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

[John Swindler]

>Bob Rathke asked:
>
>
>I assume you're referring to Diamond STREET (now Forbes, downtown).  The 
>Diamond
>Market is long gone, but I believe that the Oyster House is still there.
>
>Bob 6/5/01
>


Yes, Diamond St., which became "Old Ave." as it crossed the PRR and headed 
northeast to Fifth Ave.  It looks like Forbes St. was extended two blocks 
west from Boyd St. (where Forbes St. originally ended in a 'T' intersection) 
to intersection of Diamond St. and Old Ave. between 1895 and 1899.  This 
would be in area just to east of County Court House where Crosstown 
Expressway now crosses Forbes Ave./St. (your choice)

Guess it kind of explains why Diamond St. had different name from Forbes in 
our era, and Fifth (which was a through street) rather then Forbes (which 
was not a through street) was used by early cable cars. (how do you like 
this for coming back onto topic???)

Why these early maps??  There are directories for City of Pittsburgh going 
back to 1840s that are on microfilm/microfiche in State Library, and 
probably also Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh.  Some editions around 1900 
included city maps.  (The reason for my search of directories was to track 
down where ancestors lived between the census reports.)  But what this means 
is, if anyone has need to know what street railway properties existed in 
Pittsburgh in say 1895, just check the 'yellow pages' in the 1895 city 
directory.  Each directory has business section with street railway listing 
that includes each companies name and location of business office.

And you thought it would be easy to write a history of Pittsburgh street 
railways.

John



>----------------------------
>
>Jim Holland wrote:
>
> > >> Dietrich, Robert J. commented:
> >
> > >> 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?
> >
> > > John Swindler wrote:
> >
> > > 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'?
> >
> >         We have 24-hour channels here, so don't know where to begin with 
>number
> > one!  And then which channel  --  guess the lowest number is first, yes?
> >


"Who'se on First" is a famous Abbot and Costello comedy routine.


> > > More recently, those of us of a certain age still recall Diamond St. 
>in
> > > downtown Pittsburgh, which is now Forbes.
> >
> >         MOST  of us on this list can remember Diamond  --  the way it 
>will be
> > on my future model layout!
> >         FWS3 and Fred-B and Fred-S and Bob-R and Ed-L and Tom and Matt 
>and Ed-T
> > and Carl and Roger and Saturn and John and Jim and.....  all these
> > remember Diamond!  Don will remember it, too, even though he didn't live
> > here!
> >
> > --
> > James B. Holland
> >         Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
> >     To e-mail privately, please click here: mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
> > N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.mcs.net:80/~weyand/nmra/
>
>

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