[PRCo] Re: Real Tales--No. 1/Unscheduled Meet

[hrbran99 at adelphia.net]

Yes, one rule PATransit had for streetcar operators was that only in the most dire emergency could sand be dropped on the Overbrook track between S.HillsJct and the beginning of double track just across the Saw Mill Run Blvd Bridge. Then, if sand was used, once you got the car stopped you were supposed to walk back and inspect the track and broom off any sand.  The signal systems in use back then were certainly products of the 'industrial' age. Even in 1979 when I would look at the signals and the associated hardware that went with them they seemed very 'old fashioned' to me. I remember some of them even had large storage batteries in their bases. I always wondered what would happen if several batteries went dead at the same time! Similar to what happened when the overhead wire contactor got too loose, I suppose.
 
--
HrB

---- Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net> wrote: 
> The other magic wand needed would be to make the USS signals work  
> fine 100% of the time.   They are more reliable than Nachods until  
> someone drops sand or until you have rusty rail conditions.   In  
> other words, nothing is perfect.
> 
> The Reading Company used to have certain RDC cars that had continuous  
> braking so that the wheels would always be polished ... why?   For  
> used between Reading and Pottsville as single cars.    It wasn't just  
> the trolley companies that had trouble when you ran a single unit  
> through signal territory.
> 
> I remember that Pennsylvania Railroad interlocking towers had "rusty  
> rail" indicators that could be clipped onto signal levers as flags to  
> remind the block operators not to trust the interlocking  
> machinery.    They were used on tracks that didn't get a whole lot of  
> use.
> 
> On Sep 10, 2006, at 11:51 AM, Edward H. Lybarger wrote:
> 
> > As Dennis says, Nachod signals work fine MOST of the time.  It's  
> > just when they don't that problems occur.
> >
> > If I had a magic wand, I would replace all the signals between  
> > Richfol and Arden Loop with the US&S variety.
> >
> > But that is why we dispatch by radio at PTM.  The signals are  
> > really, as Fred likes to call traffic signals in Rome, merely  
> > chromatic ornamentations.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> > [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Jim
> > Holland
> > Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 9:00 PM
> > To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> > Subject: [PRCo] Re: Real Tales--No. 1/Unscheduled Meet
> >
> >
> >
> >> hrbran99 at adelphia.net wrote:
> >> .
> >>
> >>>> ... Daria Washington had come to the single track, got a 'good'
> >>>> light and proceeded down the hill. The wind was heavy with gusts. A
> >>>> hard gust of wind came along and made the overhead wires bounce.
> >>>> They bounced so much that the old, well worn contactor made contact
> >>>> with itself (You need to know exactly how these contactors  
> >>>> worked to
> >>>> understand what happened) and counted her car out even though she
> >>>> was still coming down the hill. I approached the single track at  
> >>>> the
> >>>> bottom and came upon a dark light. When my trolley pole ran through
> >>>> the contactors the signal came to life and counted me in as it
> >>>> should. Do to the curves in Arlington Avenue I could not see Daria
> >>>> until after I got in the single track and she rounded the last  
> >>>> curve
> >>>> near McArtle Roadway......
> >>>>
> >>>> Herb
> >>>> HrB
> >>>
> >
> >>>> Jim Holland wrote:
> >>>
> >> .
> >> ... PCC Car Fought Back pg.196 shows PCC Interurban 1707 just below
> >> one of these contactors in Allenport. Pg.189 top shows a variation of
> >> this type contactor.
> >> .
> >> In PCC Coast to Coast is a similar contactor pg.153 top right.
> >> .
> >> http://206.103.49.193/pitts/htm/bvp140.htm -- at the siding on the 49
> >> on Climax these contactors are in evidence.
> >> .
> >> http://206.103.49.193/pitts/htm/bvp082.htm -- on the Dinky Track at
> >> Castle Shannon!!
> >> .
> >> It Would Seem that the contactor that failed was the Count Out
> >> Contactor near Carson -- failure at the Count In Contactor where it
> >> keeps touching the overhead would continually count cars into the
> >> single track. Failure at the Exit Contactor near Carson would count
> >> the cars out.
> >
> > .
> > Been giving this one some thought  --  could be count out contactor at
> > the top of the hill failed and counted out the car that the one  
> > Count In
> > Copntactor adjacent had just counted in  --  i.e., any count out
> > contactor would count out a car from either direction.       What  
> > caused
> > me to reconsider is that work equipment would reverse at sidings to
> > clear the line to allow a following or opposing vehicle to pass.
> > Work car goes into the siding, then exits siding on the far end,
> > reverses, and reenters the siding.       Those track sections operated
> > by Nachod would then have overhead contactors and it is  *_Possible_*
> > that any count out contactor would do so for any car counted into the
> > system.       Thus the work car would set the opposing Nachod to  
> > red and
> > by backing through the adjacent count out contactor for the opposing
> > position would then cancel that red.       O--R       there is a reset
> > switch at each siding for such purposes!
> > .
> > Maybe Ed has such Info!!!
> > .
> > .
> > .
> > Jim___Holland
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
>