[PRCo] Re: Beeses vs Trolleycars

[mrb190]

To Jim - and question for John:

Yes, indeed -----> very true about "relativity!"   My best memories are of going
through special work in East Liberty on an 88 Frankstown - or of making the turn at
Penn and Main in Lawrenceville on the 77/54, and then joining 87 Ardmore trackage
in Bloomfield.  As well as, getting a feeling of literally sweeping across the 16th
street bridge on a 77/54....speeding outbound on an 88 in the far right lane on
Liberty Avenue alongside the cement wall of the Pennsylvania railroad, and then
making the turn at the Dandee Potato Chip Company at Liberty and 32nd to get back
onto Penn Avenue.....coming down the ramp to West Liberty- usually very slowly - on
39 Brookline trips to see my Aunt Irene.....anticipating the prw trackage on the
trek from the North Side to Perrysville Avenue on the 10 West View ---> a line we
never caught in town; always transferred onto from a 77/54.   OK, there is more.
Trips to the zoo on a 71...the first ride on a 42/38, and being amazed at the
switch from street running to prw to street running again.    All very simple
things most people took for granted, but I enjoyed.

John - you mentioned remembering the prw on the 56 line.   Do you recall if there
were any short trestles or bridges as the line came up alongside Mifflin Road?  To
this day, there are sections of Mifflin Road that I can't fathom had double-tracked
prw alongside, without Mifflin Road disappearing into a mere narrow walkway.  I
live in Munhall now, so I travel Mifflin Road quite a bit.  It appears as though
there may have been some bridges over the creek that runs parallel to the road.  I
see a stray wooden brace, and sometimes iron brace sticking up on the other side of
the creek.

Matt

John Swindler wrote:

> >Jim Holland replied
> >
> >       This has to do with Einstein's Theory--of--Relativity  --
> >it is all relative - relative to E. Pgh., the South had much prw.  It is
> >also Relative to other cities  --  like SF with a small portion on the
> >J- & K-lines and some center of the highway prw on the M  --  makes PRCo
> >look like the PRR mainline!!
> >       In 1978, a couple local--yokel SF trolleycar fans made a swing thru
> >several systems in the East including Pgh.  One had been before; first
> >trip for the other.  I could sense that the 'other' did not like Pgh.
> >and just found out within the last couple years that they took a ride on
> >the Interurban from downtown.  Tunnel was ok, but of course there was no
> >more street running!  And the 'other' said:  "Don't like this  --
> >streetcars are supposed to run on the streets!"
> >
> > > So from my perspective (as a post-war baby boomer), PRC was primarily a
> >city
> > > streecar system serving numerous outlying communities, often based on
> >the
> > > steel economy.  Oh, and it also had a bit of prw on a couple lines, such
> >as
> > > 56, 10/15, 87, 42 and 35/36.  But 6, 8, 13, 18, 19, 21, 22, (I was too
> >young
> > > for west end), 38, 39, 40, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50, 53, 77/54, 55, 57, 58,
> >64,
> > > 66, 67, 71, 73, 75, 76, 82, 85, 88, 94, 95, 96, and 98 were city street
> > > lines.
> >
> >       Most definitely beg to disagree with the above.  Tunnel itself will not
> >be included as prw (even though it is prw) but certainly the ride down
> >thru the yard qualifies as prw, Yes??  How many car lines in Pgh. did
> >that - autos couldn't travel down there (with exception of PRCo shop
> >trucks - but then they can travel prw anywhere if they wish!)  Then
> >there is the long Palm Garden Trestle  --  1,000--feet  --  and the
> >trolleycar only ramp from W. Liberty Ave!  No autos on all this!
> >       So I  ADD  the following with prw - 38, 39 (which also had some center
> >of the highway prw, double track, Brookline Blvd., as well as a stretch
> >of single track prw at the end to the loop), 40-line leaving SHJ, also
> >44-48, and 47.
> >       The 8-Perrysville had about 1/2--mile prw at the end down behind
> >Perrysville Ave which also includes the rush hour only 11.  The 55-line
> >had a 1-2--mile or better side-of-the-road-prw along Braddock.  You left
> >out the 65 above which had a short-block of prw shared with the 56- as
> >well as an off-street siding at this location so a Lincoln-Place bound
> >car could wait for the single track to clear.  And the 68-line had prw
> >beside Duquesne Blvd thru Kennywood Park.
>
> Your first sentence, Jim, was right on target:  question of relativity.
>
> For some reason, always thought/think of 42 as prw line.  I tend to overlook
> Broadway street running.  But also consider 38 and 39 as street running.
> The "image" that comes to mind would be based on Sunday/Holiday pass riding
> is the commercial area of West Liberty near Pioneer and Brookline Blvd.
> Your weekday trips were probably on 42. It was 64 and 76 that were used by
> my family.
>
> The memory of 56 is the prw sections of the line.  Aain, don't ask me why.
> For 55, its going through Homestead (usually to make connection to 65).  And
> 60 and 68 went just over a year before I was 'let loose'.
>
> There is an exercise Schneider and I occasionally reminisce about:  What the
> difference seven years makes between our memories of Pittsburgh.  He
> remembers 'yellow' cars; I don't.  Likewise, west end went just a bit too
> soon for me.
>
> Actually, what triggered this was a comment made by a Chicago railfan during
> weekend the Drake line was abandoned.  He mentioned that he was fortunate
> enough to see Pittsburgh the way it used to be.  I asked when was that, and
> he replied "1971, just before 44, 48 and 53 were abandoned".  Didn't have
> the heart to list what he missed by not getting to Pittsburgh a few years
> earlier.
>
> John
>
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