[PRCo] Go Figger~!~!~!

[Jim Holland]

PRCo PCC City Car 1613 was based at Craft Avenue Car House when she was 
chosen for experiments as new equipment for the Interurban lines  --  
she retained her original B2s but had more weight added to them, 
according to that 1952 treatise on the PRCo Interurban division.
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Here is PRCo PCC City Car 1618 on the 94-Sharpsburg line working out of 
Butler Car House.     I have photos of 1619 also on the 94 before 
conversion; also have some of the eventual interurbans on RR flat cars 
for delivery.
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I have photos of 1646 working the 87-Ardmore before conversion to 
Interurban  --  at least the barn is the same as the one which converted 
it to Interurban~!~!~!
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This leads to a number of interesting questions:::::::
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Why wasn't a 1601 taken from South Hills for conversion to 
Interurban?     *Possible__Answer:*     she would need to be replaced 
with something for City Service.
....... But wouldn't that be true of any car pulled from any barn on the 
system  --
....... ....... or did Craft have the highest ratio of spares~?~!~?
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Plummer was just a small Car House so why take equipment from there?
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Why the two different groupings of 1601 interurbans:::::::
.......1613--1619??
.......1644--1648??
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Mr.B has indicated that the first 30-WH-1601s were apparently wired for 
peppier acceleration  --
....... were 1644--1648 so retrowired?     Very simple procedure 
according to Mr.B~!~!~!
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While Mr.Ed answered the inquiry of why 1644 was so short lived as an 
interurban  (Convert to Interurban 1947.05.02; Convert to City car 
1949.05.19)  with the need wasn't there any more, it could also be that 
1644 sported experimental Clark B2A trucks which led to the modified 
B2B  (used under PRCo 1725--1799 and TTC 4500-4549) and the B2A were not 
as suited for Interurban usage and B3s were not available for 1644  --  
1644 was truly an oddball while 1613 and 1614 at least sported something 
akin to the production grade B3s.
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Harold Cox' book on PCCs indicate that 1630 received B3 trucks from 1648 
after the Homewood fire.      (((It is true that truck swaps were common 
and the trucks that a car started life with would eventually wind up 
under another car  --  spares are on hand so that when trucks are 
removed for overhaul another pair are placed under immediately to 
minimize down time of the equipment.)))
....... Nevertheless, B3s are replaced with B3s and B2s with B2s---
....... ....... Unless 1630 was truly to be converted to Interurban.
....... Additionally, type of braking had to be considered for truck swaps::
....... ....... Wheel Tread Brake shoes or Drums  ---
....... ....... ....... 1601s only Air-Cars with Drums As Delivered.
....... ....... Spring applied or Air-Applied???---
....... ....... ....... 1200s Only PRCo Air-Cars with spring applied treads.
....... Was 1630 intended for Interurban service at one time??
....... Have photo of 1630 outbound at Boyer but can't see the trucks.
....... 1630 sported fans like the 17s  --
....... ....... hardly a reason for conversion to Interurban  --  but 
who knows~?~!~?
Udder Questions~?~!~?
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^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
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Jim  Holland
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Studying Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo)
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..............................From 1930 -- 1950
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Pennsylvania  Trolley  Museum  (PTM)
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http://www.pa-trolley.org/
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N.M.R.A.
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http://www.nmra.org/


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