Pure fantasy - 1800's for PRCo.

[Fredbruhn at aol.com]

Actually Wheeling's Co-Op system wanted to bring a Pittsburgh PCC to Wheeling 
for testing.  One of the drawbacks was that all the lines were single ended.  
The double ended PCC's would have been just the thing.  

The events right after the war moved too quickly to proceed.  The philosophy 
that
street cars were obsolete moved the politicians to pressure Co-Op to buses.  
Ah, the politicians who were all for widening US 40 out of the Ohio Valley 
and found the 
Co-Op tracks beside the road a "nuisance".  Now about 53 years later that 
same road is a wee bit wider, just about 5" 2-1/2" wider.   Take a ride on US 
40 today 
(Interstate 70 and US 40 are not the same) instead of I 70 from Bridgeport to 
St. Clairsville (then reenter 70).  The street layout in downtown Bridgeport 
has changed a bit to accomodate the new state route 7, but get on 40 and for 
about the first mile
the line was in the center of the street with one passing siding, then it 
went to the left side (if your going west) and stayed there to the Blaine 
viaduct.  The car line went
north at this point to Barton.  You stay on the main road over the viaduct to 
St.
Clairsville.  The B&O railroad out of Benwood also ran near the car line to 
the viaduct and went under the viaduct.  It is now all gone.  Stop at the 
viaduct and you can
see on the south side beside the building about 10 feet of Co-Op rail, one of 
only two spots still visible.   To keep on track, the double end PCC would 
have been perfect
for this line.



So add Co-Op to the list that could use an ex Dallas double end PCC.

Question - were the couplers on the low floor cars just link and pin couplers?

Fred Bruhn
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