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

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings

A humerous story. When my mother was visiting in Pgh, I wanted to take 
her for
an incline ride. She did not regard these as safe! I then trapped her in 
my car
and drove out onto the incline with a curve. She actuallu enjoyed the 
ride and
eventually she rode the Duquesne and Mon inclines.

The incline in Johnstown used to carry a JTC small bus to the top and 
Cincinnati
inclines carried trolley cars.

Harold Geissenheimer

Jim Holland wrote:

>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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