[PRCo] Spring Hill trolley memories

[Bob Rathke]

Speaking of Spring Hill trolleys...
The current issue of the Spring Hill neighborhood newsletter contains some trolley recollections by Norb Nathanson, our next door neighbor on Woessner Avenue.  He grew up around the route 5 trolleys in the 1930's and 40's.  I hung out in the same area, but about 10 years later.  

He's talking about the end of single track on Rhine St. at Buente St.before the PCC loop was built in 1946 (I've shared on this list my recollections of riding the double-end Spring Hill cars in the early 1940's and irritating at least one motorman).  For an April, 1946 photo from my collection (4325 at the end-of-track), see http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/lightrail/prc4325.jpg   Note the loop being built in the background; that's the saloon behind the trolley; Josie's store was to the left, out of view. Norb's commentary:

   How well I remember those old double ended cars.  It seems that I spent a lifetime riding those cars to and from school at Latimer and Allegheny (It was too much of a walk for me) and then when I went to Carnegie Tech, it was the No. 5 Spring Hill and the 77/54 Crosstown that I rode almost daily.  In earlier years, my gang, Ed Barie, Bob Schrott, George Bummer, Bunny Hoire, John Marty, and Ben Fuhrer spent a lot of time at the end of the line.  At that time there was a butcher shop, Suckits saloon, Eichelman's store ( ice cream cones were a nickel and Josie used to sell frozen powerhouse bars), and the beer distributor.  When everyone was in a good mood, we'd clamber aboard the trolley when it stopped at the end of the line, switch all the seat backs, and change the trolleys for the motormen.  The motormen befriended us and sometimes on a cold rainy night with nothing better to do, we'd ride into town and back several times at no cost.  It was better than having a clubhouse.  Every once in a while however, someone would decide get back at  a motorman, usually for no justifiable reason and when that happened, the motorman was in for an unhappy time.  The rope used to put the trolley up or down was anchored to a spring reel mechanism inside a round cast iron enclosure, and as the car turned a corner, the trolley would swing far out to one side,  the spring reel would play out the line like a fisherman's automatic reel, and this permitted the trolley to stay on track even in a sharp turn.  If the rope was pulled off the reel and wound around the outside of the enclosure, the spring wheel could not work, and as soon as the trolley turned a corner, the trolley would be pulled off the track and the trolley would be without power.  The turn at the top of the city steps (Rhine St. at Stein St.) was the crucial point.  Sparks would fly, the trolley would stop, and the motorman would come running out of the car swearing and waving his arms.  On one occasion I saw it happen three times on that same turn. 
    The walk to and from school, up to the top of Woessner Ave, was a tedious one for me, but the best part of it was the Spring (on Damas St.)  At that time the horse trough was still there, and the water was memorably cool and so delicious.  During the 1936 flood, there were people from all over the city who came to get water, and the line would be almost up to Rockledge St.  The firemen always did a great job keeping the Spring clean and well kept. 

Bob 7/25/03