[PRCo] Re: PRC track construction near the B&O station

[Jim Holland]

Good Morning!!

> Bob Rathke wrote:

> I'll have to look through my photos of the B&O station demolition in July, 1957,
> but I believe that the Water St. (Ft. Pitt Blvd.) trolley trackage was not
> affected much by the railroad station changes.

	Most Definitely Was Affected.  New special work had to be built to turn
from the bridge to the ramp heading to and from Grant.  This also
affected the special work turning from Water to the bridge for the cars
coming from Wood Street.  AND  service was maintained by trolleycar
during the whole process!!
	Track from Water from both directions  --  Grant and Wood  --  was
placed on ties on the street surface as shoo--flys to run around
construction of this special work for the new alignment.  This made for
a rather unique connection with trackage on the bridge.
	Overhead wires were unique as well!!   Only one pull-off was used where
there would normally be 4-5--pull--offs on curves making for wide swings
of trolley-poles as they negotiated this turn.  It was quite fascinating
to watch.
	I am still impressed by the unique construction and the ease of
operations in a very-high-density trolleycar operation.  The 35, 36, 37,
38, 39, 40, 42, 44, 48, 49, and 50 lines all used this daily, some for
24-hours a day in addition to the 43 and 47 lines for rush hour.
	This was an amazing challenge for PRCo and they seemed to handle it
very well!

>> Jim Holland wrote:

>>         ALSO  --  anyone have photos of the shoo-flys (if they might be called
>> that) at Smithfield and Water during the time the B&O was removed from
>> that location and a new ramp installed??

James B. Holland

Holland  Electric  Railway  Operation
    "O"--Scale  St.-Petersburg Trams Company
        Trolleycars  &  "O"--Scale  Parts  mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
        PTM (PA Trolley Museum near Pgh.) http://www.pa-trolley.org/
    Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/