PRCo PCC Trains

[Jim Holland]

Greetings!

PRCo   PCC   Trains

Here it is, Tom - full-service Library//Drake cars using 38 and 38A as
regular route!  Keep those 38s on the loop until leaving time.  -Jim

"TO   FACILITATE   THE   REMOVAL   of an overhead footbridge near Linden
Grove stop in Castle Shannon, PRCo chose to shut down normal operations
on   'the interurban' last Sunday morning, and operated, instead, a
unique substitute service which involved 2--car operation---the first in
many years on The Railways.   The situation required the operation of
Drake and Library cars via 38A.   Shuttle service on the remainder of
the line between South Hills Jct. and Linden Grove was furnished by two
cars (1657--1660) coupled back--to--back, and with a man in each car.  
The train operated over normal trackage in both directions except that
the outbound track only was used between Linden Grove and the crossover
at Frederick Street.   Several of our Association members were on hand
to observe this brief but interesting departure from the ordinary.  
Movies will be shown at a future meeting."

	Wonder if the Library and Drake cars made local stops on the 38 or ran
express here unless a passenger wanted off?!?!?!

	This is absolutely fascinating!!  The second car would be a dead tow
unless special wiring was connected between the 2-cars; back-poling with
the trolley pole for that distance would be very dangerous.  And it
would seem that this  *train*  would make a complete roundtrip before
changing ends as a crossover does not exist at SHJ so the train just
made the loop and returned.  Would be a little difficult getting up the
hill outbound from SHJ with a dead car in tow but it could and obviously
was done.
	At first blush, I thought this train was running from Castle Shannon so
connections coule be made with a trolleycar at both ends of the
shuttle.  And if this was done, then this train ran inbound on the
outbound track from Castle Shannon to Frederick (although a train would
not be necessary then - loop the car at Castle Shannon and back up to
the crossover to go inbound on the outbound track.  And if a portable
crossover was used at the construction site, which is highly doubtful
using a train with one dead car, then a train is not needed at all  -- 
loop at SHJ and at Shannon, use the portable at Linden Grove and the
regular crossover at Frederick.)
	But apparently this train was stopped at Linden Grove - it did not
operate on to Castle Shannon so there was one stop between these two
points which was technically  *abandoned*  and signs would need to be
posted.
	And what about passengers from Library and//or Drake who wanted to get
off between Castle Shannon and SHJ?  Did they::   1)--get off at Castle
Shannon and walk to Linden Grove and catch the  *train*  of PCCs to
continue;  2)--get off at Castle Shannon and catch a bus bridge to
Linden Grove;  3)--ride to SHJ and catch the PCC  *train*  outbound to
their destination?

P.R.M.A.   *Trolley   Fare*   Vol VII #11,   March 1961.
=========================================

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/