[PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Book

[Kenneth Josephson]

Hi All,

I don't mean to sound patronizing, but not only is Mr. Parkinson's wonderful little book a concise and enjoyable read,  it has been personal pleasure of mine to reread periodically.

Those Pittsburgh trolleys sure have a way of  working their way into the hearts and minds of anyone who appreciates this sort of thing and has had contact with the system or any of its remnants.

Mr. Geissenheimer, though we have met twice, first at the PCC finale and then in Kenosha, I'm not sure if I took the opportunity to thank you for your part (a major one, indeed) in saving the remaining South Hill trolley lines. Had they been safe from abandonment without your intervention, they would have been transformed into light rail eventually. And I am sure that if you had remained with PAT, the light rail operation would have been much more efficient than it is today.

But we fans all got to enjoy those PCCs for that many more years and the riding public had a better option than buses on paved rights of way or the Transit Expressway, a system that probably would have been too small for the crowds the lines continued to carry.

Are you still filling in at Kenosha, or has a successor for Mr. McCarthy been appointed?

Again, I will point this out: I believe no other system in North America ever tested the design limits of the PCC to the degree Pittsburgh did. The topography, weather, crowds, narrow streets, sharp curves, deferred maintenance and length of service some of the cars saw resulted in service that was nothing less than brutal. Long live the PCC... and it did! :-)

Ken J.

Harold Geissenheimer wrote:

> Greetings to all
>
> It was interesting to review Tom's professional career.  He has contributed
> a great deal to our industry and our avocation.  I have known him since the1960's
> and now Vancouver.  He has introduced many new suggestions and has always
> worked to advance electric railways and rapid transit.  His has not been a back-seat
> driver.  His suggestions about future publications are interesting.
>
> Like Bob Brown, he has supported the Arden museum.  He is a friend.
>
> Harold Geissenheimer