[PRCo] Re: RESEND 3-Why was Drake Lp Built?

[hrbran99 at adelphia.net]

Is the reason for construction of this loop given? When did the fairs start up at South Park?

As for the money, remember that this was a local government which made a promise to pay cash during the Great Depression. It's a wonder PRCo ever saw the full amount.
--
HrB

---- "Edward H. Lybarger" <trams2 at comcast.net> wrote: 
> (West) Library Loop was built basically at the request of Allegheny County in the Fall of 1935 at a total cost of $7731.04.  Work was completed by October 28 of that year. The County agreed to pay $3618.00 of the construction cost, but it took them about a year to cough up the dough, much to the chagrin of PRCo.
> 
> -----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, December 17, 2006 1:06 PM
> To: PRCo List Posts
> Subject: [PRCo] RESEND 3-Why was Drake Lp Built?
> 
> 
> One of the main reasons PRCo wanted out of Washington County was the high (and 
> getting higher by the year) taxation rate applied to PRCo property and 
> operations. Also, competition from unregulated private bus operations was 
> draining a lot of revenue in those 'traffic free' days. The bus could make it 
> from Washington County to Pittsburgh in less time than the trolley took. The bus 
> just rolled along the auto free/traffic signal free roads of that day at a 
> higher average speed than the streetcar. The PRCo system was plagued with miles 
> of single-track operation which caused delays. Also just the general way a 
> streetcar riding on rails had to be operated in order to be safe ate up precious 
> minutes that the bus operations did not (or would not) have to put up with. Had 
> there been as many registered automobiles then, as now, the story would be quite 
> different, I am sure. Just think what two double-track light rail lines 
> (Washington to Pgh and Charleroi to Pgh) could do for traffic congestion today! 
>  
> About West Library Loop. For years that loop was used to turn Fairground cars. I 
> would like to know what year the County Fair started at South Park and what year 
> the W. Library Loop was constructed. 
>  
> Also, when I operated those lines in the 70's/80's most passengers were off the 
> car by the time it arrived at West Library. Library Loop (Simmons) had a very 
> small parking area in those days. Had PATransit built a first-class transit 
> center at Library (Simmons) with plenty of paved/lighted/secure parking and a 
> decent waiting area with plenty of passenger ammenities I feel sure that the 
> ridership on route 35 would have been substantialy higher. The mindset of the 
> early/mid 70s was that "Skybus" was the future and the Library line would be 
> discontinued and replaced with shuttle buses feeding into Skybus. Again, my main 
> complaint about government funded public transit in the USA.........they always 
> want to jump on whatever Rube Goldberg invention is being touted (and funded) 
> and do not want to see 20 or 30 or more years down the proverbial road. 
>  
> -- 
> HrB 
>  
> ---- Mark McGuire <macmarka at netzero.net> wrote: 
> >  I feel like I have asked this question before. Why was the Drake 
> > Loop built when they had an operating wye in place? Couldn't they 
> > just use the wye like 42 Dormont cars? 
> 
> 
> --
> HrB
> 
> 
> 
> 
>