[PRCo] Re: Why a Wye?

[Jim Holland]

Jim Holland wrote:
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> Freight!       Wye is a turnaround but in case of Donora it was for 
> freight.
> .
> Space limitations  --  couldn't make a loop in location of 42-Dormont wye.

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Motormen backed up line of sight with people walking the tracks 
behind    ----  don't  'know'  of any conflicts here  --  with 
people.       Sometimes motormen didn't pull up far enough to clear the 
overhead directional frog and the pole backed up on the wire it entered 
the wye which means it eventually wound up stuck in the spans!!!
.
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> 87-Ardmore had a wye briefly but upgraded to loop in different location.
> .
> Riverview combination of wye // loop ---- wye portion of loop added in 
> 1922 so northbound Interurbans to Pgh. shared southbound Charleroi / 
> Donora trackage near loop until last leg built to form wye.

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Wyes in Canonsburg and downtown Washington allowed Interurban TrolleyCar 
to layover off-street    ----    space saving as well as available real 
estate!!!
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The wye on the 2-Etna at Dewey just short of the end of the line is a 
stumper  --  maybe it was originally the end of the line and the single 
track to the loop was added when it became available  O-R  more likely 
when the Butler interurban ceased operation!
.
Castle Shannon loop around the admin Building was not built until 
1948    ----    before that it had been an elongated wye which was 
originally used as PullOut routing for either inbound or outbound 
Interurbans when CS was an operating Car House  --  it then doubled as a 
turning point for cars and was used as such after the Car House was  
'closed.'
.
There was also a wye on the 94 line that was like Canonsburg  --  back 
into it and pull out forward.
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Abandoned intersections sometimes kept a wye as short turn  --  we had 
discussion on this some time back  --  one on North Side and one near 
Homewood.
.
Had to check my map for some  --  this covers  'most'  wyes.
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JJ
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> mtoytrain at bellsouth.net wrote:
> .
>
>> Why a wye? Yes one in Donora, if Jones low Floor double ended cars 
>> were used, why the wye, a freight station? a turn around? Other areas 
>> of Pittsburgh Railways had wyes so why the wyes?
>>
>>
>> Merry Christmas to all !
>> Jerry Matsick
>