[PRCo] My Introduction

[Macmarka at cs.com]

Hello all. My apologies first off . I typed my intro and did not reply to the 
correct address(rookie mistake).  My name is Mark McGuire. I have lived in 
Jacksonville, FL for almost twenty years now. I was born and raised in the 
great city of Pittsburgh. I was an infant when my parents moved from 
Killarney Dr. in Castle Shannon to Mt. Lebanon(right next to Dormont). I have 
always been fascinated with Pittsburgh's streetcars ever since my Grandmother 
took me downtown from Dormont Junction on my first trolley ride. I was too 
young to see some of the old lines like Fineview. When I was 12 or 13, me a 
friend would walk to Clearview loop in Mt. Lebanon and put pennies on the 
tracks. One operator saw us doing this and took us for a free ride downtown 
and back. My mother would tell me about the  bridges and trestles the 
streetcars would traverse when she lived in Castle Shannon. She was no doubt 
talking about the Shannon via Overbrook lines. I was anxious to see for 
myself. I would try catch the 42/38 to town and then get on the 35/Library or 
36/Drake and take them to  Simmons loop and Drake loop. I had more than one 
operator give me free rides. They must have seen the gleam in my eyes as I  
stared out the windows. The Drake line was definately my favorite. I have 
been until recently pretty much out of touch with the Pittsburgh transit 
scene. I started looking online for Pittsburgh trolley articles and came 
across the PA Trolley Museum. I signed up as an associate member. I would be 
a full time member if I still lived in Pittsburgh. I recently went "home" as 
I seem to do once a year. My first stop(before even visiting family) was PTM. 
I was truly amazed at this fine establishment!  All the volunteers were so 
nice and very informative. As I made my way back to Pittsburgh, I stopped at 
the Drake loop. I was very sad to see it being dismantled. The rail was gone 
but the ties were still in place. No workers were present so I walked up the 
hill and through the "s" curve while taking photos. I will miss the PCC cars 
but it's nice to know that I can always visit PTM and get my "fix". I would 
like to thank  Ken Josephson for hooking me up to this list. Thanks for 
reading my long intro and I look forward to talking with some of you.           
                                                                                
Best Regards,                                                                   
    Mark A. McGuire