Favorite Things Equipment-PCCs

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	While growing up in Pgh., I fit into the mold of liking the newest
things available - old stuff was antique and to be avoided!  Also, it
was easier for me to relate to something known as opposed to the unknown
- the older stuff which I didn't see often!  But fortunately I have
grown much fonder of even the much older equipment with time and
definitely wish that I could have hand more hands-on experience with it.

	So I tended to like the newest PCCs - the 17s - and specifically the
interurbans because of their higher *social* status.

	These interurbans had a strong tendency to *hunt* while travelling
along prw - didn't seem to be as common on street trackage but then the
downtown street trackage was not given to speed!  The hunting
characteristic was quite uncomfortable if not downright unsafe - many
operators would hit the brakes to clear the hunt only to have it return
on the next power application!

	PCC interurban 1712 was one that literally bucked that tendency to hunt
and actually gallopped down the right of way - but very gently.  The B-3
spring pots would alternately be extended and depressed for an
exhiliarating ride!  I always enjoyed riding on this car!

	PCC interurban 1716 was never one of my favorites - seemed to need some
fine-tuning in the mid to late 1950s to make it a better operating car -
its character was bland.  But after purchasing the *Railroad Avenue
Enterprizes* photo with this car outbound at SHJ as a brand-new-car near
Memorial Day 1949 (fifty-one-years-ago!!) displaying  CHARLEROI  as a
destination, this car has become one of my favorites!  It also helps
that car 1763 is immediately behind it displaying  42 DORMONT,  my
hometown line!  And sitting on the tracks inbound is a 16-interurban,
car number not visible!  Quite a photo!

	PCC interurban 1714 has joined the list as a favorite because of the Ed
Miller photo of the car on one of the high bridges heading south to
Charleroi.  This photo has been in the PTM calendars and even though
shot from behind, the photo catches the graceful beauty of these cars as
well as a moment of history with the Mon Valley in the background.  It
also helps that 1714 was under the Drake trestle on the loop when the
trio of PERC (aka PRMA, PTM) cars made their journed to County Home
Siding under the own power - M1, 3756, and West Penn 832!

	While the sealed windows of the 17s made for uncomfortable riding in
the summer, these cars were exceptionally beautiful as built.  The photo
caption for 1795 on page 174 of *PCC From Coast to Coast* reads::

	"The combination of the roof monitor and the angle-iron anticlimber
gave Pittsburgh's final PCCs a massive look, and as long as they had the
chrome-trimmed Keystone headlights and the dash lights, they were also
rather handsome."

James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1940  --  1950
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