[PRCo] Re: [Fwd: [Birney_Cars] PRCo__Birney__Cars__8__&__9]

[Fred Schneider]

I was once told Jim that they (the PRC Birneys)  were used on 29  
Thornburg but I have no way to confirm that.  If so, the assigned  
barn would have been Ingram for Carnegie was already closed before  
1927.   The route cards are no help for the last time anyone bothered  
to post a car type for route 29 was in 1924 when "ST" was posted.
The line had very little business at best.   It actually ran downtown  
until 1916.  Thereafter it ran one car every 45 minutes downtown, and  
one car that shuttled back and forth (total of two cars).   By 1918  
or 1920 (there is a conflict in the cards), they gave up on the  
through service and route 29 became just a shuttle.   So it makes  
sense that they had two Birneys, one a hanger queen and one on the  
line.    It probably took them five years to realize it was just as  
cheap to run their surplus Jones cars as to try to maintain something  
different.   Why five years?   The worst year in the Depression was  
the year they scrapped the two Birneys.   By that time they had more  
idle cars than they knew what to do with.

I think you could assume that they were orange with black trim.    
What is speculative would be the FRONT ENTRANCE legend.   PRC painted  
that on all the low-floor cars when they got rid of the conductors  
and by 1935 (or before) they began repainting the cars without the  
front entrance on the right dasher panel because there were no longer  
any center entrance low-floor cars in service.    But the Birney only  
had one door.   Would they waste the black paint?  I would almost be  
willing to bet that those cars had only numbers and black stripes.

On Apr 6, 2006, at 6:50 AM, Holland Electric Rwy. Op. H.E.R.O. --  
Import SPTC 1.48 Models // James B. Holland wrote:

> NO  One has replied to this on the Birney list  --  doubt they will  
> now.
>
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject:	[Birney_Cars] PRCo__Birney__Cars__8__&__9
> Date:	Mon, 03 Apr 2006 18:30:35 -0700
> From:	Holland Electric Rwy. Op. H.E.R.O. -- Import SPTC 1.48  
> Models // James B. Holland <PRCoPCC at P-R-Co.com>
> Reply-To:	Birney_Cars at yahoogroups.com
> To:	Birney_Cars at yahoogroups.com
>
>
> Good Morning!
>
>
> Below is some information for Pittsburgh Railways Birney Cars #8  
> and #9    ----    following the description are some questions:::::::
>
> -----------------
> ----------------------------------
>
>
> PRCo  Birney  Safety  Cars  8  and  9  were single truck, 28’-0 ½”  
> and acquired third-hand in April 1927
>
> According to Harold Cox,  The Birney Car,  the two cars were built  
> by Wason Car and Mfg. Co. in 1919  (order 103K)  for the Medway and  
> Dedham St. Ry. Co. (owner) and used on the Milford and Uxbridge St.  
> Ry. Co. (operator), of Milford, MA.       The Wason order consisted  
> of four cars numbered 100-103.
>
> Following the 1924 closure of the M&U, two of the cars became  
> Exeter, Hampton and Amesbury St. Ry. Co., Exeter, NH, cars 2 and  
> 14.       The Exeter property folded in 1926, and both cars were  
> acquired by Pittsburgh Railways in 1927.
>
> Control: 2 K63.
>
> Motors: 2 Westinghouse 328
>
> Truck:: Brill 79E1
>
> Seats: 29
>
> Weight: 29,000 lbs
>
>
> Both cars scrapped by burning at West Park on May 4, 1932.
>
> ----------------------------------
> -----------------
>
>
> These cars were the only  <Known>  Birneys on PRCo and their lives  
> were very short  --  5 years!
>
> Does anyone know how these cars were painted??       <About>  1925   
> PRCo  changed from  Tuscan Red with gold striping to its famous   
> ""Yellow!""       I would assume the Birney's were  Yellow.
>
> Could anyone point me to pictures of these cars on PRCo?       As  
> far as I know, PTM does not have any photos.
>
> Is anything more known about these two cars  --  where they were  
> assigned and on what lines they operated?
>
> Thank You For Your Time And Interest.
>
>
>
>
> Jim__Holland
>
>
> I__Like__Ike.......And__PCCs!!
>
> down with pantographs ---- UP___WITH___TROLLEYPOLES!!!!!!!
>
>
>
>
>
>
> YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
>  Visit your group "Birney_Cars" on the web.
>
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>
> -- 
> Jim__Holland
>
>
> I__Like__Ike.......And__PCCs!!
>
> down with pantographs ---- UP___WITH___TROLLEYPOLES!!!!!!!
>