[PRCo] Re: 44-KNOXVILLE

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings
I dont know when the 4th Ave loop closed.
It was after I left Pgh in March 1976.

I used the 4th Ave loop for the trolley equivalent of the Red Flyer 
buses which all
made quick getaways from downtown..  Trolley passengers could walk to 4th
Ave and miss all the delays  further in town.

The largest group of Red Flyer buses started in front of the US Steel 
Bldg on Grant
Street, one stop here, then a right turn on 7th and direct access to 
Bigelow Blvd,
Blvd of the Allies to the Parkway East or to the Liberty Bridge.

By 1976 we had about 50 Red Flyer evening peak departures.  The extra buses
we put on for the 1972 fuel crisis all went into Red Flyer service and 
accounted for our
record ridership growth.  The extra buses included those leased from 
Wilkes Barre and
Akron that ran in their old ATE silver and green paint jobs.  The Akron 
buses (as leased)
used their Ohio plates.  Poor Dr Hunt could not understand this and made 
a big
issue on Mike Levine's radio show.  Mike and I had to explain to him 
that when you
leased from Avis, the license plate was from where the vehicle was 
owned..  Dr Hunt
did not understand many things and he set Pittsburgh back many times.  
Mike Levine was
a good radio host.

Speaking about KDKA radio hosts, remember Ed and Wendy King?  Excellent 
one sided
early talk show.  You heard them but never the caller.  Another case 
where Pittsburgh
was some place special.  Its amazing how many good  memories from the 1950's
in Pittsburgh.  (like driving in your machine to Isalys for a chipped 
ham sandwich....Thats
for Sure!)

Harold Geissenheimer


mrb190 wrote:

>Hello,
>
>Actually, I recall that the line around that block (Liberty, 11th, Penn,
>12th, Liberty) was reinstalled for a bit in the late 70's/early 80's,
>perhaps as some sort of emergency loop to use.
>
>By 1985, of course, the only downtown trackage being used was Smithfield to
>Liberty to Wood to Fort Pitt Blvd., and the short loop from Smithfield to
>4th to Grant to Smithfield Bridge.   (or was the short-turn loop eliminated
>earlier too?)
>
>Matt
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Boris Cefer <boris6 at volny.cz>
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
>Date: Saturday, December 27, 2003 8:42 AM
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: 44-KNOXVILLE
>
>
>  
>
>>So, the 44-KNOXVILLE cars ended to serve the PRR station after 1967 East
>>lines abandonment because of Penn Ave track removal?
>>Thanks for interesting links. (And that way also links to other photos)
>>
>>Boris
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Bob Rathke" <bobrathke at comcast.net>
>>To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
>>Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 4:30 PM
>>Subject: [PRCo] Re: 44-KNOXVILLE
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>>>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
>>>
>>>-----------------------------
>>>      
>>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>
>  
>