[PRCo] Elevator dispatchers

Sat Mar 26 08:39:10 EST 2005

I haven't been in that tunnel since the 1970's, so someone in Pittsburgh
will have to go to the Grant Bldg. and check it out. It's just inside the
entrance on Fourth Avenue: a short distance inside, the Harlequin Lounge
(now has a different name) is on the left; the staircase to the tunnel is
immediately to the right after you enter the lobby.

The tunnel under Fourth Ave. was not very fancy - just a walkway past
utility rooms and pipes hanging from the ceiling.  Although the staircase is
probably still there, the tunnel may now be closed to the public.

The tunnels under the original Gateway Center buildings (1,2,3 and the
Hilton) were/are more pedestrian friendly.

As for the elevator dispatchers: one day in December, 1965 a drunk came in
the Grant Bldg. lobby and the elevator dispatcher prevented him from getting
on an elevator.  A crowd gathered, distracting the dispatcher, and the drunk
took the opportunity to throw up on the dispatcher's podium.  The usually
dignified dispatcher lost his cool at that point.

Bob 3/26/05

----------------------------- 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold G." <transitmgr2 at earthlink.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 9:34 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Elevator dispatchers

> Bob   I did not know about the tunnel.  Is it still there?
>
> I worked at the NY Times while attending NY University
> 1945-49.   They had negro elevator operators and then
> they had starters that were almost little gods.  I was
> very respectful when I first encountered them.
>
> Harold Geissenheimer
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Rathke <bobrathke at comcast.net>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> Date: Friday, March 25, 2005 8:21 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Elevator dispatchers
>
>
> >Now there'something else you don't see much anymore - elevator
dispatchers!
> >Did the Jenkins Arcade use elevator dispatchers up to the end?
> >
> >The Grant Building converted to auomatic elevators around 1958, but they
> >still retained dispatchers who functioned more as information
> >persons/security guards.  I worked in the Grant Building until 1969, and
> >they still had dispatchers working in the lobby then, although they
really
> >didn't dispatch any elevators.
> >
> >A couple of things I remember about the lobby which was remodeled around
> >1965:
> >
> >- A plaque on the wall that explained the signal light on the top of the
> >building that spelled "Pittsburgh" in Morse Code.  Does it still do that?
> >
> >- The staircase and underground tunnel  to the City-County Bldg. across
> >Fouth Avenue.  Every day, more than one City worker used the tunnel to
come
> >over to the Grant Building to have a pop at the Harlequin Lounge, a very
> >dark bar in the lobby.  Grant Building workers knew who they were.
> >
> >Bob 3/25/05
> >
> >-----------------------------
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Edward H. Lybarger" <trams at adelphia.net>
> >To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> >Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 6:03 PM
> >Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fourth and Stanwix
> >
> >
> >> The Arcade was quite a place...a community, really.  We used to joke
with
> >> the elevator dispatchers about starting a rumor on the 8th floor just
to
> >see
> >> what it would sound like by the time it reached the first.
> >>
> >> Life was simpler then.
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> >> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Matt
> >> Barry
> >> Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 12:12 PM
> >> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fourth and Stanwix
> >>
> >>
> >> Ed,
> >> That is so great that you had an office in Jenkins Arcade..   My Mom
> >> worked at Horne's and I recall going into the Arcade for the eye
doctor,
> >> baked goods, Palmer's restaurant, Ritter's,  and wasn't there a Gil's
or
> >> a Rite Aid?   Plus, it was great to cut through there coming back from
> >> 5th Ave to Horne's when it was bitter cold outside.  Really enjoyed
> >> coming out of the Liberty Avenue side of the arcade to see the East End
> >> PCCs making that wide swing from Liberty onto Fifth.
> >>
> >> Edward H. Lybarger wrote:
> >>
> >> >Diamond Street became Forbes Avenue in 1958, in time for the
> >bicentennial.
> >> >Ferry Street became part of Stanwix in that whole redevelopment of the
> >area
> >> >around the Wabash Terminal, but don't know the year.  The T station
> >> entrance
> >> >is indeed on the terminal site.
> >> >
> >> >Yes, I had my business in the Jenkins Arcade until the tore it down
> >(though
> >> >I was operating from a branch in Mt. Lebanon at the end).  Pittsburgh
> >> became
> >> >decidedly less friendly for small business with the passing of the
> >Arcade.
> >> >It's even more so today, and look at the city's economic condition!
> >> >
> >> >Ed
> >> >
> >> >-----Original Message-----
> >> >From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> >> >[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of
John
> >> >Swindler
> >> >Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 8:57 AM
> >> >To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >> >Subject: [PRCo] Re: Fourth and Stanwix
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >Diamond St was renamed Forbes St. - sometime in early 60s?????
> >> >
> >> >and from the alignment in a 1929 map, it looks like Ferry St. was
> renamed
> >> >Stanwix St.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >I remember 'Diamond St.' name, but have no recollection of 'Ferry
St.',
> >so
> >> >would guess that Ferry St. name disappeared in ealry 1950s.
> >> >
> >> >It also looks like the Wabash Terminal Building sat on the ground now
> >> >occupied by the Gateway Center 'T' station.
> >> >
> >> >Again, thanks for posting this view.  It pre-dates my memories of the
> >> >Gateway Center area. Or let me correct that:  It pre-dates my memories
> of
> >> >Gateway Center area west of Stanwix/Ferry St.; but buildings to east
of
> >> >Stanwix/Ferry St. were still in existance in early 1960s.
> >> >
> >> >Ed:  didn't you have an office at one time in Jenkins Arcade?
> >> >
> >> >John
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >>From: Bill Robb <bill937ca at yahoo.ca>
> >> >>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >> >>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >> >>Subject: [PRCo] Fourth and Stanwix
> >> >>Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:33:30 -0800 (PST)
> >> >>
> >> >>Here's another view of the Wabash Terminal demolition
> >> >>taken November 12, 1947 with a PCC creeping around the
> >> >>corner onto Fourth.
> >> >>Bill Robb
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>__________________________________
> >> >>Do you Yahoo!?
> >> >>Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
> >> >>http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/
> >> >>
> >> >>-- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --
> >> >>-- Type: image/jpeg
> >> >>-- Desc: Wabash Novermber 12, 1947.jpeg
> >> >>-- Size: 76k (78282 bytes)
> >> >>-- URL :
> >>
>
>>>http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/Wabash%20Novermber%20
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