[PRCo] Re: 44-KNOXVILLE

[Bob Rathke]

The PRR station in Pittsburgh was never closed.  I was in the main waiting
room in July, 1976 when Amtrak sold tickets there, and the station still had
six of its 15 tracks. By 1982 that waiting room was closed and a ticket
office/waiting room was located in temporary trailers out in the track area;
the train concourse structure was still there, as were some of the entrance
doors to the tracks; the main waiting room was closed, so you had to access
the concourse via the pedestrian walkways on either side of the station
building.  In 1988  the station building was converted to apartments (The
Pennsylvanian) and Amtrak built a new ticket office at ground level on
Liberty Avenue; only three tracks are in use today.

Fortunately, the taxi rotunda was saved.  See photo at
www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr-pitt-sta-6r.jpg  taken on 8/3/88.  Four PRR
city names are carved in the rotunda - the "Pittsburg" stone is visible in
the photo. And the PAT waiting shelter on the East Busway/LRV spur line to
the station can be seen in the background.

For a photo - also taken on 8/3/88 - of the main waiting room being
renovated for use as a banquest facility, see
www.rr-fallenflags.org/prr/prr-pit-sta-ra.jpg

Bob 12/287/03

-----------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Boris Cefer" <boris6 at volny.cz>
To: "PRCo" <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 2:41 AM
Subject: [PRCo] 44-KNOXVILLE


> Hello!
> PRCo route 44 had been using Smithfield St, Liberty Ave, 12th St, Penn
Ave, 11th St and again Liberty Ave, Wood St and Ft Pitt Blvd (earlier days
Water St) for many years to make its loop thru downtown, using destination
44-KNOXVILLE & PA. STA.
> Some time before abandonment in 1971, the second part of destination - &
PA. STA. - vanished and the loop was changed to Smithfield, Liberty, Wood
and Fort Pitt after the Pennsylvania Railroad Station was closed. What year
it was?
> And another question migh be when was finished/opened the bridge structure
carrying the Fort Pitt Blvd.
>
> Happy New Year!
>
> Boris
RR