PRCo PCC 1645.(The Signal Systems DO Fail-Firsthand Knowledge)

[HRBran99 at aol.com]

In a message dated 03/20/2000 5:15:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
pghpcc at pacbell.net writes:

<< I knew the operator of 1645 by sight - he said that 1261 looked like a
 barn coming at him because one never expects such an occurrance!  I
 believe that the signal system failed or that is what I heard. >>

As you know, the signal system used on the 49-Arlington/Warrington line, 
coming into and out of the single track before the rebuilding of the line was 
the Nachod system. This system "counted in" cars as they entered single track 
and then "counted out" the cars as they entered the double track again. The 
"counting" was done by a contractor on the overhead which was a slide with 
contacts to the left and right sides of the trolley wire which the trolley 
wheel would rub against and complete a circuit to do the "counting in" and 
"counting out."

One windy late Fall evening in 1974 myself and PATransit's first female 
operator hired since W.W.II, Daria Washington, were holding down the service 
on route 49. Daria was coming inbound, I was going outbound.

I approached the entrance to single track after making the right turn off 
Carson onto New Arlington. Normally I would have a RED signal, because Daria 
and her car SHOULD have been in the single track by then. This night, 
however, the signal was dark, indicating an unoccupied single track section.
Sitting in the first seat, just behind the front doors, was a woman who rode 
every night on that trip. She too, said, "I guess the other car is late, it's 
not coming down the hill."

I waited about one minute and then entered the single track. I got a YELLOW 
light and got ONE FLASH out of the "counting in" single yellow light after 
the trolley pole hit the "counting in" contractor. So far, so good. The 
inbound car must have broke down or something!

I started up Arlington, on the single track and reached McArtle Roadway and 
stopped at the traffic signal, which was red. I turned to speak to my regular 
rider and saw her face take on a look of horror and she pointed out the 
windshield of the car. There, coming down Arlington, at a pretty good clip, 
was Daria. I got on the radio, declared an emergency and told the traffic 
controller to contact the inbound car and stop it, now!  My regular rider 
stated, "You had a go signal, I know you did! I ride every day and I know how 
those signals behave!"

They got the inbound car stopped and there we sat one outbound car on one 
side of McArtle and one inbound car on the other side, facing each other. 

Now, inasmuch as I was just a few hundred feet up the hill and Daria was a 
few thousand feet down the hill, this would indicate, on first sight, that I 
had run a red light. Not so. I got a good signal and was then "counted in" by 
the system.

It was finally determined that the wind was blowing the contractor and 
bridging the gap causing "count in" and "count-out" without any cars being 
present. The contractor was old and lose and the wind was enough to cause the 
counting in and out. Daria had entered single track on a good signal and so 
had I. Her car got counted out by the wind before I got to the single track 
so the system recognized a clear track when I did get there.

What could have been bad, ended up OK. PATransit replaced the contractor the 
next day.

HrB