[PRCo] Re: WEST END LINES

[HRBran99 at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/31/01 4:31:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, twg at pulsenet.com 
writes:


> The Smithfield Street Bridge was already full.  PRCo had agreed in 1949 to
> get rid of the West End lines, and indeed welcomed the opportunity ten years
> later.  Anything that crops up which may appear to support any other
> position was posturing on the company's part to be sure it got enough from
> Pa. Dept. of Highways to cover both removals (track, especially) and the
> cost of the replacement buses (they did).
> 
> 

In one of my several conversations with Mr. Robert Parker, PAT Manager of 
Transportation (and former PRCo staff member) it was stated by Mr. Parker 
that PRCo had gone before the PA Highway Department and told them in meetings 
that, "we could run the streetcars at 50 MPH over the new bridge if that was 
what was needed to maintain the West End lines." Inside the quotes is the 
exact wording Mr. Parker used when relating this story to me. He went on to 
say that the Highway Dept would not defer to this request because they knew 
that the new bridge would eventually be part of the Interstate Highway system 
and streetcars and high-speed auto traffic would not be a good mix.

This conversation would indicate to me that PRCo did try to maintain these 
routes as streetcar operated. Does the museum have any minutes of the 
meetings with the PA Highway Department concerning this subject?

HrB