Todays trivia

[Edward H. Lybarger]

Dr. Maher's book is very good but not perfectly accurate.  That's
understandable, allowing for the vagaries of time and the nature of the
brain.  It's available in a number of the area bookstores, and may even be
available online.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
[mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of
Fredbruhn at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 9:10 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: Todays trivia


I enjoyed Bob's bio. and wish I still had my Kodak pony.  Bob, do you
remember or have heard of Julian Bernard of Shelby, Ohio.  His B&O HO models
were featured in a MR article in the late 50's, but he and two other men
took
on the task of recording on film the B&O, buildings, equipment, motive
power,
everything.  One was in Balt., Julian in Ohio and I have no clue where the
third man was nor any idea where the collection is today.

Back on the subject, I enjoyed the conversations on the various shades of
red
and cream for the PCC's, and now will use the Polly S whisker yellow
(crream)
and signal red, but go very lightly on the grime.

Now my question is, with Bob's description of his early years on the 5 line
riding
"the orange" double end cars, what color do we use to approximate the
Pittsburgh color for the double end cars?

I have a few West Penn questions too, but I'll wait for Fred III and Ed
Lybarger to return on those.  And.....it can get cold in the winter around
here, but again the past two have not been bad, and that is the best time to
go looking for trolley lines.
I'll bet Jim Holland could tough it out for a few days when he got deep in
Fayette county with an expert guide like Ed Lybarger.

For those of us who will never get enough West Penn, let me recommend a book
I jjust got from a lead by an ex Filbert resident who remembers the West
Penn.  (He is planning to draw up for me the line through Buffington,
Filbert, New Boro and New Salem so I can share that with you).  The book is
"Patches of History" by (late) Regis M. Maher, M.D. of Fayette County.  It
is
the 1920's and 1930's: Heyday of Fayette County Coal and Coke in
Pennsylvania.  One chapter on WP, but the book hits every patch on the
timetable.  Most interesting.  It was recently reprinted by his
long time assistant.  It can be bought from Barbara R. Ventura, 6 Sylvanus
Avenue,
Uniontown, PA. 15401.  Cost is $25.00 post paid.  Cost is high because the
run was small.  She told me she ran another run because of continuing
interest.  The good Doctor died in late 1999.  You will be amazed how the
name "patch" originated.
It talks about the Railroads, life in the patches (towns as we call them),
etc.

I have a photo someplace of a 1700 on Route 40 and I'll try and dig it up to
see if it is a GE car.

We need to keep open the questions Jim asked about West Penn on electric
turnouts and interior colors.  The one shot I have looking to the end from
about
4 seats back looks like finished wood on the ends or perhaps it is the sheet
metal painted, window supports are wood, finished in a walnut/grime
combination andseat backs look like black/red/brown splotchy leather or
vinyl, probably leather.  Hand holds look white, and ceiling does look like
a
dark ivory, but can't see much of it.
Ed. S. has promised us some shots of 722 for information.  I sure don't
remember it when we were there tarring the roof in 1959 or so.  I do
remember
a  pile of seats and
amusment part "stuff" stored inside.  If I remember correctly, PRMA took the
seats
from the three cars stored there and put them in 722 as this is the car the
museum had picked, but that may be stretching my memory.

Jim - find a good Army/Navy surplus store and get some long johns and join
us
this winter for our WP adventure.

Fred Bruhn