[PRCo] Re: Why was the Drake Loop Built?

[Edward H. Lybarger]

Walther Wye opened April 20, 1953.  Simmons Loop opened June 29, 1953 (so
for nine days all cars turned at (West) Library.  Drake Loop was placed in
service September 25, 1953.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Fred
Schneider
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 5:13 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Why was the Drake Loop Built?


I'm not sure if you understand the sequence here Dennis.   PRC built
a wye at Walther stop in March of 1953 and in April they reduced
service beyond that wye to every hour.   Service was provided as far
as Walther (Drake Wye) every 30 minutes.     (At the same schedule
change, Charleroi cars went to half hourly to West Library Loop at
hourly beyond West Library.)    Then the loop was constructed under
the viaduct at Drake stop.   Ed might have the exact date that the
loop opened but I think it might have been shortly after the August
29, 1953 abandonment of the Washington service ... perhaps all cars
turned back at Drake Wye for a brief period.

I'm also not clear when Simmons loop opened.   I know Charleroi
service ended in June 1953 and I have a color slide of a Library car
in the Simmons loop on August 29, 1953. Therefore, if there was a
period when all cars turned at West Library, it was not for longer
than two months.

Write me personally and tell me about that first semester.....

On Dec 14, 2006, at 4:48 PM, DF Cramer wrote:

> Does it also not make sense that the company could build a loop and
> keep
> other service going at the same time?When it was time to cutback
> service,
> the loop was already in place and ready to be utilized.
>
> Yes, I am home and the first semester of school is complete.
>
> Dennis F. Cramer
> Teacher-Trombonist-Historian-Conductor
> http://www.geocities.com/df_cramer
>
>
>