[PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Railways Motorwoman story

[hrbran99 at adelphia.net]

--
HrB
When I started streetcar training everything had moved to S. Hills Jct (SHJ). The Castle Shannon area still had the 'motormans training tracks' intact. Training was two weeks and as I said before, everyone had completed bus training at some point prior to streetcar training. 

Right away we went to Castle Shannon and began taking turns operating a 1700 series car. Switch operation was explained, operation at facing and trailing points clarified, and it was a good day indeed as I recall! Training with the SHJ training instructor (Angelo Nazzo) lasted until the middle of the second week. There was then two days with regular operators. On the last day the feared "SIGNAL TEST" was given. For two weeks it was hammered into us that if you failed the SIGNAL TEST you would have to go back to the buses. Of course, everyone passed and all was right with the world again. The trolley training, while short in duration, was very complete and very intense. It was, however, 1974, we were young and we applied ourselves like we had be brought up to do when faced with anything dealing with the 'work ethic'. It was still a male dominated job back then. All twelve in that training class were male. PATransit (PAT) had only three female operators, Hattie Bartosik (at SHJ), Cora Sypolt (at E.Liberty Garage), and Daria Washington (at SHJ). Daria also made PAT history by being the first African-American Female operator.

My first "solo" run was 15-minutes (yes, 15-minutes) after we finished with the two weeks training. It was 4PM and Vic Calavo (SHJ evening Dispatcher) was trying to fill PM-rush hour trippers. I took a 42/38 tripper from 4:20 to 7:00pm. I recall it left SHJ to downtown, then outbound on 42-Dormont Wye, back to downtown, then outbound on 42/38A-Mt Lebanon/Castle Shannon. A very interesting and very good run. I didn't make any big mistakes and did not run the car off the Smithfield Bridge and went the proper way at all the switches. Even got to use the Dormont Wye plus layover before using the wye in the siding just before the wye. Again, all was well with the world.

One, of many things, that sticks out in my mind was the feeling when I got in the oeprators seat the first time on the training tracks at Castle Shannon that first day. It was so odd, and so wonderful, to apply the power pedal and have this large piece of electric machine glide forward, without the annoyance of a steering wheel, in such silence and feel the power as the energy forces changed from potential to kinetic. And of course, all was well with the world!!

As far as what cars were used that was up to the car shifter (the guy who assigned cars to each run). Each day as we left the SHJ classroom (second floor of SHJ administration building) we went to the yard and found the 'car shifter' who randomly assigned a car. Usually 1700s, a few times 1600s to get used to the hand brake and other features different from the 1700s.

I haven't written this much ever, on this list! Time to stop or it will fall into the 'pamphlet' category! Let me know if you want "Real Tales Of the PAT Trolleys". Many interesting things happened during the years that I operated the cars.
Herb Brannon

---- Mark McGuire <macmarka at netzero.net> wrote: 
>   So please tell us more about your training, Herb. Or if you wish, 
> send me an offlist e-mail. I'd like to know what you went through, 
> how long you trained with another motorman, what your first solo run 
> was and what car, what cars were used for training, etc. Thanks!
> 
>                               Mark
>