[PRCo] Re: OM - these are getting very interesting!

[Bob Rathke]

I especially remember the PRC fantrip sign, "Malfunction Junction".

Bob 2/28/02

-----------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: John F Bromley <johnfbromley at rogers.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 5:59 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: OM - these are getting very interesting!


>
> I have a slide of the 1652 with GOTHAM CITY VIA BATCAVE, sitting in Tunnel
> Carhouse.  The car ran in service until retirement, as I recall, with that
> sign stitched on.  If I recall correctly the story I was told was that a
> standard Tunnel route sign was used for the stitching, and the stitcher
> replaced the sign in 1652 with the doctored sign which had all the
required
> exposures.  Might have been an April fool's joke, don't remember all the
> details now of what I was told about this.
>
> That picture is scheduled for eBay next week, as it happens.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Fred W. Schneider III" <fschnei at supernet.com>
> To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 7:34 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: OM - these are getting very interesting!
>
>
> >
> > In the 1960s, the trolley museum people were more into running fantrips
> > than preserving cars, which is why 5432 and 100 (M11) got away.  And
> > signs from other cities were legendary on those fantrips.  Route 26 ran
> > from Pratt and Grundy (or, if you wish, Lombard and Haven Sts.) in
> > Baltimore city to Sparrows Point to serve the Bethlehem Steel Company
> > mill.  It shut down in 1958. Because it was the only route out of its
> > car house, and total isolated from the rest of the Baltimore system by
> > 1954, it is doubtful that there would be any other familiar signs on
> > that roll.   Routes 70 GRAND and 15 HODIAMONT were two of the three St.
> > Louis Public Service routes still running when I got there in 1959 ...
> > the others were 120 DELMAR, 32 WELLSTON,  15 UNIVERSITY, and 15
> > UNIVERSITY-CLAYTON.  route 22 JEFFERSON and 40 BROADWAY might have been
> > on the same sign curtain, because they also ran into the 1950s.  I hope
> > I have all the route numbers properly matched with the St. Louis route
> > names.
> >
> > There were also some custom made signs that were used on fantrips in
> > Pittsburgh.  One for a turnout on the Oakmont Verona line (78 SNODDER'S
> > SWITCH) comes to mind.  Probably the most memorable of all was GOTHAM
> > CITY VIA BAT CAVE.  The latter was stitched to a regular roll and was
> > left behind after the trip; a least once it was observed being used by a
> > motorman returning to Tunnel Carhouse after the morning rush hour.
> >
> > The CANONSBURG sign may have actually been on the roll when the car was
> > in service.  When Charleroi and Washington were abandoned, all cars also
> > had SHANNON-DRAKE, SHANNON-LIBRARY, and 37 SHANNON signs.  So, until the
> > signs wore out from abuse, there would have been scant reason to bother
> > removing the roll from the car just to get rid of the CANONSBURG sign.
> >
> >
> >
> > Macmarka at cs.com wrote:
> > >
> > > Just as one was signed GRAND, which I believe was another St. Louis
> route. I
> > > could just imagine a waiting customer's face as he/she sees the bogus
> sign.
> > > They did it in Toronto with a car signed Squirrel Hill. John Bromley
had
> two
> > > of these 8x10 prints on ebay for bid. Don't know if they are still
> there.
> > >
Mark
> > > McGuire
> >
>
>
>