[PRCo] Re: Green boxes

[James B. Holland]

 > Dietrich, Robert J. wrote:

 > Am I imagining things or did the city place big green
 > boxes on selected street corners in the winter months?


Looks like  Summer  in the URL below!!!


 > As I recall they contained rock salt for getting cars out of a jam.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/bdietrich/outback.htm?


Don't see the boxes in photos at Library and Drake but they could be 
obscured by other items in the photo.       While Interurbans would 
still need sand for street operations, they were forbidden to use sand 
on the prw because it interfered with signaling.        Operators 
Extremely good about observing this.       One winter while railfanning 
on a Sunday pass an inbound interurban at King's School couldn't keep 
the wheels from spinning even after releasing and reapplying power 
Multiples Of Times.       It was obvious the motorman was extremely 
reluctant to use sand but he finally dropped a little which helped gain 
traction.

On the 42-wye the sandbox was on the leg before backing up and like John 
I would help motormen fill the boxes.       But in the one photo I have 
at the wye which shows the box it is at the diamond where the outbound 
car crosses the inbound track.       But the 42/38 is now the rule so 
this location would be much easier to use by the vast majority of cars, 
even though a bin was at Clearview.

Also    ----    Not  Uncommon to see motormen get the broom out at the 
end of the line to sweep the aisle clear!



Jim__Holland