West Liberty --- Brookline --- P&CS

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Hello

Pittsburgh Railways did have trolley wire mounted headway recorders that
monitored the passing of cars entering the various throat corridors.  These were
recorded on tape in the control center at the 7th Street office.  Headway
recorders did not identify the car or the line but just that a trolley had
passed.  They were incommon use thruout the industry.  The l950 Washington
Division of the ERA had a publication entitled The Headway Recorder.  I do not
know specifically about this location but it sounds like a headway recorder.

Pittsburgh Railways also employed clocks at the end of the line loops that were
also recorded in the Control Center on 7th St.  A motorman would enter his
scheduled time and when he actually left, the recorder would compare the actual
time with the scheduled time.  I believe that the clocks were kept at some loops
when PRC substituted buses.  They were not tied into the trolley wire.  Both
clocks and headway recorders were eliminated by John Dameron "to save money" by
eliminating the clerk who monitored the clocks during peak hours.

Harold Geissenheimer

Jim Holland wrote:

> Greetings!
>
>         The photo I mentioned at Illinois and W. Liberty shows double track
> with trolleywire contactors, possibly for signals but the contactors can
> obviously be used for something else  --  what else I don't know.  Maybe
> the contactors are locators to show when a car has passed.
>         If you are able to get copies of these maps, I shall certainly pay my
> way.  Not at all adverse to a *tarrif-surcharge* for your efforts as
> well!
>
>         THANKS!
>
> John Swindler wrote:
>
> > p.s. for Jim:  Beechwood Improvement Company, Ltd. developed Beechwood.
> > Passing sidings on West Liberty were at Dormont Wye (which wasn't in 1905)
> > and just short of Clearview Loop (which also wasn't, in 1905).  Got my roll
> > of quarters - need to do some serious printing of these 1905 maps.
> > ps. to ps. Concerning Brookline back line from Overbrook, wasn't originally
> > PRC right of way.  Was P&CS right of way to vicinity of Brookline Loop per
> > 1905 Plat Map.
>
> James B. Holland
>
>         Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
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