[PRCo] Re: Rt. 49 and Brownsville Ave. single track

Mon Jun 4 17:25:35 EDT 2001

>Dietrich, Robert J. commented:
>
>
>OK, let me get this straight.  PRCo goes against Annie X after the War and 
>gets broken into little pieces.  Brownsville Ave. is now only one track but 
>Little Annie takes everyone to court and gets the below-mentioned agreement 
>nullified and voided.  So now I can't bring any cars out of the tunnel and 
>route them up through the hollow?  Or will I be able to send that one 
>Special Car each day?  I suppose this would work when there aren't enough 
>modules to connect to.
>

Such a break-up occurred in New York City around 1912, which apparently 
causes all sorts of grief for the roster fans.  Involved New York Railways, 
Third Ave. Railways, Eighth and Ninth Ave. Railways, and perhaps a couple 
others.

The agreement mentioned below allowed perpetual access to Mt. Washington 
Tunnel for three separate independent companies in event Pittsburgh Railways 
was so burdened with lease payments that there was no hope of 
reorganization.  Suspect that it was just a legal technicality due to PRC 
reorganization.  Also suspect Brownsville St. Ry. technically owned track on 
Brownsville St./Rd. (the mountain trail), and other two companies had 
trackage rights.

Actually it seems that if PRC were broken into pieces (which would never 
have been allowed to happen), you would have option of a variety of paint 
schemes on you module that would outdo PAT's mod paint schemes of the early 
1970s.  Afterall, would not each independent want to have it's own paint 
scheme???

Maybe we'd better get back to reality before someone actually takes this 
possibility seriously.

>I'm just a little confused though.  What is Brownsville Avenue?  Isn't
>Arlington Ave. The one track mountain trail that goes from Carson St. to
>Warrington Ave?

In 1858 the one-track mountain trail was known as the Brownsville Turnpike 
Road.

In 1895 the mountain trail on north side of Mt. Washington was known as 
Brownsville Avenue.  At top of hill became Brownsville Rd. to S. 18th St. 
(which wasn't at that time - it was Birmingham St.).

Continuing south from what is now Arlington Ave. and S. 18th St. 
intersection in Mt. Oliver, was Brownsville Road, Brownsville Plank Road or 
Southern Ave., (probable error by map maker) depending on various maps from 
circa 1900.

By 1899, Arlington Ave. had been extended westward through Allentown to 
intersection Brownsville Ave. and Washington Ave.  Washington Ave.????? 
That's now Warrington.

And because Arlington Ave. designation caused a separation of Brownsville 
Rd., apparently at some more recent time the mountain trail on Mt. 
Washington was renamed Arlington Ave.

Confused???  Well, I am, and that's with a bunch of maps in front of me!!!  
What was that comedy routine about 'Who is on first'?

More recently, those of us of a certain age still recall Diamond St. in 
downtown Pittsburgh, which is now Forbes.

John

>  -----Original Message-----
>From: 	John Swindler [mailto:j_swindler at hotmail.com]
>Sent:	Monday, June 04, 2001 1:36 PM
>To:	pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>Cc:	ALLMANR at aehn2.einstein.edu; rwan at dejazzd.com; csiebert at paonline.com;
>elmerfry at desupernet.net; RSAUER at aol.com; billvigrass at hillintl.com
>Subject:	[PRCo] Rt. 49 and Brownsville Ave. single track
>
>
>
>Within the past couple weeks there were several messages concerning the
>single track on Brownsville Ave. on the north side of Mt. Washington.
>
>Just for the record, at least under Pittsburgh Railways, Brownsville Ave.
>was originally double track, not single track.
>
>
>Was curious about a reference to a 1923 agreement to run and operate
>streetcars through Mt. Washington Tunnel.  After all, why would there be a
>need for an agreement in 1923, twenty -some- years after the opening of Mt.
>Washington tunnel???
>
>Turns out that PUC docket A-7933 is a request for the PUC to bless an
>agreement dated 25 Sept. 1922 between the Mt. Washington Tunnel Co., Mt.
>Washington Street Railway Co. and Pittsburgh Railways Co. on the one part;
>and the Brownsville Ave. St. Ry., West Liberty Street Railway and 
>Pittsburgh
>
>and Birmingham Street Railway on the second part.
>
>The agreement provides for the 'temporary' abandonment for 49 years of one
>of the tracks on Brownsville Ave. between Warrington Ave. and Carson St. 
>due
>
>to City of Pittsburgh repaving.  The agreement provides for perpetual right
>to operate streetcars through the Mt. Washington Tunnel for the three
>companies listed in second part in the event that the second track on
>Brownsville Ave. is not relaid.  Why this agreement?  The testimony 
>mentions
>
>that the reason for the agreement is to protect the three companies of
>second part in event of a break-up of the Pittsburgh Railways system.  It
>further mentions that service on Brownsville was limited to a "special car"
>that carried 200-300 riders per day.  Also, that the cost for single track
>would be $75,000 while the cost for double track would be $125,000.  And 
>the
>
>contract involving the City of Pittsburgh is not with Pittsburgh Railways.
>It is between the City of Pittsburgh and the Brownsville Street Railway Co.
>Again, this is in 1922.
>
>(this could have interesting implications for modeling South Hills Jct.)
>
>For Jim's benefit, also looked up A-13958 of 1925 which provides for
>extension of the West Liberty and Suburban Street Railway route in City of
>Pittsburgh and Overbrook Boro.  It didn't apply to 35/36/37, as suspected,
>but to route 39-Brookline.
>
>Under this application, PUC approved: extension of the West Liberty and
>Suburban Sreet Railway Co. over private of way, beginning at point on curve
>west of Birchwood Ave., then east 313 feet to city line, along proposed
>extension of Brookline Blvd., then east another 333 feet in Overbrook Boro
>to a loop.  Purpose, according to testimony, was to service land owned by
>West Liberty Improvement Co., suited for residence purposes, and provide a
>loop (for 39-Brookline cars).  Total round trip distance listed as 2,000 
>ft.
>
>So the 39 Brookline loop was not original, but later add-on.
>
>Just trying to keep current!
>
>John
>
>
>
>
>
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