1965 charters

[brathke at juno.com]

When I read about the 5/1/565 fantrip (see below), I thought it might be
the trip that used a 1600 interurban in the summer of 1965, but the text
here says it used 1477 backed up by 1498.  I have a photo of 1646 at the
loading gates at West View Park (route 10), dated Summer, 1965.  I always
suspected this was a fantrip car, although none of the typical fantrip
clues (sign in window, people standing around the car, etc.) are there.

Bob 10/2

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

Greetings!

	Gleanings  From  *Trolley  Fare*
		June--1965

	"Our operation Grandslam, the world's most incredible fantrip (it ran
from 8.30 AM May 15 until 12.03 AM May 16) was a success.  It made
money, and it proved that the human body has endurance limits far beyond
that thought previously possible.  Ask one of the 'victims,' he'll tell
you!"
	"May 15th saw Operation Grandslam make a valient attempt to cover the
Pittsburgh system in fifteen hours, despite motorman Howard Gilson's
attempt to beat the speed limit we got behind schedule and had to
abbreviate the routing.  Nevertheless a memorable day was had by the
forty odd [now WHAT does he mean by THAT?] passengers, in particular the
high speed interurban run in the cool of the evening was very
enjoyable."

	Ooooooohhhhhhhhh,  I can feel that one - the high speed ride on the
interurban.  How I wish I was on it!  A little painful realizing what I
missed and knowing what PRCo was like - just several years after the
demise so it was probably still possible to get some really good speed
running here.  But I was a guest of Uncle Sam in his Canoe Club and
didn't know about this charter!

	Grand slam was apparently operated with V-front 1477; 1498 was a back
up vehicle.  The trip was divided into 3-parts with participants able to
ride any combination of those parts depending upon their time and or
durability!

Trip A:  Routes 8, 21, 10, 15, 6, 13, 77.
Start Keating 8.30 AM
End 4th Wood 11.45 AM

Trip B: Routes 67, 65/55, 64, 75, 39, 73, 71, 82, 87, 76, 75.
Start 4th-Smithfield 12.30 PM
End 5th Smithfield 7.15 PM

Trip C: Routes 53, 47, 49, 36, 35, 42/38A
Starts 4th-Smithfield 8.00 PM
Ends Keating 11.00 PM

	From the May--1965 issue about the Grandslam:  "There have been some
slight changes made to the trip routing as listed over the page.  PAT
removed the turn from Negley to Penn (old route 96) at the end of April
and this has resulted in increasing the running time of section B. 
Route 39 will be covered in the evening instead of route 36.  There are
several sections of track being covered that are not in regular service,
(provided we beat the asphalt there) and there will be opportunities for
photographs at some of these."

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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