  A trip by PRC charter bus would have required
more vehicles and drivers.  The chartered cars waited at the
Craft Avenue barn until it was time to pick us up on 5th Avenue.
On return from Delaware, the chartered cars picked us up at
the East Liberty station stop on Penn Avenue.

So there was a PRC troop train in 195l.

Note: I remained in the Pennsylvana National Guard until 1976.
I moved from an AAA Gun Bn to a Nike-Ajax missile Bn to a
Nike-Hercules missile Bn retiring as an Air Defense Artillery Major
serving in the Guard while advancing in public transportation.
Pittsburgh was one of several cities with an active Army and
National Guard manning of on-site missiles.