[PRCo] Re: HAPPY HOLIDAYS

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Derrick
Thanks for the hotel update.  The Hotel Henry was on 5th at Mellon Sq.
Torn down for US Steel's first new bldg (now Mellon)

My stay at the Penn Lincoln in Wilkinsburg had an interesting reason.
Frank Butts, one of the founders of the CERA and owner of several
small bus lines interviewed me for a job as manager of Taylorville, Ill
while I was still at NYU.  That company (Taylorville Transit) still exists
as a charter bus line..  I opted to wait and eventually came to
Pittsburgh and Montour Motor Coach months later. 

Now a new chapter about PCC seats.

Just received an email from my National Guard missile unit reunion group
with talk about Fort Bliss and El Paso.  The ex-San Diego PCC's were
running whem I first went to El Paso in 1960.  These PCC's had their
cross seats from San Diego turned the long way to facilitate immigration 
and
customs thru the entire car.  The border was much more casual then.
If I remember, we did not get off the car going into Maxico.  We did
on the return to the USA.  The PCC route made a big loop thru Juarez
and a shorter route in El Paso forming a contra loop.  The barn
was several blocks awayon an old trolley line.  Cars had front poles
and backup controls to reach the international line downtown.  The
trolley owned the two highway toll bridges.  Pedestrian toll was a few 
pennies.
El Paso is once again reviving a suggested restoration of PCC service.
Several cars are still in El Paso.  One car has been purchased by
the Baltimore Trolley museum to recreate Baltimore's first PCC car.
National City lines purchased the El Paso system from the power company
and moved in the San Diego PCC's.  The bus system was very profitable
with military, latino and industrial riding.   There was even a late
evening rush hour with military returning into Fort Bliss.  This was an
open post served by City Lines.  One of the old trolley lines previously
went there.  They have an old horse car on display downtown.

A nice town then.  I went there many times from 1960-1970.  Was welcomed
at the Methodist Church on Montana.  Good dinners in Mexico.

Harold Geissenheimer



Derrick J Brashear wrote:

>On Mon, 22 Dec 2003, Harold Geissenheimer wrote:
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>>on Forbes (building still there),. Carlton House on Grant St  (and apt
>>house)
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>Carlton House was imploded in the 80s.
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>>Also in Oakland...Schenley Hotel (now Pitt)
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>Their student union. They butchered it somewhat, not like the Syria
>Mosque, thankfully.
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>>and another hotel on 5th toward Craig..I forget the name.  I guess its
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>The one that's Webster Hall now?
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>>still there).   Dont remember any major
>>hotel on North or South Sides or East Liberty.  I did stay at a modern small
>>hotel in Wilkinsburg on Penn Ave (Penn-Lincoln).  That was a much different
>>Wilkinsburg.
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>Penn-Lincoln is boarded up now. My parents had their honeymoon there.
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>Certainly the whole area is different now than it was.
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