[PRCo] Re: PCC Rehabilitation

[ktjosephson at earthlink.net]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Rathke" <bobrathke at comcast.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 8:45 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: PCC Rehabilitation


> I think the rimless 1966 East End cars were 1500's.

That would make sense.....BTW, this is odd:

http://206.103.49.193/pitts/htm/bvp155.htm

A "half 'n half" paint scheme with the hourglass dash! I'm sure other
variations of the four basic red and cream PCC schemes appeared. I know 1760
wound up a somehwat unusual variation of of the "half 'n half" scheme after
a quick repainting of a front end repair.

Incidently, 1601 (shown in that 1970 view you linked to on Dave's) was one
of those cars for which Roberta Hill held a special fondness. She
photographed it with a red front, a "vee" front and then red front again.
The rust above the anti-climber was both aggressive and chronic. Over the
course of several years, following the chronological order of her negatives
and prints, you could see that rust reappearing within months of the various
dash repaints. I wasn't surprised to learn that car wasn't included in the
"mod" era rejuvinations:

http://206.103.49.193/pitts/htm/jtp06.htm

1601 seemed to spend a lot of time on Route 85 during that line's final two
years.

Another car that appeared very woebegone during the late 1960s was PTM's
1711. I have some shots of the car in Library service with dents, rusty
patches here and there and the dash vent askew. It looked like it received
some extensive body work when it received its "PAT grey."

I remember looking underneath 1711 at PTM during 1999, before it was sent
out for its rebuild in New York. I seem to remember both Ed Lybarger's and
Fred the III's amusement at my reaction to the rust, etc. The car looked
pretty nice until I looked underneath it, just after I snapped this photo:

http://206.103.49.193/ptm/htm/ptm065.htm

I see Dave has some of my other snapshots from that 1999 visit in the
general collection grouping as well.

K.