http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/lightrail/pat-1676r.jpg P&L E Canopy & Clock -- Smithfield St. Bridge
brathke at juno.com
brathke at juno.com
Mon Sep 18 21:38:52 EDT 2000
I checked my collection of railroad timetables, and find that the PRR,
NYC and P&LE started to print their timetables showing Daylight Time
starting with the timetables of 4/28/57; the B&O didn't show DST until
their timetable issue on 4/29/62. My 1966 trolley photos at this site
show the "Eastern Standard Time" sign, so I assume that the railroad
changed this sign each Spring and Fall.
I have a couple of booklets on the P&LE station and the Smithfield St.
Bridge (Carnegie Magazine, March, 1979; and "Station Square" published by
the Pgh. History and Landmarks Foundation in 1982). These documents
contain a large amount of detailed information including maps,
photographs and floor plans - I'd be happy to do additional research or
scan illustrations for anyone who is interested. Some interesting facts:
- The Smithfield St. Bridge (actually the previous bridge on the site,
the 1845 Roebling Bridge) was aligned with Smithfield St. in the downtown
area. Thus, it reached the south shore of the Monongahela River at an
angle slightly off from 90 degrees. This is why the P&LE Station
building is a trapezoid shape - the front of the building is parallel to
the Smithfield St. Bridge, while the north face is parallel to the river.
- For a short time, at least, the current Smithfield St. Bridge was
double deck. In 1881 it was built above the Roebling Bridge, but on new,
more widely spaced piers. There's a photo of the double deck bridge in
the PH&LF brochure.
- The P&LE Station was completed in 1901. The clock pavilion - or more
accurately, a balustrade - was built by the P&LE in 1912 for $45,000.
The PH&LF brochure contains a 1911 photo that shows the stairs from the
bridge down to railroad track level in 1911 before the balustrade was
built.
- A 1913 photo shows the completed balustrade with a couple of trolleys
under it. The clock shows 12:13 PM, but there is NO "Standard Time" sign
under the clock.
- The "Standard Time" sign is visible in a 1953 photo showing PCCs, and a
B&O baggage car next to the current Freight House Shops building. There
is a notation that when the P&LE was planning to remove the balustrade in
the mid-60s, the president of the PH&LF called the president of the P&LE
and asked that it be preserved. The railroad president answered, "No, we
want to be part of the NEW Pittsburgh."
Bob 9/18
PS - When the railroads were on Standard Time year round, railroaders
usually referred to Daylight Time as "fast time."
--------------------------------------------------
On Mon, 18 Sep 2000 13:33:32 -0700 Jim Holland <pghpcc at pacbell.net>
writes:
> Greetings!
>
> Bob Rathke seems to indicate that starting *about--1958* the
> clock was
> changed for Daylight Savings Time - which would lead to my next
> question
> - was the sign below it also changed??
>
> Thanks for the link on the bridge - will definitely check it
> out
> further. I think it has been listed here before but couldn't find
> it in
> my files!
>
> If I put the clock in my model, do I have to put a sign
> under it
> stating it is running on *Fast-Eastern-Standard-Time?!?!* Actually,
> some of the questions are mere curiosity as with the time change;
> others
> will be taken into consideration for modelling purposes but you know
> all
> too well the problems with *selective-compression* that is necessary
> when modelling!!!!
>
---------------------------------
> Dietrich, Robert J. wrote:
>
> > Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the Smithfield
> street
> > bridge. This is a long scary link.
>
> >
>
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=hhphoto&action=browse&fileNam
e=p
> >
>--------------------------------------
>
> > My mind also tells me that the clock was always on Eastern
> Standard Time.
> > Not to get off subject but didn't the railroads always run on
> Standard Time?
> > Something tells me they switched over to Daylight Savings during
> their
> > troubled decades, 60's and 70's timeframe. I guess it doesn't
> matter except
> > Professor Holland will want to have it right when he builds his
> model of the
> > bridge.
