Missing Blocks of Car Numbers

[Tom Phillips]

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
[mailto:owner-pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org]On Behalf Of Fred W.
Schneider III
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2001 4:04 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: Re: Missing Blocks of Car Numbers


Pardon me, but many of you are looking at this whole issue like
railfans, which tends to explain why transit companies did not care to
employ fans.  It has turned into a large mountain versus an ant hill
issue.

SORRY, FRED -- DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS!

Numbers are there so the "operator knows which piece of metal to take
out of the yard."

Numbers are there so that the company can keep track of maintenance
costs and know when it is time to scrap a car.

Numbers are there so that, after an accident, the company can prove that
the alleged car was somewhere else, and get the case thrown out of
court.

Numbers are there so that street supervisors can pinpoint the late car.

Numbers are something that insurance companies wanted because trolley
cars don't come with VIN numbers like motor vehicles.

Numbers were never put there so Charlie Dengler would know which cars he
didn't photograph.

Numbers were never painted on cars so that the excessive compulsives
would be able to list every car they had ridden.

Numbers were not put on cars to induce railfans to question why.

PATENTLY SO!

Cars numbers are sometimes grouped so that similar cars are together but
even in Pittsburgh, not always true.

IT IS THE "SOMETIMES" THAT IS INTRIGUING!

And isn't it nice that there was the odd collection of left over junque
in Pittsburgh from 1-680 or so, that allowed the company to conveniently
later number the cars starting with 00 in each series instead of 01.
Heaven forbid that we should have to start with 01, then we would always
need to buy equipment in blocks of 99 cars so that all 5200s fit.  (Same
problem with people who can't figure when the millennium ends.)

There were also secondary issues: Numbers can be used to keep track of
ownership, i.e. Chicago Railway versus Chicago City Railway, or here in
Lancaster, certain cars that were funded by underlying suburban
companies.

Numbers were sometimes used to indicate equipment splits (in Baltimore
the GE PCCs were in the 7000s and 7100s while Westinghouse cars were in
the 7300 and 7400s).  But this trivial decision was made after the first
cars arrived and someone in the shop realized that there had to be an
easier way of memorizing which cars had what apparatus.  If you want it
closer to home, the A, B, and C prefixes on Pittsburgh trailers.

YES, TO THE ABOVE!  (AND THE BRILLINER WAS 7501)

Numbering decisions probably took a minute.  Maybe less if the president
said put 100 on our newest car so the public will recognize it.  There
were far more important decisions such as, traffic, schedules, city
politics, the press that was jerking their chain, arranging to replace
the special work at 33rd and Whachamakallit St. on Sunday night, and how
do we keep out of bankruptcy.

Good point, but I think that it was to some extent obvious that some
forethought was given the numbering system by PRCo's management.  All we
are trying to do is to retrace their steps -- to reconstruct their
thought processes primarily, in my case, out of interest in the hobby.

Why wasn't there a 5300 series?  Maybe because someone in the mechanical
department felt there might be one more MU car order.  Why no 3900s?
Perhaps someone in the mechanical department felt they would be good for
interurbans.  Why the 4000s instead of 3600s?  Because someone else
decided to make put some interurbans in the 3600s.  Why no 4500s and
4600s?  Maybe at that time some warm body in the mechanical department
was leaving space for more double end cars.  Still, they're non issues.
They probably are indicative of one person's mind and not company policy
because the company could not have tolorated wasting the time of ten
people on so pedestrian a decision.

YES.

Why not marvel instead about how fast crews could replace a grand
union.

AGAIN, IT'S YOUR TURN AT BAT!

So shoot me.

Fred

NOW WHERE DID I LEAVE THAT TYLENOL?

Tom

>
>  -----Original Message-----
> From:   John Swindler [mailto:j_swindler at hotmail.com]
> Sent:   Wednesday, January 10, 2001 4:50 PM
> To:     pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject:        Re: Missing Blocks of Car Numbers
>
> Quick "off the cuff" comment:  I worry that we are looking back as
railfans,
> and not struggling to put ourselves into role of PRC office employee in
> 1910; 1925; 1940, etc. and see the world - and specifically PRC car number
> assignments - as they would see it.   For if PennDOT can be a guide, any
> "standardized" roster system would be subject to annual revisions -
(because
> we don't remember what we decided to do last year!!!)
>
> Car numbers are everything to "us" railfans, but really just an
> insignificant bookkeeping entry to PRC staff.  And perhaps that can be
> somewhat painful.

AH, YES -- GOOD POINT, JOHN.

Tom