[PRCo] Re: Interurbans - Drake Loop

[Jim Holland]

Good Morning!

>> John Swindler wrote:

>> I've never heard anyone ask this question: 
>> 	Who owned the land under the north side
>>		of Drake Trestle?????

>> Again checking the 1934 Allegheny County plat map: 
>> Pittsburgh, Canonsburg and Washington Railway Co. 
>> Putting a loop at Drake meant not having to buy
>> any land.

>> Of course the next two questions are:

>> - why PC&W owned that much real estate??

> Jim Holland wrote:

>         GUESSTIMATION   ---   Liability directly surrounding bridges
> caused purchases to limit same by acquiring land to certain
> perimeter.    Parts falling from vehicles on the span, grease
> droppings, etc., etc., etc.    Also benefit from selling //
> leasing same later with exclusionary clauses for above
> liabilities!

	You started me thinking, John, and what we need to do is go back in
time to understand the  *conditions*  which existed about  1905--1910, 
93-98--years ago!!!!!!!    This area of finance is one in which You
excel!
	In looking at the literature concerning the Charleroi line running thru
Dormont, what we know as W.Liberty Avenue was described as a little
country road!    And look how close that was to Pgh.    ----    and how
far Drake was from Pgh. by comparison.    Therefore, Drake land would
be  *cheap*  by 1905 standards because of its distance, not unlike land
in Western Colorado, Utah, etc.    And when the Drake loop was built it
was still quite sparsely populated and was for quite some time!

	*Every--Era*  has had its  Dot.Coms  where investors speculated quite
wildly.    I remember a vague reference to Railroads in this regard but
don't have facts at hand.    The idea of connecting Washington to
Pittsburgh would have been viewed as a good investment in 1905 what with
the lack of competition!    So money to purchase extra land might have
been available.

QUESTION::	Not only Why did PC&W own that much real-estate, but also why
in that location?    It was in 1906 that [PRCo]  --  yes, it did not
exist as such yet, but is used to emphasize 
*Interests--in--Pittsburgh*  --  bought in and extended the line from
Canonsburg north!!!
	Many little companies on paper only were merged into the system - pg.5,
2nd-column of  *Electric-Railroads, #20, July-1952:::::::*

	"""By this time, persons financially interested in Pittsburgh Railways
Co. had also become similarly interested in operations in Washington
County, [NOTE:  *Suggests*  Independent Investors with $$,$$$.$$!!] so
that by 1906 the 12-miles of lines of the W&C Ry. were acquired by the
purchase of stock by Pgh. Rys.' parent, the Philadelphia Company.    In
addition to making numerous improvements and extensions to the
Washington local lines, the new interests were promoting the extension
of the Canonsburg line northward toward Pgh.    Rights of way were
secured by numerous local companies which existed only on paper, such
as.......    These rights were joined together so that on May-31,-1906
construction began on the line between Canonsburg and a poing on the
Pgh. & Charleroi St. Ry. now known as Washington Junction.    The
franchise lines were merged on June-8,-1907 into the Pgh., Canonsburg
and Washington Ry. Co., which was leased to the Wash. & Canonsburg Ry.
Co, both companies controlled and operated by PRCo."""

	Very possible that one of the franchise lines merged into the PC&W
could have owned that land at Drake.

>> - what was PRC testimony in Washington interurban abandonment
>>       petition to PUC??

>         And the answers are???????????????

>         Nice logical thought.    Also.......

>    ---  How was land acquired // accessed for the temporary wye?

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

James B. Holland

Holland  Electric  Railway  Operation....... 
___"O"--Scale St.-Petersburg Trams Company Trolleycars and...
______"O"--Scale  Parts  mailto:pghpcc at pacbell.net

______Pennsylvania Trolley Museum http://www.pa-trolley.org/
___Pittsburgh  Railways  Company  (PRCo),   1930  --  1950
N.M.R.A.  Life member #2190; http://www.nmra.org

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>