[PRCo] MOTOR VEHICLE INCLINES TO GO; 62-TRAFFORD HALTED BY SNOW; 30-CENT DIVIDEND

[Jim Holland]

Good Evening, Everyone:                 It was 44 years ago when Pittsburgh
Railways wanted
to abandon its 2 incline railways which were the Castle Shannon
and the Pittsburgh Incline.     They were the last 2 inclines that
were able to carry motor vehicles.     The PRC claimed they lost
$75,000 on them in 1959.     That would leave the 2 independent
inclines, the Duquesne Incline Plane Co. and the Monongahela
Incline Plane Co.    The fate of the 2 PRC inclines was now in the
hands of the State PUC, who held a meeting in June, 1960, to
determine the decision.                 Beaver, Butler, Washington,
Westmoreland, and
Armstrong Counties were all invited to join in the mass transit
discussions of the Allegheny County Port Authority.     So far,
none have replied.     The first study began on Sunday,
May, 22, 1960, in an effect to study the proposed integration
of PRC with 28 independent bus lines.     There were 14 engineering
firms bidding on this and the bids were due in on Wednesday,
May 11.     The County has agreed to lend the Port Authority up
to $250,000 toward the cost of the study.                 The snowstorm of
Sunday, February 14, 1960, ended
service on route 62-Trafford until Thursday, March 24, as PRC
didn't wish to clear snow off the line.     They had to send out a line
truck to push the trolley wire higher, as it had fallen so low, before
operation resumed.     Effective Monday, April 4, the line has only
one round trip a day, at 6:20 A.M. leaving East Pittsburgh.

                On Monday, April 18, PRC all-electric PCC 1743 collided
with a fire truck in Oakland at 2:00 P.M.     The motorman was arrested
and charged with reckless driving and a technical charge of contributing
to an accident.

                PRC has been spending $819,500 in 1960 on improvements
to its right-of-way and rolling stock.     $100,000 will be spent on
22 new buses to replace streetcars on routes 94-Aspinwall,
95-Butler Street, and 96-East Liberty-62nd Street.     Track repaving
included Fifth Avenue from Neville Street to Wilkins Avenue
(routes 73 and 76), Penn Avenue from Fifth Avenue to Shady Avenue
(route-73), and Second Avenue between Brady and Bates Streets
(routes 55, 55A, 56, 56A, 57, and 58).                 This was another
year that PRC didn't have to pay Federal
income taxes, as they reported a loss of $236,759 during 1959.
PRC blamed the 116-day steel strike as well as the short transit strike
for the loss.     A 30-cents dividend was paid to stockholders from a
cash pool built up over the years.          From HEADWAY RECORDER, May,
1960, page N-6.          Very Sincerely,          Dennis M. Linsky        
1350 East 5th Street, Apt. 3P         Brooklyn, NY   11230-4686        
3/4/04
 
 

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Jim

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