[PRCo] Re: A new photo i need help with.

[Edward H. Lybarger]

The railroad could barely afford to run the trains, let alone hire a
photographer!  As to use of tracks, I think anything is possible, and
unfortunately we'll probably never know.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of
Donald Galt
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 10:27 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: A new photo i need help with.



On 27 Jun 2002 at 20:00, Edward H. Lybarger wrote:

>
> Hilton is wrong.  The last train on the P&CS was run April 30 or May 1,
> 1912.  PRCo rebuilt the line to double track in 1913.
>

Well, I was proved four years late in the opening of the tubes, and now
three years early in the closing of the P&CS. The way I see it,
that puts me almost back to par.

> I threw narrow gauge into the equation, I guess, by saying I doubted if
> those tracks leading to the railroad's tunnel were broad gauge.  That
whole
> loop was railroad track, and it would take some digging to find any
> widening.  PRCo may or may not have needed it.

Agreed, it's not easy to see the purpose of widening that short stretch at
the top of the cutting/embankment. On the other hand, it's not
easy to see why they would have removed most of the line leading to the
tunnel and left this short spur.

Other P&CS trackage in the area was made use of. And the map clearly shows
the horseshoe itself tied in with newer PRCo trackage at two
locations.

You don't suppose the spur might have been used as a siding during
construction of the ventilating plant? It's 40 feet below the building,
but perhaps that could have been better than no rail facility at all.

It would be wonderful to see pictures of narrow -gauge operations here. I
can only recall having seen the one looking south from above the
SH tunnel portal.

Don