SAND ON RAILS and SIGNAL PROBLEMS

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	I was told by the operators that they tried to keep several of these
cars in service continually.  I think 1723 was one car which had it.
	Looked like the standard household light switch and mounting box that
was recessed in the wall only this was mounted on top of the motorman's
dash to his right!  There was a small light outside the window to the
upper left which indicated that it was activated.
	Think we discussed this once before and that Ed might have listed
several cars that had this device!

Fred W. Schneider III wrote:

> I very vaguely remember that track brake switch.  Do you remember which cars?  Were
> they used on seven days a week in preference to other cars?

>> Jim Holland wrote:

>>         You didn't miss the original message  --  it wasn't posted here!

>>         And the IT messages were on another list as well, not here.

>>         The subject of electrical conductivity with models came up on a list
>> which discusses models and I relayed information that showed that the
>> prototype had conductivity problems as well!

>>         I thus mentioned PRCo and the prohibition on sanding on the interurbans
>> unless an emergency.  Also saw an accident with lrvs in SF where track
>> circuits are used to set turnouts.  An operator sanded the rails and set
>> the turnout correctly but the sand broke the contact and a following
>> truck threw the turnout which caused the rear end of that train to smash
>> into the one beside it and derail.

>>         Some of the PRCo 1700-series interurbans had a switch on the dash to
>> set the trackbrake so it would scrape along the rail and clear it of
>> sand!

> Fred W. Schneider III wrote:

> BECAUSE THE SUBJECT LINE WAS NEVER CHANGED
> FROM PHILADELPHIA PCC RETRIEVER ON
> SALE ON EBAY, I PROBABLY DELETED
> THE INITIAL MESSAGE IN THIS SEQUENCE.  I'VE
> ELIMINATED A LOT OF MESSAGES LATELY
> ABOUT E-BAY AND ILLINOIS TERMINAL ENGINES
> WITHOUT EVEN OPENING THEM.

James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
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