[PRCo] Re: Route 32-P&LE Shuttle

[Dietrich, Robert J.]

Basically, Fred, you're saying there was no "revenue" reason for the P&LE
shuttle.  So why did it exist?  Why would PRCo go to all the capital and
operating expense to keep a line that essentially connected the inclines?  I
think I asked before, was this a franchise that couldn't go away?  Was PRCo
forced to keep this line running?

I know we don't have the real answer but we can always conjecture...

Bob

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Fred W. Schneider III [mailto:fschnei at supernet.com] 
Sent:	Saturday, April 06, 2002 7:15 PM
To:	pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject:	[PRCo] Re: Route 32-P&LE Shuttle


The P&LE transfer might have been a real convenience, but it doesn't
work that way if it only runs with one car in the morning and evening
rush hour.  Again, I would have to look at the route cards, but I
suspect that it probably never was more than a one car route in the off
peak.  That's not a whole lot of convenience, especially when you could
catch  a 22, 55, 56, 57, 60, 67, 68, 69,71, 73, 75, 76, or 85 car within
a block of the downtown terminal of the West End lines and ride up to
Wood or Smithfield to catch a South Hills car.  Unless you were lucky
enough to catch up to the 32 car at West End Circle, you were probably a
lot better off going into downtown.  

Guess why we all drive automobiles!

Portland has been a very unique city.  

------------------------------
Donald Galt wrote:
> 
> On 5 Apr 2002 at 7:12, Fred W. Schneider III wrote:
> 
> >
> > I doubt that too many passengers used 32 as you described unless they
> > were railfans.  It would be much more expeditious to transfer to any car
> > going up Liberty Street.  In later years 32 was a one-car shuttle that
> > ran rather infrequently ... its only value was to the few people who
> > worked on that part of Carson Street or who wanted to connect to a 50
> > car at Smithfield Street.  Those people were so minimal that in later
-- Trailing quotes stripped by Listar --