[PRCo] Re: St.Louis Car

[Jim Holland]

Good Morning!

>> Macmarka at cs.com wrote:

>> .......My brother-in -law took me to IRM back
>> in 1995 and I thought it was fabulous.   Was looking
>> over the old brochure and saw a picture of a North
>> Shore Electroliner. Always wanted a pic of this.

> Kenneth Josephson wrote:

> Well, St. Louis Car almost always built pretty machines.
> The [PRCo] 1700s were arguably the best looking Post War
> PCCs, though Boston's Picture Window Pullmans were also
> fine looking streetcars.

	Not only fine looks but excellent performance.   Those Liners
regularly clocked in excess of 80-mph to keep the schedules, and
this with conventional trolley pole!

> The 1600s, last of the Pre War styled air cars,
> were also an enticing mix of old and new and,
> as Jim Holland has noted, SEEMED to be the fastest
> Pittsburgh PCCs, though in reality, they weren't any
> faster than the rest.   The big 1700s looked at
> home out on the interurbans, but 1600s, even with
> their B-3 trucks, spotlights and pilots, looked like
> an urban car that missed the last loop before crossing
> the county line. :-)

	There is a sense to which I think the 16s look more at home on
the interurban lines   ---   can't exactly put my finger on why.
	The air drum-brake actuator was larger than that on the
All-Electrics and this gave the trucks a little more massive
look.

	Actually, PRCo kept these cars pretty well segregated.   While
there are definitely exceptions, the 16s were primarily used on
the Washington line.   And after cutback to Library and Drake,
these cars were strictly rush-hour trippers  --  very rare to see
them in service all day.   Not much mileage on ths 16-interurbans
as compared to other cars.
	Only time I personally saw such was long after  ({[pat]})  took
over.   Drove from IL to Pgh overnight and always drove along
interurban line before heading home.   About 5.30-AM weekday and
I spotted a 16 outbound at King's School in 1972--1973.   Raced
back inbound and parked at SHJ.   Barely had time to jump on the
car.   Inside looked great  --  didn't notice till later that she
was painted for the Bicentennial!   The experimental 16 overhaul
that led to many more!

	Tom has mentioned how the 3750s were set apart for Charleroi for
a short time, how the 3700--3714s were set aside for Washington
and the 38s were for Charleroi.   Wartime demands interferred
with this segregation but even then the intent seemed toward the
above segregation.
	And the interurbans were  NOT  used in service on other lines
except for very special circumstances.

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

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

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