[PRCo] Re: PATrain service

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings

Can any one fill in the dates for the various phases?

A: last day under B&O Control

B:  First day of PAT.  We used one train of RDC's and one train of ex C&O
coaches with two diesels.  Coaches painted mod colors.

C:  C&O coaches rebuilt with power unit for push pull.

D:  First day of rebuilt eqipment.

E:   Last day of RDC's

F:   Last pay of PATrain.

G:  Equipment sold to CONNDOT for Shoreline.

H:  Equipment removed by CONNDOT

PATRAIN conductors issued PAT transfers to buses at both ends.
Accepted transfer as a share of train fare.

For a while, PAT operated shuttle bus to Gateway meeting train.

B&O/C&O always very cooperative.  Even after sale to C&O, replacement
manager from Huntington helped select best cars for rebuilding.

Perhaps Arden has some of these dates.  PATRAIN worked, its was just
short of riders because the Mon Valley died.

ALSO

When was last P&LE commuter train?

About PAT TRAIN

Interesting subject.  I enjoyed getting this started.  A bus manager
acually
did the work for me....George Nebesnik of ex-Noble J Dick/Mon Valley
bus was the reponsible PAT official.  A good guy.

Speaking of other good guys that came from the bus lines:

Harold Norris: Ex Culmerville bus owner and manager. Became
    Tarentum Garage Manager and then PAT Service Planning Mgr,
    A good friend from even before PAT.  Served long after I went to
Chicago.
(Note: His son is now a lawyer with the Eckert firm in Pgh)

Roy Behling: Ex Shafer Coach accountant.  Was my numbers guy
     in service planning.  Very reliable and accurate.

Otto Behling: (no relative) Ex Oriole Safety man.  Route planning and
    operations.

Ed Burton:  Ex Penn Transit McKeesport.  West Mifflin garage mgr.  Good
manager/.
    Penn Transit was an excellent company..owner by City Lines of W Va.

Wilson Feick:  Ex Brentwood.  Asst Controller to Ken Schur

Bob Feick:  brother.  Ex Brentwood.  Brentwood, then West Mifflin Garage
mgr

Burelli:  Ex Burelli East Pgh owner.  Then PAT Dispatcher

Wil Barnes:  Ex Shafer  (Mr Schafer's son in law.)  Became PAT
     Personnel Mgr.  Later went to Clearwater Florida and established
    Central Pinellas Transit.  You will find his name on a placque at
    their downtown bus terminal.

Don Schock.  Another Shafer Son in law

Grant McCoy:  McCoy brothers.  First operations, then to PENNDOT
    Mass Transit Div.


AND FROM PRC:  Bob Parker became my #1 assistant, then Mgr of
    Transp., then replaced me when I left.  A very loyal and efficient
guy.

Art Ellis (of PTM) set up the public timetables.  Now done by George
     Gula (also of PTM)   Art was invaluable.  A good guy

Robert Fulton, PRC's first black supervisor.  Came to PAT service
     planning to do corridor studies and then the Model City buses.
     An excellent man and a good friend.

Bill Miller, ex PRC Charter bus Manager.  Made the transition to PAT
    very well.  Ralph Johnson, ex PRC driver ran thePAT tours and
sightseeing.

Loyal people in the PAT control center and on the emergency truck
made it work.  As did the many route foremen.

Also John  Buzzard, George Steitz and Walter Jacobs ran PAT Transp Dept
    until they retired.  And Bill Marm ran the route foremen.

Maintenance was the weak link.  Only one ex PRC bus guy worked out.
    Mike Manning.  Dameron brough Ralph Cornell from St Louis
    and then I found Ken Hussong who even did the mod trolleys.

Bob Hamilton, ex PRC Mgr of service planning was out sick when PAT
    started but he worked for me for several years until he retired.  One
of
    only a few PRC guys who understood where the buses ran.

And of course, John Baxter.  Worked in several areas..instruction.
    schedules, and then the Early Action Program.  The very best.

And lets not forget my secretary, Martha Slepak.  She continued to
serve Bob Parker and then Mike Scanlon.  She saved many a problem.
She came from the Homewood Shops as secretary.  She still lives
in West Homestead.  Also Helen..?.., secretary in the maintenance
department.  She served the many managers of maintenance very well.

Its too bad that these people are not properly recognized.  They made
my 12 years at PAT work.

Best wishes.


Harold Geissenheimer





Derrick J Brashear wrote:

> On Sat, 11 Jan 2003, Bob Rathke wrote:
>
> > Does anyone know when PAT discontinued its train service from
> > Pittsburgh to Versailles on the B&O?
>
> 1989. I have snapshots taken from the cab about 2 weeks before it was
> consigned to history. I asked the engineer as he was changing ends. I
> might have extra timetables; If I can find them you're welcome to one.