[PRCo] Re: Trolley Pole Dewirements

[John Swindler]

Yes.  Window was "unlocked" using the reverse 'key'.

I (vaguely) recall a dewirement inbound on Shannon in early 1960s in which 
pole slightly bent, and 'deadheading' motorman reached out rear window and 
pulled rope at angle to try to keep trolley wheel on wire while we slowly 
creep towards Tunnel carhouse.  It was a summer Sunday or holiday.

John

>From: Harold Geissenheimer <transitmgr at worldnet.att.net>
>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: Trolley  Pole  Dewirements
>Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 17:12:34 -0500
>
>
>Greetings
>
>As I remember, the interurban PCC's had a rear window that could be opened
>to allow the operator to reach out and put the pole on the wire in the 
>event of
>a dewirement on a bridge.  Is this correct.
>
>Best wishes to all.
>
>Harold Geissenheimer
>
>Bob Rathke wrote:
>
> > >From 1972-78 I rode the Drake trolley five days a week from Brookside 
>to downtown
> > and return, and then rode it frequently from 1978-83.   I remember 
>dewirements
> > occuring at various random locations; not a lot of dewirements, though, 
>and mostly
> > between Washington Jct. and Brookside.  There were probably more trolley 
>(car)
> > breakdowns than there were dewirements in that era.  I remember numerous 
>incidents
> > that required a pusher car or a bus shuttle - everywhere from Overbrook 
>to Drake.
> >
> > Bob 4/1/01
> >
> > Jim Holland wrote:
> >
> > > Rich Wagner of  *Wagner Car Company*  and  *Trolley Talk*  always said
> > > that the flanged wheel and trolley pole//harp are the symbols of the
> > > traction community.
> > >
> > >         I was always fascinated with both as well and the symmetry of 
>the
> > > overhead and the way the trolleypole tracked always fascinated me!
> > > Dewirements were a fascination as well but seemed very few and far
> > > between!
> > >
> > >         Don't remember any dewirements on Drake except possibly 
>outbound thru
> > > the turnout at Wash. Jct once.  Drake used directional frogs at the
> > > sidings.  And only one dewirement on Library inbound leaving Simmons
> > > loop.
> > >
> > >         And NO dewirements between Wash. Jct and Castle Shannon as 
>well as NO
> > > dewirements on the single track gauntlet wire on Overbrook.
> > >
> > >         Remember one dewirement inbound near Poplar with an operator 
>in
> > > training.  Also one inbound near Overbrook Blvd. or Inglewood inbound,
> > > South Park special with mostly *foreign* riders coming home from the
> > > Fair who only rode the interurban on this occasion.  It was at night 
>and
> > > Walther was operating the car; people got dead quiet when the lights
> > > went out.  One other time in the daytime Walther was operating about 
>the
> > > same location and we had a dewirement; John Swindler took a movie of 
>me
> > > replacing the pole!
> > >
> > >         And I only remember 2-dewirements outbound on Overbrook, both 
>the same
> > > day, both the same trip, and obviously the same car - 1710.  Pole 
>spring
> > > might have been weak and trolley retriever was bad as Charlie (who
> > > else?!(:=>))  had a terrible time resetting it!  The pole dewired
> > > crossing the Elwyn trestle at just average speed - we had taken it 
>much
> > > faster before - and we coasted to the grade crossing at Cretestone to
> > > replace the pole.  Then as we crossed CS Blvd into Castle Shannon the
> > > pole came off again.
> > >
> > >         Don't remember any dewirements at SHJ - absolutely amazing 
>considering
> > > the web of overhead.  Charlie dewired once entering a yard track, but
> > > that is it!
> > >
> > >         Never saw nor experienced any dewirements at Smithfield and 
>Carson but
> > > the interurban inbound turning from the bridge onto the ramp was going
> > > thru a spiral easement which is a tricky location for the pole to 
>follow
> > > correctly and remember a dewirement or two here.  NEVER  saw a
> > > dewirement from Grant to Liberty nor Liberty to Wood nor Wood to Water
> > > and the cars used to whip thru the latter turn!
> > >
> > >         Those are the only dewirements I remember on the interurbans 
>and I was
> > > on them as often or more than my hometown 42-Dormont!
> > >
> > >         And on my hometown line, dewirements were extremely few.  If 
>the spring
> > > switch failed and a car backed out of the 42-line wye the wrong way 
>the
> > > pole would dewire.  Also, outbound, the frog leading into the wye saw
> > > tremendous use and the runners wore to that direction and sometimes
> > > caused the owl going straight thru to MtLebanon at 1.25-AM to dewire -
> > > the flashing could be seen from my window!
> > >         Outbound between Hillsdale and Alabama was a gentle banked 
>curve to the
> > > left.  At one point the banking leveled out and the wire was out of
> > > alignment so it caused a sharp angle in the overhead and would 
>sometimes
> > > throw poles.  The line car was out one day and I mentioned where I saw
> > > the pole dewire; they then tapped that hanger toward the inside of the
> > > curve to remove the angle and it was fine after that.
> > >         And outbound where the 42 split from the 38//39 was a shallow 
>angle
> > > turnout where my father and I experienced a dewirement on 1454 coming
> > > home from a baseball game.  Remember the number because it was the
> > > number of the house across the street from ours!
> > >         And inbound thru the yard once, possibly on the 38-line, a 
>hanger was
> > > broken with the ear perpendicular to and below the contact wire which
> > > caused us to dewire.  Isadore Reichert didn't believe me but when we
> > > were heading outbound an inbound 39-line car hit that at tremendous
> > > speed and went about 5-6 car lengths before getting his car stopped.
> > > Izzy saw the hanger then and called it in!
> > >         Saw a dewirement at Clearview loop - wire seemed higher here 
>and this
> > > might have contributed and we dewired outbound once on a city 17 with
> > > mushy springs at the 38//39 junction.
> > >         Never experienced a dewirement downtown on the 38//39//42 
>lines -
> > > Never!
> > >
> > >         There was a trailing turnout from Stanwix at Fort Duquesne 
>(connection
> > > from the West End lines) and only 1000--series cars would dewire thru
> > > this frog - no others!  Watched it for several hours!
> > >         And inbound on Federal passing thru the underpass of the RR on 
>a
> > > 17-city car the pole dewired 3-times - probably a badly worn wheel 
>with
> > > a groove which could snag the wire!
> > >         Saw an 88-line dewire outbound on Liberty thru the first turn 
>after
> > > Butler - too fast around the turn!
> > >
> > >         Don't remember any dewirements on 56-McKeesport, very popular
> > > Sunday--pass ride; none on 87, don't remember any in East Liberty near
> > > where grandparents lived!  And off-hand, don't remember any others.
> > >
> > >         Quite amazing for the amount of riding I did there!
> > >
> > > --
> > > 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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