[PRCo] SUNDAY RIVER VIDEO: PITTSBURGH AND JOHNSTOWN

[John F Bromley]

The Legendary Trolleys of Pittsburgh (and Johnstown) 1958 from Sunday River (some scenes actually as late as 1962, however).

 

As with all SR tapes they have added their own sound to the footage,  Odd to see PCC cars sounding more like subway trains!  Several comments and not a few captions are highly incorrect a few almost laughable.  Despite this the scenes are very nice for the most part and the errors should not dissuade you from viewing the tape,

 

- Starts off with a few scenes of interurban 1600s downtown

 

- Fort Pitt and Smithfield

 

- South Hills Jctn including 1711 from the rear with a black number painted on the door side of the stoplight rather than between the retriever and the off-side stop light.

 

- Spoken error: reference to Pittsburgh trolley shoes - should have been wheels

 

- Palm Garden Trestle and Dawn Av Jctn - comment about Palm Garden being named after a dance hall of the 1890s at the north end of the trestle - I never knew (assuming it to be correct)

 

- reference to Belair line rather than Brookline

 

- scenes on 35-36 south from McKinley Park, Bonair I think (not identified), Saw Mill Run

 

- map has the Drake and Library lines almost the same length (Library a bit longer)

 

- reference and potted history of PCC cars - I won't go there except to say the reference was incorrectly spoken as Presidents' Conference Cars (no Committee).

 

- more on 35-36, Oak, Central Stop, Castle Shannon, Bethel during the diversion work with the crane car

 

- scenes along Drake, Ft Couch?, Brookside, loop etc

 

- switches to 38A line, referred to simply as Mt Lebanon, scenes with 38 and 37 cars at Poplar& Pennsylvania, others, C S Muni Bldg

 

- switches to 42 south from Cape May Trestle, Wenzell, Dormont Square, Dormont Wye then another shot on the 38A of a 37 car out of place

 

- switches to east end map but scenes only of 56 McKeesport via 2nd Av

 

- Glenwood Bridge, PRW along Mifflin, Lincoln Place, Dravosburg, Mansfield Bridge, downtown McKeesport, B&O Crossing (scene of B&M diesels - no Sharks)

 

- cuts to North end map, narrator dwells on Fineview (spelled Fine View) and he seems to mix it up regularly with West View, anyway no scenes at all of 21 on the tape

 

- PRW below and above Keating and at Keating CH, then along Center St through West View, one scene of Emsworth at Avalon-Emsworth boundary I think

 

- few scenes downtown including 22 Crosstown and 1664 as Mohawk car

 

- one shot of Route 40 on Mt Washington

 

- back to Fort Pitt and Smithfield with a 50-Carson car described as being on the SOUTH side of the Monongahela

 

- next a 58 Greenfield car at Greenfield and Winterburn single track labeled as being a Greenfield car on the north side of the Monongahela (technically correct I suppose but oddly put)

 

- now we seem to be well and truly into East end views, why not after the 56 is a mystery.  Views on 55 on Braddock Av nr E Pgh, then in E Pgh.  View of Westinghouse Bridge mislabeled East St Bridge, downtown E Pgh, then scenes down the 65 line from Homestead and Main St and  Interboro Av

 

- downtown again, by Civic Arena with 82 cars and some brand new asphalt paving

 

- back out to East Pittsburgh and the 87 line, Penn Lincoln Parkway and other views

 

- M200 towing sweeper M35 on Rankin Bridge and down to Rankin CH for store or scrap

 

- switch to Johnstown.  No commentary at all but several scenes misidentified, one or two rather badly.  I have some knowledge of JTC but will leave the nitpicking to others more knowledgeable.  Nice scenes including among others some views from the incline of the city, Ferndale line single track over the creek, Roxbury Av (at one point described as climbing the hill to Morrellville!!), Franklin, some winter scenes not by Frank Phuhler but by Ron Schliessman.  Imagine that those trucks, motors and some of the body parts (such as the trolley stand housing and roof vents) actually continue to operate in daily service on Brussels PCC cars 7156-7171.

 

My advice, concentrate on the scenes and ignore large parts of the commentary and try not to pop a vessel over some of the captions - you'll live longer.  The scenes are nice but this tape badly needed vetting before being released.



Tape available from Sunday River Productions, PO Box 565, Concord MA 01742 or by phone at 1-888-791-5179 extension 4078.  $29.95 + 4 post.