Economy vs. Historic Vandalism --- Gleanings From *Trolley Fare*

[brathke at juno.com]

In its early days, PAT went beyond the call when it came to removing
"PRC" from the public's view.  The PRC administration building at Keating
car house had a large sign cut in stone above the front entrance.  The
words "PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS COMPANY" were about 12 ft. long.  Sometime
after PAT took over in 1964, they removed the word "COMPANY" from the
stone, so that it read "PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS". Then they seemed to have
painted over the resulting smooth area with a light color paint.  This
clumsy change really called attention to the sign since there wasnow a
sizeable "hole" on the right side of the stone, which was accentuated
with a contrasting color.  PAT went to a lot of trouble to revise a sign
on a building that would be town down in less than two years.  

In the Nixon era, PAT would have called "PRC" a "non-operative
statement".  Today we'd call it revisionist history.

Bob 10/2

----------------------------------------------------

On Sun, 01 Oct 2000 16:47:33 -0700 Jim Holland <PGHPCC at pacbell.net>
writes:
> Greetings!
> 
> 	Gleanings  From  *Trolley  Fare*
> 		February--1965
> 
> "*Economy vs. Historic Vandalism*"
> 
> 	"The crime of historic vandalism could be defined in sundry 
> ways using
> a large number of multi-syllable words.  Specific examples are, 
> however,
> the best definition.  The destruction of New York's Pennsylvania
> Station, the senseless razing of good solid buildings for the sake 
> of
> 'urban ruinall' just because they were built before 1900, or such 
> lessor
> acts like covering Pittsburgh's Blockhouse (built in 1764) with 
> aluminum
> siding (this hasn't happened yet, but just wait) all fall under the
> loose heading of historic vandalism; the needless annihilation of
> artifacts of the past just because they are 'old.'"
> 	"The physical entity of the former Pittsburgh Railways 
> Company, and
> along with it, all trolley fans concerned, recently suffered what 
> your
> editor considers to be an almost entirely needless act of historic
> vandalism.  In other circles, who are, of course, entitled to their
> opinion as well, this act was defined as economy and perhaps,
> 're-identification.'"
> 	"Since the PRCo property was assumed by the PAT, a number of 
> local fans
> have held out hope of someday acquiring the cap badges worn by PRCo
> operators.  For those who have never seen one, they were contrived 
> to
> look like the headlight of a PCC car flanked on each side by the 
> 'wings'
> used on most PCC's.  The top line of lettering read 'operator' 
> followed
> by a four digit number mounted about in the center of the circle.  
> Below
> the number was the identification of 'Pittsburgh Railways Co.'  The 
> rim
> of the circle and the lettering were raised above a blue background 
> by
> stamping.  I doubt if there is a fan about who would not have liked 
> to
> added one of these to his collection."
> 	"I say 'would have' because they aren't nearly so desirable 
> now.  In
> order to eradicate PRCo's name from the personnel as well as the 
> rolling
> stock, the PAT recently called in all the badges, ground off (or
> otherwise removed) the words 'Pittsburgh Railways Co.', replaced 
> them by
> a little decal of the PAT emblem, and returned them to the 
> operators. 
> Merely covering the words for the time being (and I presume the PAT 
> is
> going to get their own badges and uniforms someday) would have 
> served
> the same purpose and would have left the badges as desirable items 
> once
> again upon removal of the covering device."
> 	"Granted, PAT is not in business to cater to the fans.  Let 
> us hope
> however, that the large number of presently unused badges have not 
> also
> suffered such alteration, so that there would exist the possibility 
> of
> some fans being able to proudly exhibit one of these momentoes of 
> the
> past.  The future of transit in the county will doubtless bring 
> about
> the day when not a single item exists on the PAT system which 
> carries on
> it any reference to PRCo.  I don't really see any sense in hurrying 
> the
> day along, it will come soon enough.  (Editorial opion by DHH)"
> 
> 	Is this Dave Hamley?
> 
> 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/
> 
> 

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