[PRCo] Re: Station square

[Edward H. Lybarger]

Broadway Avenue was double-tracked in 1940.  Somewhere I once saw a photo,
but am not certain where at this writing.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of James
B. Holland
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2005 5:53 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Station square


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