[PRCo] PRC troop movement

[Bob Rathke]

Below is Harold's complete post on this subject last year.

Bob 7/19/03

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In 1950, I transferred into the Pennsylvania Natonal Guard's 724th AAA Gun
Bn when I moved from New York City. The unit was located at the old Logan
Armory at Bayard and Thackery Streets in Oakland, Pittsburgh. The Armory has
since been demolished and a new University of Pittsburgh building stands
there.

As usual for National Guard units we went to annual firing practice. Our
unit used guns and ranges at Fort Miles and Bethany Beach, Del. We travelled
via PRR Main Line and then the Delmarva Branch in a long all-pullman train.
Our unit boarded the train at Pittsburgh's East Liberty PRR station for the
195l troop movement.

Here is where the PRC troop train came into place. We marched one block from
the Armory to 5th Avenue and boarded half a dozen PRC PCC chartered cars for
the trip to East Liberty. Each man carried his rifle and equipment pack on
the trolley!. PRC made charter moves by trolley when ever possible and this
was no exception. A trip by PRC charter bus would have required more
vehicles and drivers. The chartered cars waited at the Craft Avenue barn
until it was time to pick us up on 5th Avenue. On return from Delaware, the
chartered cars picked us up at the East Liberty station stop on Penn Avenue.

So there was a PRC troop train in 195l.

Note: I remained in the Pennsylvana National Guard until 1976. I moved from
an AAA Gun Bn to a Nike-Ajax missile Bn to a Nike-Hercules missile Bn,
retiring as an Air Defense Artillery Major serving in the Guard while
advancing in public transportation. Pittsburgh was one of several cities
with an active Army and National Guard manning of on-site missiles.

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Harold Geissenheimer" <transitmgr2 at earthlink.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2003 7:28 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: WWII Weekend