[PRCo] Re: PRC PCC scuffs

[Edward H. Lybarger]

During WW II PRCo was still painting cars on about a 4-year cycle.
Maintenance was far better than we think...they had cash: near record
passenger loads and the protection of the Bankruptcy Court (no bond interest
to pay out) meant (relatively) good times.  It was after the final iteration
of PRCo emerged in late 1950 that the real money crunch started.  But the
worst trolley maintenance of all was John Dameron's.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of John
F Bromley
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 11:20 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: PRC PCC scuffs



As Fred the 3rd will tell you PRC maintained their cars mechanically and
electrically but with all those narrow streets the only collision damage to
be repaired had to be significant.  They didn't have the money.  Paint?
Forget it.  I have pix from the early 1960s of 1465 and it appeared to be
wearing paint applied by St Louis Car Co., it was that old.  Ever seen pix
of 1603 from that fantrip in the early 1970s.  I have a shot from Bill
Vigrass (available on his CD-ROM Volume 1) that is almost unbelievable.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Rathke" <bobrathke at attbi.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 12:43 PM
Subject: [PRCo] PRC PCC scuffs


> We tend to think that PCC neglect happened mostly in the later years of
PRC and in the early days of PAT.
>
> See two photos from my collection that Derrick uploaded to the dementia
page:
>
> http://trolley.dementia.org/brathke/PRC1291-28.JPG  -  1291 on route 28,
probably in 1946.
>
> http://trolley.dementia.org/brathke/PRC1499-18-102846.JPG  -  1499 on
route 18 entering downtown on October 28, 1946 (do the flags suggest a
fantrip?).
>
> Car 1291 was only six years old, and 1499 was only four years old at that
time, and yet the fronts and sides of both cars show significant traffic
damage.  Could their appearance be the result of reduced maintenance during
WWII?  Regardless, the scuff pattern is very similar on both cars - I wonder
if they encountered the same truck or pole...or maybe EACH OTHER if each
were running on the left sides of two NC tracks :-}
>
> Bob 3/29/02
>
>
>
>