[PRCo] Re: Interurban Accidents

[Edward H. Lybarger]

I was able to get two minutes on this subject today.  Ran into Art Ellis at
the museum.  Art specifically remembers a PCC (or two?) backed onto the
inbound track from Donora at Black Diamond, but has no recollection of one
in Donora.  It is absolutely impossible that a car went there under the
auspices of PERC and Akron RR Club and was not photographed in the wye.  I
am looking at Bill Gwinn's negative envelopes from that trip.  The two PCCs
(1614 and 1646) began the day in Washington, ran northbound to Castle
Shannon and looped.  Then they went to Charleroi and turned on the track
around the barn.  The fans were given two choices:  they could debark at
Black Diamond and ride the regular car at the regular fare to Donora and
back, or they could go on to Charleroi and ride 3769 to Roscoe and back.

Gwinn's notes also indicate that 4207 was used to Roscoe and back, though he
took no photograph of 4207 except at Charleroi barn.  Also curious is the
fact that he took no photos at Black Diamond on the northbound trip as he
had on the way down.  Bill recorded the time he took each picture.  At 4:13
p.m. the cars were finishing up photo runs at Bridge #3.  His next photo is
not until 5:00, at Crookham.  Scheduled running time from Black Diamond to
Crookham was about 20 minutes.  The time from Bridge #3 to Black Diamond was
under 10 minutes.  That leaves better than 15 minutes to play at Black
Diamond on the way back...they backed a car in, left the second one on the
inbound main, and took photos of those two plus an outbound 1700.  Then
every one happily sped north.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions about the trip...we also have the
pre-trip correspondence between the groups, the advertising flyer for the
trip, the schedule for the trip, a copy of the chartered car order and the
menu from the drive-in next to the carbarn...everything except evidence that
a PCC went to Donora on July 27, 1952.  I have to conclude that if one ever
did turn around on the Donora wye, it wasn't on this fantrip.  But a
cheeseburger was 30 cents and a root beer was six cents.  Coffee was a dime.

Ed

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of
prcopcc at p-r-co.com
Sent: Monday, September 26, 2005 11:39 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Interurban Accidents


> mtoytrain at bellsouth.net writes:
>
> .......I remember very clearly a PCC in Donora near the end
> of operation and one that used the wye to turn around, this
> had to be a special fan trip.
.
.
.
We talked about this just recently - I asked the same.       Trouble is,
outside your account,  NONE  of the railfans have indicated that this has
happened.       PERC had a numnber of charters after PCCs started operating
the Interurbans and there was a joint charter using 1614 and 1646 with Akron
RR club and that is why I asked.       Have a picture of one of the PCCs
backed down the Donora line at Black Diamond but we So Far do not have any
info that this has actually happened.
.
I asked about a PCC using the wye - work equipment used it - some speculated
that the wye may be used but restricted to some equipment - like PCCs.
.
To be perfectly honest I think we would have all kinds of pictures of this
happening if it happened!       Could you be remembering a PCC wyeing at
Riverview loop instead?
.
.
.
.
Jim__Holland
.
I....Like....IKE__---__And....PCCs!
.
down...with...pantographs.......
.
UP___WITH___TROLLEYPOLES!!!