Videos & Publications

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

	I am anything but an authority on the videos and publications available
for PRCo;  m-o-s-t  people on this list could come up with a better
listing than that which I am providing.  This is in response to Greg
Kings inquiry but hopefully others will find it beneficial.

	The best place to start for all of this is the PA Trolley Museum (PTM)
- http://www.pa-trolley.org/.  The videos and publications are not
listed on line but you can send them an email inquiring about such.

	Two highly popular PRCo videos which are professionally produced are
from 'Transit Gloria Mundi:'

	1)--Steel City Traction - The South Side Lines
		This deals with lines 38-53 in addition to the interurbans.  While
some shoots of both the Charleroi and Washington lines are included,
most is during the ({[pat]}) reign.
	2)--Steel City Traction 2 - West End Story.
		As these lines were totally bustituted in June of 1959, these are all
PRCo shots and this is quite interesting.

	**--PCC Trilogy was produced by Empire Video of Toronto.  Colin Strayer
got ahold of 16mm--COLOR movies made about 1940--1945.  While this
includes shots of PCCs across the continent, PRCo gets the most
attention with about 5-minutes of stunning photography.

	**--Pittsburgh Traction Tape #114 by Railroad Video Productions from
1961--1971.  Here is what I said about this particular tape in a
previous email here:::::::
		I have probably seen this tape advertized before but because of its
late date, I was never overly interested.  Boy, was that a mistake - at
least in the case of this particular tape.
		Scenes start out with multi-colored pat cars with good action shots of
1730 as Mod Desire thrown in.  The first half is pat; the second half is
PRCo and very early pat.
		Although the tape is billed as 1961-1971, I don't doubt it might be
earlier as well as later.  Don't think the mod paint schemes hit the
streets until mid 71 - certainly not alot of them until a year or two
later.  And the condition of the PRCo cars in 1961 is very good so it
might be an earlier date.
		One shot at SHJ shows a 16 outbound toward the yard with a beautiful
16 coming inbound down the 40 line.  With all the tapes I have, this is
a first showing the 40-line inbound.  There are many other firsts for
scenes in this tape.
		Extremely good shots of M454 in early pat days in a good variety of
locations - East End, South Hills, downtown, and a few rides on board!
		The video transfer is extremely good but that is also because the
original film (at least super-8, possibly 16mm) was very well done.  All
car numbers are very legible which is unusual with many video transfers
from film.  No narration - just music dub - but still an extremely
enjoyable tape.

	Ben Rohrbeck publishes about PA traction state wide and has videos and
slides as well; this includes but is certainly not limited to PRCo, JTC,
WP.  Slides are available on video tape which is very inexpensive and an
interesting way to preview them before actually purchasing the slides. 
Videos can be customized with only the segments you want.  PTM may have
something from Ben in stock.  If not, write to him at 1003 North Chester
Road;  West Chester PA 19380-6021.  If you can be very specific about
what you want when writing it would be a big help.

	Online Video is a firm in the UK who produces fascinating PCC videos
and had planned to do a whole video on PRCo alone but was disappointed
with North American sales of their PCC tapes and hasn't undertaken the
PRCo project as a result.

	Charles Brown on this list provided us with this information:::::::

		Herron Rail Videos lists some M&WP footage in their Singing Wire
volume 4 Trolleys of the South 2.  They also list some Pittsburgh and
area stuff in volume 1 of the Singing Wire series.  Has anybody seen
these videos and can review them?  BTW, the videos are on their website
at: http://www.herronrail.com/Catalog/page02.html 

	I can think of a couple other Pgh. videos but I can't find the
information on them at this moment.  HOPEFULLY,  someone on this list
will be able to fill in many other videos.

PUBLICATIONS::   PTM has the best selection of publications available on
*our* systems, many of them produced in house.  You have to email them
and ask for them by name.

	*Electric Railroads*  July 1952 reprint featuring the Charleroi and
Washington interurbans.

	*West Penn* published by PTM is much smaller than the CERA book but is
equally as good and much less expensive.

	*Pittsburgh Trolley Pictorial* is just that - a small picture album of
PRCo from the early days to about 1950.

	*Streetcars in the Golden Triangle* is similar to abovebut with photos
from the distant past right up to and including the lrvs.

	PTM also has publication pamphlets and or booklets on the Double Deck
cars, the experimental streamliners of the 6000 series, and a couple
others like this.

James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  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/