[PRCo] Re: Jones Cars

[Fred Schneider]

This diatribe is largely for Mark M, who asked me a lot of questions  
when we had lunch one day.   The rest of you can either read and  
enjoy or push the delete key at your pleasure.

I have a picture of 4211 at Washington in 1953.  I think 7, 8 and 9  
were all still around about that time.  I'm not sure what control  
they had ... probably the Westinghouse knock-off of GE type M, which  
was locally called HL.   I don't think any still had Jones control.    
But some of the hardware may have been salvaged from the Jones days.

For those who don't comprehend my expression "knock off,"   
Westinghouse generally built their unit switch control with pneumatic  
(compressed air) unit switches to make or break the 600 volt  
circuits.   General Electric favored 600 volt low-current solenoid  
switches to make or break the high current 600 volt motor circuits in  
their remote control schemes.

Westinghouse HL stood very simply for a remote control scheme with  
hand control of the resistance progression from off to point 1, 2, 3,  
4 etc., and L for line voltage through a dropping resistor used for  
the control voltage.  In other words, Westinghouse used low-voltage  
control.     (If you see HB, the B stood for battery for control  
voltage, AB or AL, the A stood for automatic progression ... just put  
the car in go and it went.)

GE type M used 600 volts for control voltage, but low-amperage.   
Originally they used relay interlocks for automatic progression, and  
designated the system type M form A or simply type MA.   By World War  
One they had PC or Pneumatic Cam because a rotating cam was much  
simpler to close contacts.

Pittsburgh seemed to like the solenoid switches.   But I think some  
of the experimental 6000s had Westinghouse pneumatic switches.    
Unfortunately, when the museum was offered all the car record cards,  
we had no room for them.  So I only have what I could glean from the  
trade literature of the time.   PRC did have a few cars with VA  
control (some in the 4700s and 4900s and 6000s, I think) which stood  
for variable automatic ... the controller had one acceleration rate  
in series, and six different rates in parallel.  If someone wants to  
run such a car, go visit Orange Empire and play with LA 2601 or 2602  
(which ever experimental was saved).   There may be a Montreal VA car  
at Seashore ... they had a flock of them.



On Mar 13, 2006, at 12:10 AM, Holland Electric Rwy. Op. H.E.R.O. --  
Import SPTC 1.48 Models // James B. Holland wrote:

> Holland Electric Rwy. Op. H.E.R.O. -- Import SPTC 1.48 Models // James
> B. Holland wrote:
> .
>> Thank You for this clarification! Something Very Appealing about the
>> design and appearance of the 4200s -- Not A Few of these were still
>> around in 1950 and 4207 Or 4208 was often in Donora in the very late
>> 1940s, early 1950s!
>
> .
> Included at the end is an  URL  for 4207.       Track not visible near
> // under photographer is for southbound Interurbans from Pgh.
> Northbound interurbans would turn to our left on the other track in  
> this
> photo.       Interurban trippers to Riverview would back up on the  
> track
> on which 4707 is on and then take the track to our left to return  
> to Pgh.
> .
>
>
>
> Jim__Holland
>
>
> I__Like__Ike.......And__PCCs!!
>
> down with pantographs ---- UP___WITH___TROLLEYPOLES!!!!!!!
>
>
> P.S.   --   Flare over car is in original photo  --  Solly,  Cholly!
>
>
> -- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --
> -- Type: image/jpeg
> -- Size: 152k (155854 bytes)
> -- URL : http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/4207% 
> 20Riverview%20Loop%20wye%2002%20195xxxxx.jpg
>
>
>