MORE Thoughts -- PRCo--2000 -- What Trolleycars Remain ed??

[Fred W. Schneider III]

There is a lot of truth in your statement about maintenance ... I've seen total
rebuilds of special work in Zurich within less than ten years.  We talk about
maintenance; they maintain.  No question at all.
I think, however, that part of that problem relates to cultural / enthnic /
education / training changes to our urban demographics.  They still have people
living in cities who are competent in a repair shop.  We don't, therefore we seek
out squirrel cage AC motors, solid state controls, and other virtually
maintenance free devices because he have no idea how to fix anything.  The good
mechanics live in the suburbs, and, they have little desire to work in the city
even if civil service laws would allow them to live out and work in.

If you want to add this to the general list, be my guest.


Jim Holland wrote:

> Greetings!
>
>         Thanks for the efforts, Fred, in pointing out the differences between
> European success and American failures with transit.  I won't quote it
> here.
>
>         Another big difference is that Europeans are highly maintenance
> conscious while Americans tend to be a Maintenance-Free society  --
> make it, keep it until it disintegrates, throw it away!!
>
> James B. Holland
>
>         Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1940  --  1950
>     To e-mail privately, please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
> N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/