[PRCo] Re: Beeses vs Trolleycars

[John Swindler]

>
>
>
>--On Thursday, March 29, 2001 12:44:42 PM -0800 Jim Holland
><pghpcc at pacbell.net> wrote:
>
>
> > 	NO!(:=>)   The era for the trolleycar is over.  While the F line serves
> > a purpose, it is a line and not a system; it is an extremely small part
> > of a larger system and not a major player.  Many local railfans feel the
> > same - it is nice, it is appreciated, but somehow it doesn't seem real -
> > has a toy like character!
>


Interesting comment, Jim.

It was very strange when I went to Pittsburgh for final weekend of PCC 
service in Sept. 1999.  Yes, enjoyed the car rides, but seemed that I was 
viewing a mere shadow of what once was.  Even a 'toy', or 'fake', if you 
will.  Very difficult to put into words, but the Drake shuttle just didn't 
seem like a "real" transit service.  Wondered afterwards if it was (my) age, 
or lack of trips to ride transit in Pittsburgh in recent years, but the 
thought occurred that perhaps the PCC really 'died' in Pittsburgh in 1983(?) 
when 42/38 suspended.  And what was left was just a shadow living on 
borrowed time.  Rail transit in Pittsburgh had become the light rail 
vehicles, and not the PCC cars.  Or at least from my perspective.

I remember a comment from Frank Goldsmith to the effect rail transit just 
wasn't the same anymore with the demise of the Connecticut Co. rural lines.  
I suspect I'm beginning to understand what Frank was trying to say.

Maybe its just a case that, in the end, one can't go back in time.

John




And Derrick further commented:

>Bah, toys are cool. If not for toys, where would I be? ;-)
>
>Seriously, though, I always rather thought PAT's "Penn Station Shuttle"
>(Steel Plaza to Penn Station) was toy-like, but I've missed it since it's
>been gone. I really do wish they'd put tracks in the East Busway and run
>LRVs out to Wilkinsburg, but the station at Steel Plaza would need to be
>rearranged for that to be truly useful.
>
>-D
>


Do you mean the 'main line', Derrick?  The downtown stations are Steel Plaza 
and Penn Park.  At least for Skybus funding.  The 'branch' under Sixth St. 
and Liberty Ave. to Gateway Center was an add-on under the Light Rail 
Program.

Under the proposal from the mid-1960s, the South Hills line was to continue 
eastwards along the Penna. RR alignment to Wilkinsburg and beyond.  It was 
not intended as two different transit modes.  What eventually became the 
South Hills light rail line was selected as the 'starter' rapid transit 
line.  Dug the final report out a couple years ago, and I think it was by 
Parsons Brinkerhoff in 1967.

As for extending LRVs to Wilkinsburg today, cost would be about $20-25 
million per mile (including cars), despite what the local newspapers seem to 
want the public to believe.  Go to the Federal Transit Administration's 
website and look up the "Report on New Starts" to check out the cost of 
light rail construction around the country.  The comparison should be with 
use of an existing right of way.

John



John
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com