PRCo Book -- Detailed Information.

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	On Tuesday, 2000.03.07, I wrote the following letter to Ron Beal:::::::

	I have your book about *McKeesport Trolleys* and am very much
interested in your three-volume set to be released about Pittsburgh
Railways Company (PRCo).
	Could you please explain the divisions to the three-volumes and what is
included in each?  Will all three volumes be published at once or will
they be staggered?  If staggered, what area of PRCo is covered first?
	Thanking you in advance for your time and consideration, I remain

	And on Friday 24 March, I received the following reply, and I
quote:::::::

	"I am very pleased that you wrote to me and glad to hear of your
interest in the Pittsburgh Railways book.  I have had my first
production meeting with the publisher and we are trying to have Volume I
in bookstores by Christmas 2000."
	"With some luck, I will not have all the problems encountered in
publication of the  McKEESPORT  TROLLEYS  book.  That was my first
adventure into writing and publishing and very much an experiment.  I am
delighted, though, that it has been so well received and sales have
exceeded my expectations."
	But I am anxious to make  PITTSBURGH   RAILWAYS   SCRAPBOOK  available
as soon as possible.  Volume 2 will follow in 2001; Volume 3 will follow
in 2002.  I am enclosing a `working copy' of the table of content for
each volume which I am sure will answer your specific questions."
	We will see how the final edit/layout goes, but I expect each volume to
be about 350 pages.  There is so much to present that has never been
covered before."

	Included with this letter are a total of 13-pages of the Table of
Contents for each volume.

VOLUME--I
	After Title Page and Author's comments, Development of Public Transit
In Pgh is a major heading with Omnibus, horsecars, the cable car
experiment, Pittsburgh's inclines (16 of which are individually listed),
and Pioneer Electrics make up this section.
	What follows is an extensive listing (2-full pages, single spaced) of
the Underliers--this volume concentrates on the 75 companies of
Consolidated Traction.  Included is a roster of equipment beginning 01
January 1902 as well as a listing of the following carbarns:  Ardmore,
Braddock, Bunkerhill, Carnegie, Castle Shannon, Charleroi, Charles
Street, Chestnut Street, Coraopolis, Craft Avenue, Emsworth, Forbes,
Forty-Seventh Street, Glenwood.
	The next heading is PRCo Routes - Initial route designations followed
by reorganization of Routes into 1-99.  In this section routes 1-34 are
listed individually which covers the North and West.
	Operations/Misc is a main heading with material yards of Glenwood,
Avalon, South Hills, Paulson, Millvale listed; rail and track; service
trucks; finances; diversification; fares; awards; Pgh transit studies;
state and local regulations.
	Trolley Freight includes Pgh Express, PRCo freight, Butler Lines,
Consolidated.
	Subway is a main heading all by itself.
	Trolley Parks includes Calhoun, Southern, Oakwood, Kennywood, Duquesne
Gardens.
	Other Rail service mentions Butler Short Line and Butler Street Rwys,
Harmony, Beaver & Pgh & Beaver St Rwy Co, Woodlawn and Southern, and
Patterson Heights.

VOLUME--II

	This vol begins with another examination of the underliers, the
84-companies of United Traction.
	Work Cars are listed under Cars/Equipment.
	PRCo routes listed are from  CHARLEROI  through and including 69
Squirrel Hill.
	Carbarns listed are Herron Hill, Highland Station, Hilltop, Homestead,
Homewood Shops, Ingram, Keating, Lowrie Ave., Manchester, McKeesport,
Millvale.
	Operations/Misc includes trying trolley coaches, power plants, car
maintenance, and company structure and history.
	Accidents/Emergencies covers the 1936 flood, 1917 tunnel accident,
Rankin bridge collapse, 1950 snow [I personally remember this one!],
1955 Homewood fire, and trolley crashes.
	Other rail service includes more than another dozen lines!

VOLUME--III

	Begins with the 48 companies of Southern Traction.
	Cars and Equipment includes a roster and a section on PCC cars.
	Carbarns listed here are Oakland, Plummer St, Rankin, South Hills,
Suburban, Taggart, Thirtieth St, Tunnel, Tylerdale, West End, West Park,
West View, Wilmerding.
	RPO has its own section.
	PRCo routes covered are 70 to 99 inclusive with special mention of
Horsecar lines.
	Operations and Misc includes communications, schedules and timekeeping,
signaling, labor, trade journals, advertizing, charter service, and
public relations.
	1937--1951 Receivership and Chronology
	Pittsburgh Motor Coach
	Decline of PRCo vs Strengths through 1950s
	PAT takeover

	The three volumes seem to center around the three main groups of
underliers; routes covered with each volume do not necessarily match
these *undies.*  If the reading in this section is anything like the
similar section in *McKeesport Trolleys* - it would be far more
interesting reading the phone book!
	Most of us are probably interested in PRCo after the consolidation and
while the listing of all these under-companies takes space in the table
of contents, it is hoped that this won't dominate the text.  If the bulk
of the information, text and photos are after consolidation covering the
1910-1960 period, then it would promise to be a rather interesting
3-volumes.  No mention is made of price but by comparison to *McKeesport
Trolleys,* we might expect $75.00 or so per volume.
	Maybe some of the mysteries about the 3-number route designations will
be cleared up in Vol-1 and maybe some of the car assignments and # of
cars per hour at a certain location as well!
	I don't have any more information than what is listed - exactly what is
covered in each section remains to be seen.  Graphs, drawings, and maps,
if any, are not listed.

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