[PRCo] Re: Second Avenue

[Fred Schneider]

And if you are a little off to the side, they also are good for removing tie
rods and oil pans!  My father had a softer approach ... he piled used tires up
against the end wall of the garage!  Another way that works ... and I've been
threatening to install one in the carbarn in Manheim after two of our people ran
the Birney into the wall ... a tennis ball hung on a string from the appropriate
rafter.  When it touches the glass, you'd best be stopped.

Curiosity, what does a Pittsburgh block weigh?  About the same as a 10" concrete
block?  More?

Bob Rathke wrote:

> Yes, 2nd Avenue along the J&L mill and B&O tracks was paved with blocks, and
> in terrible condition because of the heavy truck traffic. In many places,
> the block surface was several inches below the rail head.  That area of 2nd
> Avenue was finally rebuilt using concrete - I'm not sure when this happened,
> but trolleys were still running there, so it was probably in the early
> 1960's.
>
> I don't know the origin of the term, "Belgian block", but people in the know
> will correct others who call them "cobblestones."  Some of the block streets
> on Spring Hill were rebuilt with asphalt paving in the early 1960's, and the
> City removed the old blocks.  Residents went out to the piles of blocks and
> helped themselves to a supply of blocks which made great garden walls and
> walks.  I still have four of these Belgian blocks on the floor of my garage
> here in Illinois - they're used as tire-stops for our cars.
>
> Bob 12/29/04
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Swindler" <j_swindler at hotmail.com>
> To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 7:54 AM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: T3 in Pittsburgh
>
> >
> >
> > Wasn't Second Ave. 'Belgium blocks'??  (and if anyone can explain the
> > background on that term, I'd be glad to hear it).
> >
> > I only remember the unrebuilt section east of Brady St., and it was badly
> > beat up with truck traffic to J&L plant.
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> >
> > >From: "Bob Rathke" <bobrathke at comcast.net>
> > >Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> > >To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> > >Subject: [PRCo] Re: T3 in Pittsburgh
> > >Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2004 17:25:19 -0600
> > >
> > >Second Avenue in the 1950's was not as well paved as the  street in this
> > >view!
> > >
> > >Bob 12/28/04
> > >-----------------------------
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: "Boris Cefer" <westinghouse at iol.cz>
> > >To: "PRCo" <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> > >Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 8:43 AM
> > >Subject: [PRCo] T3 in Pittsburgh
> > >
> > >
> > > > Content-Type: text/plain;
> > > > charset="iso-8859-2"
> > > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> > > > Does anybody remember this Tatra T3 being tested along 2nd ave blast =
> > > > furnaces in Pittsburgh?
> > > >
> > > > Boris
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --
> > > > -- Type: image/jpeg
> > > > -- Size: 121k (124239 bytes)
> > > > -- URL :
> > >http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/T3%20furnace.jpg
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >