[PRCo] Re: Station square

[James B. Holland]

Hi Bill!


You are referring to the portion in the center of Broadway in Dormont 
from Potomac north (inbound) to  *near*  Wenzell overpass.       I have 
often wondered the same.       A little historical perspective here.

The Charleroi interurban inbound from Castle Shannon travelled the 38A 
to Mt.Lebanon, then the 42 Dormont inbound to downtown    ----    
Washington interurban not yet operating  --  and all this up until about 
1907-1908 or there abouts!       Apparently the Whole of the 42-Dormont 
was prw with center of the highway prw through Beechview.       Much of 
this was single track with sidings; in fact, the Dormont wye area was 
one long siding from the wye inbound almost to Biltmore Ave, the first 
grade crossing.

We haven't had much luck tracing out the actual date for double tracking 
of the line, but Geodetic maps we found on the internet apparently 
indicate that the double track prw was still intact on Broadway in 
Beechview until approx the 1930s.       It Is Very  *Possible*  
(*Possible*  the operative word)  that the paving of Broadway in 
Beechview was a Depression Era Public Works project.       And it is  
*Possible*  that the same is true of paving Broadway in Dormont as you 
mention.

Doesn't answer your  *Why*,  does it??!!! :-)       Very Possible that 
concrete gives a much more stable base and keeps track in very good 
alignment much better than open prw which requires tamping and 
realignment,  NOT  that PRCo was bent on doing tamping!       This holds 
true through experience    ----    I lived on the 42 line and the ride 
along the concrete prw was exceptionally smooth and one knew simply by 
feel the moment the car entered the open prw inbound as the ride became 
quite bouncy and rough by comparison to the concrete.       I always 
looked forward to this part of the ride because, even though the car was 
still travelling about the same speed, it seemed as though it was moving 
much faster  --  the bounce and sound of rail joints add tremendously to 
this illusion!

I enjoyed the supposed rough ride on PRCo rails but I definitely have 
wonderful memories of the Interurbans running at speed through Overbrook 
on multiples of occasions but something which became less possible as 
the 1960s wore on.


Jim__Holland


PS   --   checked other email before sending and stability of ride seems 
to be a factor.



Bill Robb wrote:

> Any idea why PRC paved the 42 Dormont PRW to just over the top of the 
> ties, but not flush with the top of the rail? Concrete is an expensive 
> method of paving.
>
> Bill Robb