[PRCo] Re: opinions please

[Jim Holland]

Good Morning!

> "Dennis F. Cramer" wrote:

> A friend sent this to me.  Any opinions?

> http://www.earthnews.net/gmdeliberatelydestroyed.htm

> Dennis F. Cramer--Teacher-Trombonist-Historian-Conductor
> www.geocities.com/armconband

	There is an  *element--of--truth*  to this but a much stronger element
of  *truth being what a person chooses to believe."    And to be
perfectly fair, we need to read Mr. Van Wilkins piece as well    ----   
in addition to doing tremendous research on the claims made here.   
MANY  claims are made in the above URL  *without*  supporting evidence.

	(This email is being sent BCC: to Mr. Van Wilkins.    When we find the
location of his article, it shall be posted here.    And because FWS3 is
off-list I shall CC: him for his comments after vacation.)

	We have had similar discussions right here  --  many interurban
trolleycar lines died in the depression and city trolleycar systems were
spared death by WW2.    The PCC as well only staved off what was already
happening    ----    what was already in progress, the downhill slide
for trolleycars.

	Did the proliferation of autos cause the death of  *not--only* 
trolleycars but transit in general, which includes buses (isn't the
national average for transit ridership about 1-4%)  OR  is it like this
article says  --  proliferation of autos came about  ONLY  because
trolleycars were taken away??

	I tend to believe the first part.    Autos give personal freedom,
ability to travel at will directly from the proverbial  *Point-A  to 
Point-B*  whereas travel on  *transit*  means waiting for a scheduled
vehicle and most probably a transfer and another wait in addition to
slow commute because of frequent stopping.

	NCL  might also be described as a shrewd business entity  --  they
recognized the wave of the future and stepped in to fill it.

	VERY  expensive to renew infrastructure for trolleycars    ----    rail
// track, overhead, etc.    AND  since trolleycar companies were private
companies, they were Taxed on their assets as well.    Good business
strategy to abandon trolleycars (save money on renewing track and
overhead and avoid taxes on same) and replace with buses which cost less
to purchase than new rail cars.

	NCL owned SLPS, or owned a majority of stock, but trolleycars ran well
into the 1960s.    Read the section on St.Louis in  *PCC Cars from Coast
to Coast.*

	Ed has emphasized onlist that track was removed or disconnected when
lines were abandoned to avoid taxes on same.    But there are loopholes
in everything.    PRCo took out crossings but left rails in place so
cars could bounce across the intersection  --  did this on a fantrip,
don't know that it was done otherwise except for dire emergencies!

	And the article tends to contradict itself.    Consider the following
two-quotes:::::::

	"""This is not about a 'plot' hatch[ed] by wild-eyed corporate rogues,
but rather about a consummate business strategy..."""

	"""With a pack of notorious mobsters, GM helped purchase and scrap the
street railways serving Minneapolis-St.Paul."""

	It has been mentioned right here that the Stage Coach was a means of
transportation at one time  --  there would be those who would lament
the demise of the same and cry  *foul*  as well.    Seems silly now.   
Maybe 100-years from now it will seem quite silly to defend 
*trolleycars*  as well!!

	There  *may*  be a place for rail transit and rail today is far
different than the trolleycar of yesterday, but rail is not The Perfect
Answer Nor the Only Answer to transportation needs.

	There  IS // WAS  an email group  -- 
Trolleys-Which-Way at yahoogroups.com (TWW)  --  which discussed the
politics and disappearance of trolleycars but it  IS  a foregone
conclusion on TWW that GM and NCL are the Sole reasons for the
trolleycar demise.    You have Absolutely Never  EVER  seen flames,
viscious posts, arguments that Begin to compare to those which result on
this list if you even Hint that there are other reasons for the
trolleycar demise.    I was on this list for several weeks when it first
formed but left voluntarily and have never looked back.    I did  NOT 
send an email to the list to  *Unsubscribe*  me as many do; just simply
went thru the official process of unsubscribing.    I did not make a
scene of unsubscribing.

	And I am a fanatical admirer of trolleycars!!!    In years past, I even
hated buses because they replaced the trolleycars.    But even before
the internet, I had realized that the trend for trolleycars was on a
downhill slide from many different influences

	Now it seems that TWW has disappeared from Yahoo!!    AND  you should
hear the reasons for its demise;   here is a direct quote:::::::    """I
still suspect an anti-rail type might have somehow hacked into <T-W-W>
to wreck it.    If so, I'll take that as a compliment to our
effectiveness.   If it happens again, that'll back up my theory, I
think."""    Absolutely  NO  evidence that someone hacked it, but it has
to be anti-trolleycar people who are responsible for the demise of
TWW.    And you should hear the other  ({[*reasons*]})  for the demise
of TWW.    Says something about the group, doesn't it?!?!

	NOTHING  lasts forever    ----    Humans, animals, and plants all
die    ----    so do trends and institutions    ----    the nature of
life  --  is death!

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James B. Holland

Holland  Electric  Railway  Operation....... 
___"O"--Scale St.-Petersburg Trams Company Trolleycars and...
______"O"--Scale  Parts  mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net

______Pennsylvania Trolley Museum 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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