[PRCo] Re: TROLLEY FARE

[Fred Schneider]

Of course that was after the water receded considerably.  Did you notice
the lumber on the roof of the streetcar left as the water went down?

Homewood Shops also deserves a lot of credit ... you don't simply dry the
car out; you remove all conduit and rewire it.   I recall Charlie Van
Sciver, the top dog in the Reading railroad's Wayne Junction Carshop in
Philly.  That facility normally handled all the MU car fleet.  He had two
cars that were caught in flood waters in Norristown in 1972 during
Hurricane Agnew.  He admitted to me that he simply gave up after a
protracted period of trying to dry them out, and sent them to the main
shops in Reading PA.  That admission of defeat came from a man who managed
to maintain his car fleet for 40% of the money that the Penn Central spent
per car mile.

Mark McGuire wrote:

>    I just got my Nov.-Dec. 2003 TROLLEY FARE newsletter from PTM.
> Haven't read it yet, just scanned through it. Looks like a nice
> article about the Pittsburgh flood of 1936 by Bernie Orient. Nice
> photo along with it. For those of us who have never seen a flood of
> such extent, it is truly remarkable.
>  Also, Cindy Wells explains the Pittsburgh Transit scene. Nice photo
> of a new LRV testing on the Drake line at Brookside by Art Ellis.
> Finally, someone took a photo! Thanks Art!
>  It's kind of depressing in a way though. I never thought I'd see
> anything but a PCC car on the Drake line. I imagine I'll probably
> feel the same way in June when I see the new Overbrook line. If PAT
> ever reopens Drake, they should leave it single track. With such a
> short stretch they could get by without a passing siding. Or maybe
> use the segment of track right after the South Hills Village turnoff
> as a siding. I truly don't believe it would be feasible to reopen
> Drake. South Hills Village is a short distance away with major parking
> upgrades coming.
>   Just trying to break the silence fellas!
>
>                         Mark Mc