>-----------------------------------------
> > Bob
>
> > > brathke at juno.com wrote:
>
> > > > I'm sure that the P&LE canopy clock was
> > > > changed to DST in April - at least after 1958,
>
----------------------------------------------
> > Jim Holland wrote:
>
> > > That is m-u-c-h sooner than I thought - thanks for the
> update.
> > > Your following description of *facilities* around the
> P&LE station and
> > > the Smithfield St. Bridge raise some interesting questions as I
> am not
> > > at all familiar with the construction *down-under* at this
> location.
> > > 1)--Where does the Smithfield St. Bridge proper start?
> > > 2)--Behind 1676 is what looks like an arched thru truss
> - arches on
> > > both sides of the double track - but this was earth fill as I
> remember.
> > > Used to be a location for a crossover used by the Carson Street
> shuttles
> > > on pullouts until the turn was cut in at Carson. So this part
> is on an
> > > embankment, No? It is not actually a trestle in spite of the
> arches, or
> > > is it? I would assume that the Smithfield St. Bridge itself
> starts on
> > > the north side of those arches, Yes?
> > > 3)--It seems as though the P&LE canopy itself was a
> small trestle with
> > > first a pedestrian underpass and then the same used for autos.
> But this
> > > *trestle* is separate from the Smithfield St. Bridge itself, No?
>
> > > Will be checking your photos on the P&LE station.
> > > Do you have photos of the B&O station on the north side
> of the
> > > bridge?
>
> > > MANY THANKS!
----------------------------------------
>
> > > > The east (inbound) side of the canopy had a staircase that
> went down the
> > > > east side of the bridge structure, then you walked through a
> pedestrian
> > > > tunnel, past the taxi driveway to the course level of the P&LE
> station;
> > > > this tunnel is still there, but ioday it is used by
> automobiles going
> > > > from Station Square to the parking lot on the east side of the
> bridge.
> > > > Going back to the old canopy: people on the west side of the
> canopy
> > > > (outbound) simply walked across the auto lanes of the
> Smithfield Street
> > > > Bridge, entered the main doors of the station and walked down
> the grand
> > > > staircase to the concourse level: or...you could walk down a
> staircase to
> > > > the outside walkway along the railroad tracks(this walkway has
> been
> > > > enclosed and is now a dining room at the Grand Concourse
> Restaurant).
>
> > > > If you'd like to see some of my photos of the P&LE station, go
> the
> > > > "P&LE" page on the website
> > > > <www.dnaco.net/~gelwood>. I also have photos of the PRR and
> B&O
> > > > stations on those railroad pages.
>
> > > > The P&LE canopy contained a large sign showing the numbers and
> names of
> > > > the trolley routes that stopped there. There was a similar
> sign at the
> > > > Liberty Avenue trolley stop at the PRR Station. And, there
> MAY have been
> > > > a trolley route sign at the old B&O station (torn down in
> 1957) on the
> > > > downtown side of the Smithfield St. Bridge. I'll have to
> check my
> > > > photos. I assume (hope) that these signs were saved. Does
> anyone know
> > > > their whereabouts? I took a photo of the P&LE sign, but never
> > > > photographed the sign at the PRR station.
>
> > > > Bob 9/17
>
> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > > > On Sun, 17 Sep 2000 15:24:50 -0700 Jim Holland
> <pghpcc at pacbell.net>
> > > > writes:
>
> > > > > This URL
> > > > > http://gelwood.railfan.net/other/lightrail/pat-1676r.jpg
> shows
> > > > > the P&LE Canopy. It appears as though there were stairs
> leading down
> > > > > to the railroad tracks so one might assume that P&LE built
> the canopy.
> > > > > The sign under the clock reads *Eastern Standard Time.* The
> railroads
> > > > > *in-the-good-old-days* always ran on standard time so if
> this canopy was
> > > > > owned and maintained by P&LE, then I assume that this clock
> remained on
> > > > > Standard time 365-days a year - at least thru the end of
> PRCo and
> > > > > probably into the next decade!
> > > > > Good assumption or No?!?!
>
> James B. Holland
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