[PRCo] Unattended trolleys

[Bob Rathke]

In the late 1940's and early 50's I hung around the 5-Spring Hill loop at Rhine
ans Buente Streets..  Most cars had a layover there, and if it was mid-day and
the motorman had 8-10 minutes, he would go across the street to Eichelmann's
Store for a pop or snack.  Most of the motormen consumed their purchases in the
store, and chatted with Josie Eichelmann or customers; I remember one motorman
who said he had an ulcer, and he would buy a quart of milk which he would drink
there and then finish up on the trolley.

I also remember the ritual before the motorman left his car - check the padlock
on the money box locked to the dash, and remove the coin changer from the
transfer pedestal.  Most of the motormen would set their coin changers on the ice
cream cabinet at Eichelman's while they snacked.  I don't recall seeing the
motormen locking the reverser handle, but that's not to say that they never
locked it.

Bob 6/8/01

--------------------------------

Jim Holland wrote:

> > HRBran99 at aol.com wrote:
>
> > . . . [if] 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.
>
>         In all my travellings on PRCo, I can't remember a car without an
> operator in it.  *One--time*  on Library the operator had to use the
> rest room and he did exactly as you mentioned  --  put the reverser into
> the forward position, removed it, and took it with him!
>         One time on  ({[pat]})  --  and Paul may have been there at the time
> --  the 49-line was operating to SHJ and looping at Palm Garden.  The
> motorman brought the car back to SHJ  --  1600-series city car  --  and
> made the turn onto the outbound 44-48.  He allowed us to board and then
> the operator left.  We were sitting in the back.  There was a loud bang
> and when the motorman returned he blamed us for fooling with his car -
> the hand brake had apparently released.  We never touched the car but he
> repeatedly accused us!
>         The time frame was probably the late 1960s, very early 1970s.
>
> --
> 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/