[PRCo] Re: Second Avenue

[John Swindler]

PRC was working their way outbound with the new concrete pavement.  Or 
should I say that the city was forcing PRC to do this work.  Suspect that 
repaving work started around 1960 at 10th Ave., and Second Ave. had been 
repaved in concrete with car tracks as far as Brady St. by 1963/64.  On last 
day of Second Ave. service, there was still that last half mile or so with 
the Belgium block pavement.

Another street repavement from this era was Fifth Ave. in Shadyside area.  
Think I have some snapshots of the 'Mohawk' car on a fantrip using the 
temporary crossovers to get around construction zone.

Today, systems have plenty of extra buses to put on temporary substitute bus 
service for construction.  (and then there was the large state transit 
system in this state that when told that 12% was an adequate spare ratio, 
then tried to justify a large bus order by claiming that 12% was spare 
ratio, plus they needed additional vehicles to cover maintenance, then 
additional vehicles in case of emergency rerouting, plus additional vehicles 
because they might want to send some out for rebuilding.  What a charade. )

John





>From: "Bob Rathke" <bobrathke at comcast.net>
>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
>Subject: [PRCo] Second Avenue
>Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 08:44:10 -0600
>
>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
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>