Missing Blocks of Car Numbers

[Fred W. Schneider III]

I enjoyed, Tom.  

Bruce Bente told me at dinner this evening of a railroad that uses odd
numbers for cars with toilets and even numbers for coaches sans
crappers. But not always. 

Tom Phillips wrote:
> 
> -----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