As Built1600 series PCC cars

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

HRBran99 at aol.com wrote:

> > Ken Josephson wrote:

> > why the 1600s returned to the
> > older style, more vertical windshield?  >>

	I think that the biggest thing that we have to remember is that  THE 
post-war standard  --  PRCo 1600 herself  --  was pulled from the 1600
series order (St. Louis Car Co. Job#1646) so plans for the building of
the 1600 series cars were made before the post-war standard was
finalized.  The projects were concurrent but 1600 herself arrived on the
property after the first 28-29 of the regular 16s were delivered.
	Remember, too, that the 16s incorporate extended dynamic brakes.  The
dynamic on air-cars was effective to about 3.0 mph - that's 100,
1000-1299, 1400-1564 - but on the 16s the dynamic was effective to 0.75
mph as on the all-electrics.  The performance characteristics would seem
to be of more importance than body design.

> The cars were built in 1945 and 1946. The new 1945 model PCC should have been
> the standard.
> However, it must be noted that most, if not all PCCs manufactured after the
> end of W.W.II had the new 1945 style front end except for the PRCo. 1600s.

	I think there are some very notable exceptions - Kansas City, Philly,
St. Louis, and Wash, DC.  KC did not have standee windows and just like
Philly, the front window design was distinctly different.  The windows
are listed as having a 30-degree slant from vertical but compare the
center post of a Philly-KC car to that of Johnstown, PRCo, Twin Cities
etc. etc. etc. and it definitely does not look 30-degrees. 
Additionally, the broad sweeping arch of the right-side front window is
missing.
	I obtained this information from the foldout in the back of *PCC The
Car That Fought Back* and the foldout is not numbered but is called
"Equipment Variations  --  North American PCC Cars."  But this same
foldout lists the PRCo 1400-1564 series as having a standard 12-degree
layback and this is not true - these cars had 24-degree laybacks.  Check
any photos.  Also, I have the original plans for all PRCo PCC cars
direct from St. Louis Car which lists the 1400-1564 series as
24-degree.  I point this out to show that it is very easy to make typos
in a work this large and that I do question the layback of the front
sash on the KC and Philly cars.
	Washington DC 1500 series cars had standee windows but typical air-car
body style with standard front sash and these cars were delivered in
late 1945, early 1946.  They were somewhat concurrent with the PRCo 1600
series.
	And St. Louis had cars with a layback of the front sash but the body
was strictly that of an air-car, an unrefined air-car, with post-war
modifications thrown in.  There is a variety of window sizes down the
side, standee windows are anything but uniform, and the back end is
strictly air-car.

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