[PRCo] Re: ROUTES 38 and 39

[John Swindler]

>Jim Holland commented:
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: ROUTES 38 and 39
>Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 22:18:29 -0800
>
>
>Good Morning!!
>
> > John F Bromley wrote:
>
> > 35 and 36 interlined on more than Sundays my friend, many's the time I 
>stood below Washington Junction on either line and the cars were coming 
>north with the other line's roll sign already up (after all northbound 
>passengers didn't give a rat's patootie what the car was signed as long as 
>it was going downtown).  I have many slides on the same day with the same 
>car on the two routes.  I'm talking late 1940s, they didn't then of course, 
>but there's no question of the negs I was looking at being on different 
>days.  More below in CAPS for easy find.
>
>	In the late 1940s, and until late June for Charleroi and late August for 
>Washington in 1953, the interurbans still ran to Washington and Charleroi.  
>  And until 1951 or possibly a little later, the Washington and Charleroi 
>interurbans ran in tandem leaving downtown on the hour and half hour.   No 
>interlining here that I know of.
>
>	And from Library and Drake days through the end of PRCo, the only 
>interlining I know of is on Sunday.   What  ({[pat]})  did from 1964 on I 
>do not know.   I would have thought that Saturdays and evenings would be 
>interlined, but Mon thru Friday in PRCo days there
>was no interlining.
>
>	John Swindler has already indicated that the only interlining was on 
>Sunday as well.
>
>


Just a clarification, Jim:  35 and 36 are the only interlining that I know 
of, on Sundays only.  However, probably also occurred during evenings when 
hourly headways operated.  Am familiar with 35/36 on Sundays from 1959 (when 
I started Sunday/Holiday pass riding) until early 1970s under PAT.  Around 
1972/3, when PAT went from 60 to 40 min. headway on Sundays, vehicle 
requirement went from 3 to 5 cars.

PRC was not about to let operators have excessive layover time.  (this is 
where we usually put in some snide comment about PAT and waste of taxpayers 
money) Take a look at PRC 49 Beltzhoover Sunday schedule in early 60s.  It 
was one car on a 55 min. headway.  The reason was to squeeze one more round 
trip with minimal overtime pay.

But transit management wants to avoid interlining unless there is a strong 
economic advantage.  Because with interlining, a screw-up (accident) on one 
branch will mess up the schedule on two lines.


Didn't this thread start with comment about round trips on Washington and 
Charleroi and the eight hour day????

There is nothing sacred about eight hours being a days work in the transit 
industry.  The eight hour day is the creation of industry to allow three 
shifts in a 24 hour period.  (The standard workday in Pa state government is 
7.5 hours with unpaid hour lunch, for 8.5 hour start to stop workday.  
Except for state lawyers, who have decided that they are entitled to paid 
lunch, so have a 7.5 hour start to stop workday.  But that's another story).

Today's eight hour workday is probably just a historical development of the 
factory system.

In the transit industry, eight hours is meaningless, except for computation 
of overtime pay.  Spent a couple summers working in Chicago, and the 
standard workday varied from 6.5 hours (but paid for 8)for two trips on 
Western Ave. up to 9.5 or so hours driving (and usually paid 11-12 hrs) for 
three trips on Western Ave. or a swing shift on Sheridan Rd. or Broadway.

Also, concerning Charleroi and Washington pieces of work, is the relief 
inbound or outbound at Tunnel??  Afterall, 22 plus minutes are required for 
the city loop.

Any village idiot can put together a factory or office schedule.  But it 
requires an artist to put together a transit schedule.

John






_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp