Remnants & Archaeological Request - - - - - - - - -

Wed May 3 01:39:52 EDT 2000

Thanks for that Kennywood trip recollection!  It's interesting to hear how folks made
it from one point to another using the PRCo cars.

To go to West View Park from Lawrenceville, we always rode the 77/54 to the North Side
and transferred to a 10 West View on the corner of East Ohio and ( I think) Anderson?
Interesting when I think back about my family's public-transit traveling habits in the
early 60's.  We lived between Penn and Butler, but we'd always walk UP hill to Penn to
catch an 88 Frankstown streetcar to go to downtown, as opposed to the ease of walking
downhill to catch a Butler Street bus.

Now I realize what an ideal area we were in as we could get to the North Side, Town,
Oakland, or East Liberty on just one car without transferring.

Also, when my aunt lived in Brookline in an apartment across the street from the loop,
we visited on weekends and would go to the Denis theatre in Mt. Lebanon, which of
course, was at the Clearview Loop.  To get there, we'd ride the 39 Brookline car and
transfer to a 42/38 at South Hills Junction, as opposed to transferring onto a West
Liberty Avenue bus, right at the corner of West Liberty and Brookline Blvd.   (We were
late for a couple features at times.)   Now that's dedication to traction transit!

Matt

Jim Holland wrote:

> Greetings!
>
>         I *assume* it to be Duquesne Blvd and I use the term *cobblestone*
> loosely.  It was some kind of stone / brick that was quite smooth - I
> didn't pay too much attention to that aspect because I was surprized to
> see the tracks remain for such a distance at that late date!  It was not
> paved with asphalt or concrete.  As I was on a family outing at the
> time, I didn't feel free to stop and investigate further and I never
> made it back to that location.
>         I rode the streetcar to the school picnic one year.  We boarded at
> Bower Hill on Washington Road.  I was there early enough to watch all
> the charters heading to Clearview Loop.  There was one city-17 in the
> group and it was a treat to ride one of these cars as South Hills only
> had 7-city-17s originally (1763--1769) because it had the
> 25-interurban-17s!  Additionally, they had the super soft riding Clark
> B-2B trucks and I really enjoyed them.  Lo-and-behold, I was in the
> right place in line and I got on the 17 when it arrived!
>         We went inbound on the 38-line, then outbound on the 50-line probably
> to the 22nd-St bridge where we picked up the 68-line on Forbes.  It was
> a spectacular ride - don't remember anything about the day at Kennywood!
>
> mrb190 wrote:
>
> > What street just outbound of Kennywood was cobblestone?  Was this
> > Duquesne Blvd?   Do you know what street(s) the carline travelled after
> > passing Kennywood?
>
> > Matt
>
> > Jim Holland wrote:
>
> > > Greetings!
>
> > >         I don't know if it is a record but the 68-McKeesport via Kennywood line
> > > was abandoned 1958.09.15 and the dual tracks in cobble stone streets
> > > just outbound of Kennywood were still there in 1984  --  my last time in
> > > the Burgh!!!  The street was in excellent condition!
>
> > >         I am very much interested in what is still visible of PRCo thru track
> > > and overhead, property and structures, and am enjoying these discussions
> > > although I am not able to read most posts all the way thru.  Is there
> > > someone who has time available that would be willing to compile this
> > > information - possibly by line / route - so it would be easier to
> > > identify?  I would hope to return to Pgh. someday and would like to see
> > > what remains - and reminisce for myself as well!
>
> > >         THANKS!!!!!!!
>
> > > brathke at juno.com wrote:
>
> > > > The record for post-abandonment longevity of remnants may be the DCT line
> > > > in Georgetown which was abandoned in 1962, but both the tracks and street
> > > > signs remained in place until at least 1978.  See the photos I took in
> > > > November, 1978:
>
> > > > http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/lightrail/dct-track-a.jpg
>
> > > > http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/lightrail/dct-track-b.jpg
>
> > > > I was in Washington last week, but didn't have time to go over to
> > > > Georgetown to see if any of this was still there.
>
> > > > Bob 5/1
>
> > > > --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> > > > On Mon, 01 May 2000 11:27:52 -0400 mrb190 <mrb190+ at pitt.edu> writes:
> > > > > At the intersection of Penn Ave. and Main street where the 77/54 and 88
> > > > > Frankstown met, the wiring remained in tact almost two years after
> > > > > abandonment.  In fact, while the 77/54 rails were being removed from
> > > > > Main street, the wiring remained from Penn all the way up to the
> > > > > connection with 87 Ardmore on Liberty.  The 77/54 rails were ripped
> > > > > out
> > > > > while the 88 still ran in 1966.
>
> > > > > Anyway, it was kind of strange to still see the complex intersection
> > > > > wiring come in to view as one climbed Main Street, from Butler, to Penn
> > > > > Ave., only see that it lost connections at both ends on Penn Ave.
>
> > > > > I also recall that the wire cutters weren't much for finishing the job
> > > > > too quickly as they'd remove just the wire first, then some days or
> > > > > weeks later, they'd take the suspension wires and -what do you call
> > > > > them- frogs?? off later.   At one point on Penn Ave., I remember seeing
> > > > > a long bar-like gadget instead of frog, flipping back and forth in high
> > > > > winds.  Those long bar-like things --->  what were they, contact points
> > > > > to let a station know if a car had passed that point?
>
> > > > > I was too young?  too shy?  too afraid of doing something illegal? at
> > > > > the time, but at the corner of Penn & Main, there was a cut suspension
> > > > > wire, with a clipped on car stop sign, hanging all the way down a
> > > > > utility pole, just in reach -- but I never took it---the car stop sign,
> > > > > that is.  Hmmm...
>
> > > > > Guess it's probably futile wondering where I could get one at this
> > > > > time.
>
> 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/