[PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Railways Motorwoman story

[Fred Schneider]

It has been done on occasion.

On Aug 7, 2006, at 1:13 PM, Ken & Tracie wrote:

> Maybe the PTM should post a notice on site, inviting both current and
> retired employees to share their stories, so an archive of the  
> "human side"
> of the business is preserved.
>
> K.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dietrich, Robert J." <Robert.Dietrich at unisys.com>
> To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 8:08 AM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Railways Motorwoman story
>
>
>> Herb:
>>
>> You ask if we want "real tales" - absolutely.  Even not-so-real tales
>> are always interesting.  As Fred III likes to point out the delete  
>> key
>> is not far away so anyone who doesn't want to read your tales doesn't
>> have to.  And don't worry about the length, notice that Fred's  
>> reply to
>> your longest post ever was even longer.  Type until your fingers get
>> sore.
>>
>> And thanks in advance for doing it.
>>
>> Bob
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
>> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of
>> hrbran99 at adelphia.net
>> Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2006 9:13 PM
>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> Cc: Mark McGuire
>> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh Railways Motorwoman story
>>
>>
>> --
>> 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 SH!
>> J), 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
>>>
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