[PRCo] Re: Self-Motivated PCC cars

[Kenneth Josephson]

A documented case of this sort of thing happened in Milwaukee after Speedrail
shut down. The mayor was trying to get the city to purchase the line, so
everything was left intact until the end of 1952. The power was left on and a
"ghost" car was run at night to discourage scavengers from stealing the trolley
wire.

A couple of young traction fans took advantage of the situation by "poling up" an
interurban car sitting in the yard near 7th Street. They took the car to about
27th Street and abandoned it there.

I may not have the exact locations of where the car was taken and abandoned, but
it was about twenty blocks.

I know this isn't Pittsburgh related, but it may be one source of the "legend."
There are other documented cases of youngsters taking trolleys and rapid transit
equipment for joy rides.

I was allowed to operate NSL 757 and Milwaukee Electric steeplecab L-7 for
several hundred feet at East Troy (the original museum group) when I was 14.
Against the rules, but a once in a lifetime experience. I promised myself to
never run another trolley car again until I pay my dues by volunteering some
serious time in the shop helping with a restoration. Ask Charlie about his
adventure running a NSL coach in Ohio! :-)   Ken J.

HRBran99 at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 6/8/01 7:45:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> bob.dietrich at unisys.com writes:
>
> > I just thought I'd pass this along in case anyone remembers such happenings
> > on the PRCo.
> >
> >
>
> I don't remember any "coffee shops", or for that matter, any places near
> Simmons Loop which were withing walking distance. Sounds like "Urban Legend"
> to me. PRCo and PATransit rules forbid leaving a car unattended. And if, do
> to an emergency situation (a coffee shop would not qualify), a car had to be
> left unattended the reverser handle should have been placed in the 'locked'
> or forward position and removed to prevent moving of the car. Again, sounds
> like urban legend to me. If it did happen, the operator most likely was
> unemployed after that.
>
> HrB