[PRCo] PCC Brake Valves

[Fred Schneider]

FORWARDED TO DAVID HAMLEY BY BLIND CARBON FOR HIM COMMENTS ON THE  
REWIRING PROGRAM:  DAVE, IF YOU ADD ANYTHING, I'LL POST IT  
ANONYMOUSLY.  FWS



An open note to Boris Cefer and any one else crazy enough to read it:

Boris, what's the difference between a WABCO R8, R10 and R12 brake  
valve?

Pittsburgh Railways used the R-8 on the 1000, 1100, 1400 and 1500  
series cars.

The R-10 was used only on the 1200 series.

Finally, the R-12 was used only on 1600-1614, 1620-1644, 1648-1699.    
A modified R-12 was used on the other 1600s.

A GE lockout relay 17 MV 15A1 was used on the 1000s and 1100s.   GE  
17 MV22A5 went on to the 1200s.   HE 17 MV 15 A2 went onto the  
1400s.   and GE 17 MV 15 C6 went onto the 1500s.   These were all for  
non-extended dynamic braking.

Cars with extended dynamic braking received a 17 MV 15 C11 lock out  
relay.   The chart I'm reading from lists 1200s, 1400s, 1500s and  
1600s except that cars 1615, 1616, 1617, 1618, 1919, 1946 and 1647  
but a 17 MV 22 A lockout relay.

This, of course, indicates that the 1200s, 1400s, and 1500s came from  
the factory as non EDB cars and were rewired at Homewood.   There is  
no indication when the rewiring was done but it is pretty obvious  
that it would not have been done before 1600 was delivered in 1945.    
I would suspect any such program was also terminated by the  
separation of Duquesne Light and the money tree from Pittsburgh  
Railways at the end of the 1940s.    Thereafter they would have done  
only what was necessary to keep body and soul together because there  
was simply no money for anything else.   One can only question  
whether they would have rewired the 1100s next if the money had been  
available.

FWS3