[PRCo] Re: Restored Signals

Mon May 14 21:04:39 EDT 2007

Insert the friggen comma....

fws

On May 14, 2007, at 8:50 PM, Bob Dietrich wrote:

> I can't help myself Fred:  How could an operator drop a sandwich so  
> it can
> insulate the car from the rail????   :-)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of  
> Fred
> Schneider
> Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 8:17 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Restored Signals
>
> Herb went around the East Loop and commented that the track gauge was
> a little tight ... that he could feel it in his bones.   I had to
> agree with him.    I felt bad taking the car away from him when we
> crossed North Main Street but rules are rules.   Truth of the matter
> is we have both had about 20 years running streetcars but my 20 years
> in museums ... in miles ... is about equivalent to 20 to 25 days of
> his years.   I'm not the least bit surprised that Herb hasn't
> forgotten.  That was why when Merritt Taylor, Jr. of Red Arrow, their
> last President, came to rededicate the rebuilt No. 78, he sat down at
> the controls and ran it like he had just gotten out the seat at the
> end of his shift the night before.   His father told him he could be
> president but he had to also learn to be a janitor and a motorman and
> a bus driver and all the other jobs first.  And if you do them all
> well enough and long enough, you don't forget.
>
> And after four days at PTM it begins to feel like working for a
> living.....
>
> It was nice having you Herb.   And I hope we'll all see you in  
> November.
>
> Mark:   I believe an operator dropped sand which insulated a car from
> the rails and gave an opposing operator a clear signal coming into
> the block.   They met head on and locked horns ... two 3700s at
> Brookside ... Ed could fill in the details.   I think both cars burnt
> up.  I've seen the newspaper account.  I also remember someone
> telling me a tale about garter snakes in a relay case but I'm more
> likely to believe the sand.
>
> fws
>
> On May 13, 2007, at 2:54 PM, Herb Brannon wrote:
>
>> Fred is at PRM today, maybe tomorrow too. I saw him yesterday and
>> rode with him on the New Orleans car. He also rode with me on PRCo/
>> PAT pcc 1711 !!!! I got in the seat and ran the car as if there had
>> only been 24-hours since the last time I ran a pcc. However, it had
>> been 24-years. Just like riding a bicycle..............you never
>> forget how to do it.
>> Fred will probably be back online tomorrow or Tuesday.
>>
>>
>> Herb Brannon
>
>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: Mark McGuire <macmarka at netzero.net>
>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 1:22:52 PM
>> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Restored Signals
>>
>>
>> I'm not familiar with the accident north of Drake, Fred. Please
>> explain. Thanks!
>>
>>                              Mark
>>
>> -- Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net> wrote:
>> Does that include "Don't drop sand?"    <I'm grinning but only
>> partly
>> so.>
>>
>> I guess I'm a little skeptical of color light signals on a museum
>> trolley line knowing how much trouble railroads had with signals if
>> the rail wasn't heavily used and polished.   The big boys never had
>> a
>> problem with 50 car freight trains or 15 car passenger trains ...
>> there were enough axles and wheels to shunt signal circuits.  The
>> problem happened when you had a single switch engine or an gas-
>> electric car or an RDC car or a trolley car with only two or four
>> axles and four or eight wheels and rail that was used infrequently
>> and was rusty.   And then someone got a clear block when he should
>> not have.
>>
>>   I remember that CORK interlocking tower on the PRR used to have
>> "RUSTY RAIL" clips that could be placed over signal levers as a
>> reminder not to trust certain signals if they hadn't had a train
>> over
>> them in a while.   The Reading Company used to have selected RDC
>> cars
>> that were allowed to be used as singles between Reading, Schuylkill
>> Haven and Pottsville that had tread brakes that were used to polish
>> the wheels to make sure the signal circuits worked.   And we all
>> know
>> the story of the accident north of Drake caused by sand left on the
>> rails that shorted out the signals and gave a motorman a clear block
>> when someone else was in it.   The people who worked in this
>> business
>> for a living understood the pitfalls.
>>
>> Frankly, I don't think I'm going to trust the US&S signals any more
>> than I do the Nachods, especially after a week of rain or in the
>> first months of the year when we're not running a seven day week.
>> They were semi OK for Pittsburgh Railways because they ran a minimum
>> of four cars an hour, 18 to 20 hours a day through each block and
>> because the motorman also knew from experience where they were
>> supposed to pass a car and if they didn't see the car, they got
>> antsy
>> and got on the horn and asked the dispatcher.    When we have 7
>> visitors on a Friday in May after the April rains ...  Let me ponder
>> that situation.
>>
>> There is still no substitute for knowing where every car on the
>> museum property is at any given moment.    Beats paying claims.
>>
>> On May 8, 2007, at 5:52 PM, Edward H. Lybarger wrote:
>>
>>> Jeff King has already done this (the rules, that is).
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
>>> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of
>>> Fred
>>> Schneider
>>> Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 4:33 PM
>>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>>> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Restored Signals
>>>
>>>
>>> They're winking and blinking but I asked Tim if I had to pay
>>> attention to them this coming weekend and he said they are not
>>> officially being used yet.  Only a few of us who knew Pittsburgh
>>> Railways would understand how to use them anyway.   He'll have to
>>> create a new rule book before County Home siding can be placed in
>>> service.
>>>
>>> On May 7, 2007, at 12:15 PM, Matt Barry wrote:
>>>
>>>> Story on the restored signals at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum,
>>>> with
>>>> pictures.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/
>>>> s_506278.html
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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