[PRCo] "Pittsburgh Trolleys Run after 35 Day Halt".......

[Jim Holland]

.......from the July--1954  *ERA Headlights*  --  and I quote:::

	"A work-stoppage of record length was brought to an abrupt end on June
12th on the property of the Pittsburgh Railways Co., when the
transitmen's national union insisted on a settlement of issues that were
proposed two weeks before, but were turned down by the men.  As a
result, it became a matter of seeing just how fast an extensive trolley
system could be brought back into operation."
	"The men agreed to go back during the afternoon of June 12. 
Immediately various departments began functioning to get things in
running order as quickly as possible.  Starting at 8.00pm, the Way
Dep't. crews began cleaning and preparing switches, Overhead Lines crews
worked during the night reparing overhead wire (trolley wire actually
down in at least one place) and signals.  'Road-opener' cars, both PCC
and conventional, were operated through the night by Route Foremen and
Instructors over all routes except those which were blocked by high
growth of weeds [do you mean there are some that weren't??!!(:->)]. 
Coming in the best growing season, the strike had allowed such an
accumulation of tall vegetation that operation through it would have
been dangerous, not only because of obstruction, but because of the
great amount of 'juice' from weeds smashed onto the well-rusted rails
would have created very hazardous stopping conditions, particularly on
grades."
	"By Sunday morning, June 13, service was in effect on all routes except
10/15, 27, 28, 30, 35, 36, 37, 39, 42, 55, 56, 62, and 87.  Rts. 27 and
28 were blocked by mud and debris from heavy rain storms in a
poorly-sewered stretch between Crafton and Carnegie, where the City
neglects the situation to such an extent that PRCo permanently operates
an emergency pump; when there is no strike, that is.  Some trouble was
experienced on streets recently repaved with asphalt surrounding 'T'
rail.  Summery weather caused the asphalt to crawl into the groove
inside the rails and 'road opener' car 4885 derailed all 8 of its wheels
at Penn Ave. and Foster Way because the groove was so completely
filled.  Delay, to just that car, of course, was 35 minutes, but there
was no damage or injuries."
	"The PCC cars had been rather carefully maintained during the stoppage
(which was not accompanied by either picketing or violence) with their
batteries kept fully charged by periodic running of the motor-generator
set, and by moving them occasionally to distribute the pressure exerted
on the rubber sandwich in their wheels by the weight of the standing
car.  Equipment operations on the first two days, one a Sunday, the
other a weekday, were quite normal, but there were numberous reports of
trouble with weeds, dirt in low spots, low treem limbs overhead, rail
worn and cracked, broken span wires, 12 electric switches out of order,
8 signals out.  The latter two are figures for Sunday; the number of
signals out of order jumped to 17 on Monday."
	"During the strike, former trolley riders had gotten around pretty well
by some means or other, at least those who had to work.  But as for the
shoppers and many, many others who were not required to come to town,
they stayed away in droves, so the stoppage had a decided effect upon
many businesses.  Local railroads, which do something of a cummuter
business, did what they could to help, but found when it was all over
that they could hold on to scarcely a new customer.  Penna. RR added 22
extra commuter trains from all directions, and experienced an emergency
peak of 25,123 daily passengers, but these dropped to less than 35 a
train after the strike's end.  The Baltimore and Ohio RR added 6 trains
on its Monongahela River valley line, ended up by establishing a few
extra stops where it found there are interested riders.  The Pittsburgh
& Lake Erie RR added cars to its regular trains stopping in Ohio River
valley communities, took them off almost immediately when it found few
extra riders.  All commuter service was by diesel-hauled commuter
coaches, except for trips made by B&O's 3-car RDCs."
	"Drastic service cuts were to go into effect immediately after service
was restored, because of the seasonal drop in riding experienced in
June, and the anticipated loss in patronage directly attributed to the
extended stoppage of service.  No rail abandonments are in the formal
stages of development, and during the strike, the Penna. PUC ruled that
PRCo cannot end service on its Castle Shannon incline even though it is
unprofitable.  Bus service existing at the top of the grade was
considered entirely inadequate as a substitute.  Express bus service via
Penn-Lincoln Parkway to eastern suburbs of Wilkinsburg, Blackridge,
Edgewood and Swissvale, with transfers to intersecting streetcar lines
in those communities, began on June 14."

-- 
James B. Holland

        Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
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