[PRCo] Re: I was in USA!

[James B. Holland]

Boris Cefer wrote:

>After a dinner at Max on the North Side we went by Ed's Oldsmobile through two long abandoned streetcar lines - 21 Fineview and 40 Mt. Washington. It was really great! I still can't understand that, but almost all the places we went through seemed very familiar to me. Possibly my previous life? :->
>

If that rekindles some memories you have to share them here.

>PRCo 1138 looks nice too, but when I climbed into pit to inspect all its underfloor equipment, I was frightened. I would absolutely not expect such an extensive corrosion after about 20 years of service only. Also the electric apparatus was not in very good condition. At this point I think that neither PAT and PRCo maintenance wasn't superior. But some portion of car's wiring was obviously done after its retirement by PRCo. From an European's view I must say that we use to put all wiring more precisely. And also large portions of metal under the floor lacked any paint, there was simply a clean rust. Sorry for the criticism, but each coin has two sides. On the other hand, PRCo 1711 seemed better and what is positive, the car runs. Unfortunately, the circumstances didn't allow me to inspect the 1711 from the pit and I will have to ask some questions to PTM volunteers later, but we found that Elmira crews mounted the left sander in a wrong place, which results in that in sharp curves the left front wheels sometimes hits the sander valve, even with a sudden movement of the seat above it. Also the rubber support spring of the #2 traction motor (original SLCCo truck) is broken. But even there are some things that should be repaired (Not fixed! That word seems to me used tooooo frequently!), 1711 runs very nice and the ride on it was worth it. The car has supposedly 67% motor field shunting, but a query to PTM people is necessary to verify that. Of course, they will have to open one of the underfloor compartments containing field shunting contactors.
>
>I remember some speculations on this list that PRCo rebuilt B-2b trucks on city 17 series cars to B-2 type. This statement can't be correct, because I found several B-2b trucks with rubber bolster blocks on PTM property. And if PRCo rebuilt cars, then not all.
>

This is Good Information!       The Wonderful ride of the B2B was gone 
by 1960 but it is nice to know that the original framing is there and it 
is not modified.       Wonder if the rubber spring was immobilized some 
way because the ride was distinctly different.       (Same happened in 
Toronto and John Bromley was kind enough to track down information on 
B2Bs there which were apparently changed out because of problems with 
rubber springing.)       Twould be Extremely Nice to have the B2Bs 
restored to Original Condition.       This would give a super duper ride 
to the Shaker car which is wider and has more leverage for rock and roll!!

>Some material I saw mentioned a difference in balancing speed between (17 & 16 series) and earlier PCC cars. Unfortunately, I have no description of Westinghouse 16 series cars and thus I don't know what the field shunting % is.
>

With 67% shunting on the 1700s as you mentioned above, what would the 
balancing speed be for the 17s?       Is this All the 17s or just the 
interurbans?

>Boris
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