[PRCo] Re: Location for MWP curved-side picture

[Fredbruhn at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/2/2007 10:56:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, galtfd at att.net 
writes:
The Co-Op pictures on PRMA pp.25-27 show (apparently) all orange below the 
belt 
rail and all cream above at least to the window tops. My 33 is obviously 
painted differently. Faded or not, more cream would have been prettier.
Don - Wheeling was yellow and orange.  The photo of 32 in PRMA on page 27 
looks cream, but is yellow.  This shot is taken at the end of track on the 5 
Warwood line, which one time continued north to Steubenville, OH. Take a look at 
page 47 of "The Colorful Streetcars we Rode, CERA 125, which shows the colors 
well, but more subdued than the yellow on color prints from Charlie Houser 
purchased on Ebay.  
Probably the film and processing, but Fred S. would know a lot better than I 
do.  That photo of car 1 is at the end of track on route 79 Rayland, which ran 
along the West side of the Ohio River in Ohio, while Route 5 Warwood ran 
along the W. VA. side.  Your looking at downtown Rayland in this shot.  There is 
one other store to right of the photo that is still there.  The B&O and Pennsy 
ran along the river too.
I'll try to help a bit on Panhandle Traction and the Warwood line with a few 
tid bits, as taken directly from the Newspaper articles I have in front of me. 
 The Wheeling News Register.

2-7-39  Panhandle Line Seeks to Abandon =  After 35 years of operations, the 
line wants to discontinue
service between Wheeling and Wellsburg, and at the same time the 
Steubenville-Wellsburg Railway, successors to the old Steubenville, Wellsburg and Weirton 
Railway, has also applied to discontinue service.

2-15-39  Co-Op applies to Public Service Comm. to operate buses from Whg. to 
26th. St. Warwood. to replace the Panhandle service, and also to provide 
service to 27th. St. Wellsburg.

3-28-39  Hearings are opened.  4 substitute bus routes are applied for.  
Co-Op Bus Lines, subsidiary of Co-Op Transit to operate from Wgh. to 26 St. 
Warwood, and 2- Harry McCune as individual to have service between Wgh. and 
Wellsburg.  3-A Wellsburg man wants to provide service in Wellsburg and from Wellsburg 
to the east end of the Steubenville bridge (W.Va side of the Ohio River), 
4-Penn Bus Co. part of the current West Penn system has been operating one trip a 
day and wants to expand service  

3-29-39  Local residents urge commission to retain Warwood service by street 
car because it is "unusually good."  A permit for a competitive bus company 
would lead to abandonment of the street car service. It was announced that  
Co-op was negotiating with Panhandle to purchase the tracks from 1St. St. Wheeling
to 27th. St. Warwood, owned by Panhandle but used by Co-Op

4-22-39 PSC authorizes abandonment of Steubenville Street cars. = Penn Bus 
received the permit from 27th. in Warwood to Steubenville on the W.Va. side of 
the river.  The cert. was temporary.  Co-Op will continue to handle 
Warwood-Wgh. service.  Penn Bus can only pick up passengers bound from Whg. to Wellsburg 
or Steubenville, not to Whg. destinations or Warwood.

NOTICE:  Effective Monday, May 1, 1939, Co-Operative Transit street cars will 
render all local service between Wheeling and North Warwood, and will operate 
on the present street car schedule.
Service between Wheeling and Steubenville via Wellsburg will be given by Penn 
Bus Co. using buses of the Co-Operative Bus Company.

5-3-39  Co-Op Transit purchases all track, row and other equipment of 
Panhandle between 27th St. in Warwood and 1St. street in Wheeling.  The value was set 
at $12,000.

12-14-39  Penn Bus Co. given final permit to operate Steubenville Wheeling 
Route. =  A victory for the Co-operative Transit Co. of Wheeling is seen in the 
ruling of the West Virginia Public Service Commission, handed down shortly 
after 5 o'clock Wednesday evening, permitting the bus company to operate between 
the state line at Steubenville, O. and he Union Bus Terminal, sixteenth St. 
Wheeling.  (my addition:  streets in Whg. start at 1st. in North Whg. and inc
rease to about 48th in South Whg)  In the lengthy argument, since the 
Steubenville, Weirton & Wellsburg Railway company, in bankruptcy, asked permission to 
discontinue service in Sept. 1938,  the Co-Op's greatest fear was that the Penn 
Bus company, a subsidiary of West Penn Public Service, would adopt a practice 
of running a bus just ahead of the street cars to Warwood and eventually 
"squeeze out" the car line by picking up street car passengers.  However, in 
Wednesday's ruling, the commission specified Penn buses must not pick up passengers 
between 16th. Street in Whg. and a point 800 feet north of the Ackerman Mfg. 
company's northern gate in north Warwood, except on one scheduled trip each way 
daily.  The Penn company has been operating over the route under a temporary 
agreement reached in April.  The right of the company to enter Steubenville not 
held by other applicants, and its established rights as an intrastate carrier 
were cited by the commission in issuing the order under the motor carrier 
act.  In addition the Co-Op Transit was granted permission to buy the equipment 
of the Pan Handle Traction company from Jonathan's Ravine, ear First St. in 
Wgh. to a point near the Costanzo Coal company mine.  The Panhandle's application 
to discontinue service was granted Wed.

