[PRCo] Re: 02 - SF Charters

[Boris Cefer]

Backup controller failed? 8-O How is that possible with the ecellent Muni
maintenance??? :-D

Boris

----- Original Message -----
From: "James B. Holland" <PRCoPCC at P-R-Co.com>
To: "- 1714 PRCo__WP__JTC -" <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 6:59 AM
Subject: [PRCo] 02 - SF Charters


> Good Morning!
>
>
> I worked a number or charters in SF;  will take them out of
> chronological order.
>
> The largest of these was the 04-July-1980 ERA charter.       Veteran
> Brooklyn PCC operator George Horn, who went on to work and retire from
> the El, then moved west to be employed by Muni.       He only operated
> Torpedoes and if his run wasn't assigned one and he didn't get one
> within 2-trips, He Went Home!       At any rate, George had been
> requested by the ERA to work the charter and since a second section was
> needed he asked for me.
>
> George operated Muni #0001, the very first TrolleyCar to start service
> on the Geary line in December of 1912 when Muni started business, while
> I operated the last PCC bought new by Muni and the last one built for
> service in the USA, 1040.
>
> In the afternoon, George worked lrv 1213 and I worked 1212.       We
> operated as a train until the photo stop depicted on pg.207 of PCC Coast
> to Coast when one of the cars revealed that a door wasn't closing
> properly.       We broke the train to find it was my car.       I tried
> a variety of steps to get the doors to close properly but when some of
> the RailFans saw the Door Interlock CutOut switch, they got rather nasty
> that I hadn't employed it.       Well, with a good carload of people and
> Not A Few Children and Many Doors on both sides of the vehicle, the last
> thing I needed was a door gliding open as we rode down the
> streets.       It may have seen simple to them but One Horrendous
> Responsibility on my part to employ same.       The problem was soon
> remedied and we were on our way  (One Twin, Earl, is in the  *-rear-*
> op seat in this photo!)
>
>
> Another very interesting charter was by one SF native then living in San
> Diego who Really Liked Rail Transit but knew nothing about
> equipment.       He brought not a few young couples to SF one Halloween
> in 1977 and chartered 1010 at 5PM til 9.       In addition to a Very
> Large Carved Pumpkin in the front window  (with candle for after dark)
> they brought aboard One Huge Restaurant Coffee Urn which stood 3-4--feet
> high filled with Lemonade and ice!       They got on at the barn and we
> went to Judah and Ocean Beach for the Sunset.       We indiscriminately
> picked up passengers to see their reactions  --  most were quite
> confused.       I gave them a ride out the M Ocean View to impress them
> with the speed, and Impress Them I Did.
>
> As stated in a previous post, the M-line leaves St.Francis Circle
> outbound to run behind property lines on prw.       While heading down a
> 3-4% grade the line goes to center of the highway prw on the Main Street
> to the GG Bridge.       There are 3-main grade crossings with the last
> one taking the line back to street running.       The first grade
> crossing is at Stonestown, the Only Shopping Mall within San Francisco,
> heavily used stop.       I knew traffic signal timing and hit the
> intersection on the Pink and we flew right on through.       We passed
> up parallel traffic which often does 40-50-mph down through here, made
> the light at SF State, Ultra Heavy stop, and then climbed uphill to get
> to street running.       Many of them exclaimed:::       """Never would
> believe this without experiencing it."""       And  That's  Why  I  Did
> It!!!!!!!
>
> Heading back inbound on the M I was to drop them off at Powell and
> Market where they would ride the cables, then deadhead home.       when
> we hit the center prw again the car rocked, bounced, rolled and threw
> the coffee urn over spilling all contents, lemonade and ice,  All  Over
> The  Floor  with much sloshing down the rear stairs and into the treadle!
>
> When I pulled into the barn the shopmen were greeting pull in cars so I
> turned out the interior lights, threw the car into service latch, stood
> up while it was still moving, grabbed the pumpkin under my arm, had
> *-something-*  (as far as shopmen were concerned)  flowing out the rear
> doors, and I slurred all my words!       They were speechless  --
> mouths wide open.       I couldn't keep a straight face in those days
> and soon cracked up speaking normally but they didn't know what to
> believe.       I am a Tea-Totaler, by the way!
>
>
> My very first charter was with 1025 and there were only two of us on the
> car  --  local SF railfan and myself and we were out for almost
> 10-hours.       The final leg of the Muni subway under Market was cut
> and cover and joined directly with the Twin Peaks Tunnel so the lines
> were diverted down 17th to Church, then along Church Street to Market
> and extended beyond Market to Duboce to join the N-line, then  to Market
> and downtown.       An Xover is in place on both Church and Duboce
> Streets just before the intersection but because of buildings the other
> one can't be seen.       We changed poles, backed through the Xover on
> Church, changed poles again and heading inbound on Church on the wrong
> track, then turned onto Duboce and went outbound on the inbound track
> and then the Xover back to the outbound track WithOut meeting a revenue
> car!       Some Luck.       Now a turn from inbound Church to outbound
> Duboce exists here!
>
> The Charter with 1190 was in the evening and included a few more people
> for a total of 5 of us  --  these are the kinds of charter I like - Very
> Small!       An Xover is in place on Taraval near 35th so coming inbound
> we backed through this Xover and went backwards all the way to the Zoo
> and back to 35th where we had to take the Xover and go to the zoo and
> back again to be headed in the right direction.      Or  We  Could
> Have  taken the wye in reverse and then the crossover to get headed back
> in the right direction on the right track!
>
> The last PCC charter was with 1034, my personal favorite, and was two
> days after PCC service ended an era of transit on Market the previous
> Sunday  --  signup changes took place on Wednesday mornings in those
> days to coincide with paydays, but that has since been changed.       So
> we started out at 10-PM and went to 3-AM and tried to run around East
> Bay Terminal backward but the backup controller failed so we
> couldn't.       Have this on video somewhere.
>
> Had a number of trolleycoach charters as well.
>
>
>
> Jim__Holland
>
>
> I__Like__Ike.......And__PCCs!!
>
> down with pantographs ---- UP___WITH___TROLLEYPOLES!!!!!!!
>
>