[PRCo] Re: Fantasy___Justifications

[Fred W. Schneider III]

No where does that note state that Pittsburgh considered buying ten cars
in 1950.  It only said that if they had collected a certain amount of
money from some source (perhaps a fare hike) they could have purchased
ten cars.  This is how rumors get started!

Pittsburgh Railways was well aware of the increasing cost of PCC cars. 
It had been discussed, perhaps in much the same manner as you discuss
having a Porterhouse steak before spending your hard earned money on a
hamburger.  Less than a thousand days later they were running an all PCC
system thanks to dwindling patronage and bus substitutions.  

Jim Holland wrote:
> 
> Good Morning!!
> 
>         Received the following information from Dennis Linsky, known by many
> here.   Interesting to note that PRCo considered the purchase of
> 10-new PCC cars about 1950.   Wonder what they could have been and for
> what purpose.   Even then it was probably assumed that some streetcar
> abandonments were inevitable coming out of bankruptcy, even the
> cut-back of the interurbans to within Allegheny County.
> 
>         So my personal fantasies of PRCo purchasing new PCCs (assuming good
> and modestly increasing patronage) have at least a little basis in
> history, even if not consumated!(:->)
> 
> <>----<>----<>----<>----<>----<>----<>----<>----<>
> 
> PITTSBURGH'S LATE 1949 TRACK PROGRAM; OTHER NEWS
> 
>    From:  Dennismk1 at aol.com
>      To:  pghpcc at pacbell.net
> 
>     Good Morning, Jim:
> 
>         It was 52 years ago when Pittsburgh Railways has rebuilt the
> following trackage:
> 
>         Forbes Street from Homewood Cemetery to
>                 Craft Avenue--a very long stretch.
>         Penn Avenue from Whitfield to Winebiddle
>                 (route 88)--1 mile.
>         Brighton Road from Marshall to Davis
>                 (most of route 6).
>         9th Street from Penn to Duquesne Way
>                 (about 2 blocks)
>         West Ohio Street from Federal to Brighton
>                 (about 1 1/2 miles).
> 
>         Being in bankruptcy, PRWYS was allowed to lay only 22,000 feet of
> track a year and Steel City had to tie in its paving plans with those
> of the company.
> 
>         For 1950, they were talking about rebuilding North Avenue from
> Federal to Arch (routes 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, and 15)--about 2 blocks.
> 
>         Woods Run Road (tip end of route 18).
>         Penn Avenue from Winebiddle to Main
>                 (route 88)--about 1 1/2 miles.
> 
>         The company used 1000 streetcars in rush hours--about 300 being
> non-PCC's.  It claimed a loss of about 2 cars a month through
> retirement, disrepair, or accident.  It also said that the $3,000,000
> it might have collected  in 1949-50 would have bought 10 new PCC cars
> had the new fare increase been in effect sooner.
> 
>     Very Sincerely,
> 
>     Dennis M. Linsky
>     1350 East 5th Street, Apt. 3P
>     Brooklyn, NY   11230-4686
>     email:  Dennismk1 at aol.com
>     11/4/01
> 
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> 
> James B. Holland
> 
> Holland  Electric  Railway  Operation
>     "O"--Scale  St.-Petersburg Trams Company Trolleycars  &
>         "O"--Scale  Parts  mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net
>         Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM) http://www.pa-trolley.org/
>     Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
> N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.nmra.org
> 
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