[PRCo] My Trip To the Trolley Museum

[Herb Brannon]

I actually made it to PTM today. It was a really nice day here on the U.S. North Coast and also in Western Pennsylvania. Sunny and temps in the high 60s and low 70s. Ed Lybarger was there multitasking as a researcher for one group and also dispatching cars along the line. He and I were able to get in nearly two hours of fine conversation and we, in theory at least, came up with solutions to all the problems of humanity.
   
  The NOPS car (832) was out along with car 78 and another PST car. There were a decent crowd of visitors checking out the cars and displays. I plan to go back in two weeks but get there earlier than my 2:30pm appearance today.
   
  Things have changed so much at both the museum and in the Pittsburgh metro area. The museum has really grown and developed nicely. Business and residential developments have sprung up in places were farms used to be, hilltops have been shaved off and are now topped with office buildings and traffic is worse than ever. PAT buses look strange to me now. The color is odd and most have the advertising wrap which I am not a fan of. The Pennsylvania Turnpike was another strange item also. Going to Pittsburgh I did not get a ticket at the Ohio/Pa border like I used to get. Several miles into Pennsylvania one stops at a toll plaza and pays a flat fee of $3.00. I got off the turnpike at Rt 60 and did not have to pay any other turnpike fees. But then, coming back to Cleveland I got on the turnpike at Route 19 in Wexford and, of course, did not get a ticket. I went all the way to the Ohio Turnpike and did not have to pay coming back home. There are no toll plazas between Pittsburgh
 and Ohio, westbound. A mystery to me !!
   
  All in all a wonderful Sunday afternoon is Western Pennsylvania. 

Herb Brannon