[PRCo] Re: Scrapped PCCs

[Fred Schneider]

I understand that, Harold.  And that is why I have such a problem with
public transport in the U. S. today.  We simply refuse to take it
seriously, and I think that has a lot to do with the small number of
people who use it.  I thought it was only 1 percent.  But I did look at
the census and find that use of public transport for commuting to work
trips is closer to 5%.  But then we need to remember that New York City
alone has 7.2 million people or about 2.5% of the entire nation's
population.  And taxi cabs are public transportation and they are
heavily used in New York.  That may mean that half of the people using
public transport live in New York and more than that if you count the
suburbs.

If the Rankin Bridge collapsed today, I think you are right ... it would
take years to restore it.  But then too the need has diminished ... no
Bethlehem Steel in Rankin, no U. S. Steel or Mesta Machine in
Homestead.  Perhaps 200 to 300 people left at Edgar Thompson in Braddock
(I'm using Derrick Brashears estimate of the cars in the parking lots).

Jim Holland said that some members of this group think I dislike
trolleys ... I sent him my philosophy.  Let's see if he wants to
rebroadcast it.

I agree that Pittsburgh Railways did what they could to run a tight ship
and promote their business in a political climate that was decidedly
hostile to them, and had been hostile for many years.  Last week I was
reading a lot of the Electric Railway Journal, and the politicians then
were doing everything they could to hack at the railways company just as
they did in the 1950s and 1960s.

On the other hand, the Philadelphia politicians were "in love" with
PRT.  The company could do nothing wrong.

Harold Geissenheimer wrote:

> Jim and Fred
> Now we would shut every thing down for years.
>
> PRC did a good job keeping the cars running.
>
> Harold
>
> Jim Holland wrote:
>
> >Good Morning!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>Fred Schneider wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >>You may or may not be aware, Harold, that there are two
> >>distinct events with the Rankin Bridge.   One was the
> >>partial collapse in 1937 because Pittsburgh Railways
> >>ran an overloaded work car onto it.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >       Do you have more information on this?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> The other was the 1950 replacement which you cited here.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >       Railroad Avenue Enterprises in New Jersey has a
> >few photos of the old, under construction, and new bridge.
> >One is 1739 just after negotiating the traffic circle;
> >several on the shoo-flys for construction which took
> >the trolleycar down onto the mainline RR level; and several
> >of cars negotiating the new bridge  --  ALL  quite interesting.
> >
> >       Have also seen a photo (possibly on Inet) of cars
> >stacked at what looks like a turning loop just beyond the
> >bridge.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>>Harold Geissenheimer wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> >>>Boris and Fred
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> >>>Part of the Rankin saga was the building
> >>>of the replacement Rankin Bridge.
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> >>>PRC retained rail service and built track on the
> >>>Rankin side on sidewalks while the bridge was under
> >>>construction.  PRC did a good job of working
> >>>with the county to keep the trolleys running.
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> >>>Boris...are you familiar with the old Rankin Bridge
> >>>which included a traffic circle (rotary) on structure?
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> >>>Harold Geissenheimer
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> >
> >Jim
> >
> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> >
> >
> >
> >