Other orders resulting from the series of hearings:

Denying H.B.McCune (Pres. Co-Op) permission to ooperate between sixteenth 
street, Wheeling and 27th. Street Wellsburg.   (note:  as you go north on the 
Ohio River towards Pittsburgh, its Wheeling, Warwood,
Wellsburg, Follensbee, bridge to Ohio and Steubenville and a couple of miles 
north of the bridge Weirton.
Weirton was the first steel co. to become an ESOP, and did well for some time 
but now is in deep du-du)

Denied Co-Op bus company right to operate from first St. Wgh. to 26th. Street 
Warwood, end of car line service.  This is 1938 and the streetcars were still 
running.

10-31-47  Warwood will get bus service soon =  Ten new 40 passenger GM buses 
arrived in Wheeling this week and are now being prepared for service.  McCune 
said today that application would be made immediately to the W VA P. S. 
Commission for permission to abandon the North Wheeling and Warwood street car line 
and replace it with bus service.

11-14-47 Warwood Car Abandonment Hearing Set =  The PS Commission has 
announced it will hold a hearing Friday Nov 21 on the application to discontinue 
electric railway service.  The discontinuance was asked by the company because it 
said present service was obsolete and that bus transportation was now 
available over the same route made electric service a financial liability.  It also 
contended that public pressure had been brought upon the firm for discontinuance 
to permit the state road commission to make certain repairs on state route 2 
and make room for vehicular traffic.  (note:  In the 45 years I have traveled 
route 2 off and on they have never fixed it properly)

11-21-47  At the hearing a former city manager of Warwood cited as reasons to 
end electric service:
                    The railway was a detriment to traffic, police and the 
fire department.
                    service on route 2 imperiled Red cross operations in time 
of disaster
                    parking on portions of Main St. on both sides impeded 
traffic flow and the city was powerless
                    the street cars were more than 23 years old 

12-3-47 The party is over.  May revise Warwood Rates and Schedule after sharp 
protest = Attorneys
scathingly criticized  Co-Operative over increased rates and inadequate 
service.  (My, my, just a couple weeks after conversion to bus operation.)  Rates 
with the new buses increased from 7.5 cents to 10 cents, a 30% increase.  Buses 
were also short turning in Warwood.  Within Warwood rates went up from 5 
cents to 6.5. Like all political problems, it was referred to Council committee to 
review.

Warwood used the curved side cars that were standard gauge as were the 
Panhandle cars.  Dual gauge track ended at the Warwood barn.  Panhandle also had a 
barn at Follensbee, but I have never found any remains of it.

Panhandle used the two or three man center entrance cars and offered one hour 
service between Steubenville and Wheeling.  In big letters on the car side 
were Wheeling - Steubenville and on the front right of the dash was 60 minutes 
and Wheeling-Wellsburg-Steubenville Limited.  Vertically on each side of the 
center door was "Limited."  This service started in 1928 and ended in 1931, or 
technically it was under West Penn or Wgh. Traction control.  The run distance 
was 25 miles. The letterboard did not identify either
Panhandle or West Penn on the letterboard.

I have a Gwinn photo of a three man crew, motorman, conductor and a ticket 
taker I assume.  He is wearing a coin changer and a fancy vest with multiple 
pockets for tickets, etc.  Maybe Fred S. can get one of those for the summer 
season at PTM.

I hope I haven't left you confused and you all get a bit of traction trivia 
from this.  The Martins Ferry story is wilder as those folks didn't want those 
darn buses.

If you have not ordered the new PTM museum book for something like $6.00 you 
should.  I was surprised when mine arrived today at just how many new 
additions PTM has acquired.  The book is first rate too.

the other Fred (not the doctor nor the titanium man)