[PRCo] Re: Dormont Wye, Charleroi Washington Usage

[Fred Schneider]

Jim is on to something here because he is being logical.  Maybe it was
single track in 1904?  If double, there may have been a facing point
crossover a block farther out and off the map?  But I agree with him
that they would not have pulled into the wye and then gone back out.

One needs to remember that the South Hills did not develop early because
there was that rather large bluff along the Monongahela River called
Mount Washington.  When the trolleys got there in 1904 there was nothing
to serve.  We had an earlier discussion ... several years ago ... about
the abandonment of the loop through Brookline and in the interurban at a
very early date ... because no one was using it.  Look at the age of the
buildings ... mostly 1920s and later.  Beyond Clearview loop much of it
is 40s and later (the concrete road to Washington along the present
route 19 alignment dates to 1940).  Route 42 and 42/38 has very heavy
service today but it didn't in the 20s and 30s.  Remember folks, just
how late the Liberty Tubes were built, and that was what opened the
South Hills to development.  Remember also that I put on this site a
list of when all the different boroughs and townships were annexed into
Pittsburgh city, and that those in the south were the last.

I think you need more maps.  If someone really wants to take the time,
there are all sorts of rail construction drawings in the library at
PTM.  No, I don't have the time.  But every track change was drawn up to
scale.  (Not only did pieces needed to be cut to very precise dimensions
but property taxes were based on the feet of rail in service.)   So, its
there if someone has time.

Jim Holland wrote:

> Good Morning!
>
> > Macmarka at cs.com wrote:
>
> > I know the Charleroi interurban used the 38A trackage
> > into Pittsburgh.    At Dormont Junction, there is no
> > place for an inbound car to join the 42 line unless it
> > changed ends on West Liberty Ave. and entered the wye
> > (highly doubtful).   I guess the Charleroi interurban
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