[PRCo] Re: The North Side Lines - the third TGM Pgh tape

[Fred W. Schneider III]

1.  Brake smoke?  How does one get brake smoke on an uphill line. 
Brakes were used to keep the car from rolling backwards on most of the
line.  My question is, "What else was burning?"

2.  The earliest advertising cars were the 1400s assigned to Herron Hill
Car House for use on route 22 Crosstown.  HH served only two routes, 22
and 85 Bedford.  It was an early cable car barn.  It ended its life as
the base for Pittsburgh Railways line trucks.  

"Dietrich, Robert J." wrote:
> 
> Folks:
> 
> I finally got my copy of the third Transit Gloria Mundi Pittsburgh tape.  It
> started with my first ride on Fineview and ended with my third ride on
> Fineview.  I'm not here to critique the tape but to comment on a couple
> interesting things I noticed.  One of the hilly Fineview trips took place
> during the winter and the brakes were either smoking or steaming like crazy.
> It looked like a steam engine idling at the station.
> 
> One shot showed a PCC with a 80 degree bend in the middle of the pole, I
> backed over this one a couple of times to be sure.  It was hard to believe
> that it was working.
> 
> There was a sequence with the Queen Mary herself.
> 
> Of course I have a couple questions - what was the ruling grade on Fineview?
> The tape said 12% but I thought I had heard 15% in the past.
> 
> Some of the PCCs had the white back with the safety message.  When were
> these around?  Were they restricted to any car series and/or paint scheme?
> 
> I enjoyed the take almost as much as the South Hills tape.
> 
> BTW I had a hugely successful weekend for the first outing of the Junction.
> Almost everything worked.  I'll be able to add signals and start paving very
> soon.  Thanks to all for their kind remarks.
> 
> Bob