[PRCo] Cleveland -- Pittsburgh -- List

[Jim Holland]

> Robert Simpson wrote:
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> Maybe not if it is a sensitive subject.
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>> Herb wrote:
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>> You really want to get me started on this subject again ???
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>>> robert simpson <bobs at pacbell.net> wrote:  Dear Sir;
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>>> Forgive me but I am a newbie. Please briefly explain
>>> the connection between PRCo and Cleveland Transit.
>>> I have lived in both cities and extensively
>>> used public transportation.
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>>> Thank you
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>>> Robert Simpson
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>>>> Herb Brannon wrote:
>>>>For Information:
>
>>>> This Saturday, 1 September, will be the final
>>>> Detroit-Superior Bridge/Subway tour for this year.
>>>> Remember that a PRCo 1100-series PCC operated over
>>>> this trackage. The tour is free and self-guided.
>>>> A lot of videos are shown (including the PRCo PCC)
>>>> in the subway tunnel and West 25th Station.
>>>> There are also many nice traction and steam displays.
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Robert!

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I find your question interesting and intriguing. You have lived in Both 
Cleveland and Pittsburgh, have joined a Pittsburgh list and wonder about 
the connection between the two cities because discussion of both 
interests you.     Good Question but not all the responses were in the 
same vein, unfortunately.     Not unlike issues being made Twice about 
Off-Topic posts  (NOT raised by the original poster)  the responses to 
your inquiry raise issues not related to your question and these issues 
take on a negative tone.
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PRCo loaned PCC 1095 to Cleveland for several months in 1936 as a 
demonstrator of new TrolleyCar technology  --  this PCC returned to 
Pittsburgh.     This  Is  THE  TrolleyCar  connection between the two 
cities.
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Herb lives in Cleveland now and also lived in Pittsburgh at one time, 
not unlike you.     This might be considered a secondary link to Cleveland.
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What follows is a Little History about this list.
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Formed  *-about-*  a decade ago by Derrick Brashear (and hosted on a 
server by his then employer) as three distinct lists:::
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.......Pittsburgh
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.......West Penn
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.......Johnstown.
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I did much email work trying to drum up membership and after a little 
time we thought all three lists should be merged into one  --  Derrick 
balked at this a bit but followed through.     This list is thus  
*-Officially-*  about Pittsburgh Railways Company  (PRCo,)  Johnstown  
(JTC,)  West Penn  (WP.)     It should be noted that WP main Division is 
nicknamed the Coke division and linked Greensburg, Latrobe, 
Connellsville, Uniontown and a number of other cities.     WP also had 
some far-flung and isolated systems, some extending into Ohio and 
W.Virginia.      So list emails cover everything from JTC West in 
SouthWest PA and immediately adjacent Ohio and W.Virginia.     Oh 
Yes!~!~!     ({[pat]})  is also a topic!~!~!
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There is only so much we can write about any system or combination of 
systems so discussions kind of taper with time.  Then a list member 
Thought Out Loud In Emails and said we should be able to talk about 
anything we want, even what we plant in our garden.     List Owner 
Derrick was not asked for his permission but he didn't raise any 
objections either.     He Has very subtly stated only once or twice that 
he prefers we remain close to topic but otherwise is silent on the 
matter.     So if we had trouble keeping PRCo, WP, and JTC separate on 3 
lists, so we tend to include everything and anything TrolleyCar now, and 
even non-trolleycar.
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I  Like  TrolleyCars.     I have books about a variety of TrolleyCar 
Systems and find them all fascinating.
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B~~U~~T-----
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I was born and raised in Pittsburgh  --  have distinct memories of it 
from 1950 forward - the waning years of PRCo  --  yet virtually 
everything or every type of equipment ever owned by PRCo was still in 
service in 1950, even if relegated to work equipment.     This Is My 
Prime Interest And My Prime Hobby.     I have a fair amount of 
information and technical data about PRCo, I have a very good photo 
collection of PRCo, but there is Very Much I Do Not Have & Do Not 
Know.     I am Well Into my 7th Decade and would prefer to concentrate 
my remaining time on PRCo  as well as WP and JTC and to Know Them Well 
as to know a little about this and that.     Thus I am Not Interested in 
Prolonged discussions about Europe, Asia, Canada, nor most places 
U.S.A.     They may come up as comparisons or part of a discussion as 
something relative to the list topics, but should Not Be The Main Focus.
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To say that Anything Goes for discussion flies in the face of Society 
which Thrives and Does best on Structure  --  although rebellious, even 
Children Crave Structure and this is Extremely Well Documented in 
Children's studies.     Traffic, etiquette, ethics, responsibility, 
etc., Etc., ETC.   A~L~L  have structure and couldn't function 
without.     Chaos is structureless but I prefer PRCo, WP and JTC.     
With Herb in Cleveland expanding discussion to include Cleveland is 
fine.      I am in San Francisco and will give info about Muni but don't 
really want to discuss it without definite questions that need an 
answer.     BART, AC, SamTrans, VTA are here too but I don't know 
anything about them and really don't want to use my time to research 
them  --  I don't have an interest.     Not really interested in modern 
light rail, either.       I experienced PRCo and therein is my 
Interest!~!~!     As to Posies, a very wonderful Lady brings me flowers 
on my TrolleyCoach every day and we set them up for a display  --  
brought me a Beautiful Mellow Yellow Potted Orchid the other day that I 
shall  *-try-*  to maintain but I have told here that I have the Black 
Thumb of Death when it comes to raising flowers!
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ImPerfect World  --  V~E~R~Y   Imperfect  --  so is the list.     
Inevitable that there will be conflicts - it has happened and will 
happen again.     List is just a microcosm of the world and whatever 
goes on anywhere else Also goes on here - cliques  (several of them,)  
Kissers and Kissee's, etc. - it's all here.     Some say inet encourages 
our dark side and we are Much More Prone to being combative!!
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I stopped getting emails from the list  --  I check the archives on 
occasion and some of the emails but definitely not all of them.     I am 
looking for good solid info  --  not interested in opinions.     Life 
existed and was Just Fine before the Inet  --  Life can be Just As 
Wonderful and Maybe More So by limiting the inet or even cutting it out 
altogether!     Don't want to be a slave to the inet  --  most would 
deny it but  M~a~n~y  have sold themselves into Slavery with Sloppular 
Phones!~!~!
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While Cleveland operated PRCo 1095 it took ten more years before they 
had their own equipment running, and then for only a few years as they 
bustituted.     As an Aside  --  Pittsburgh PRCo has a TrolleyCar link 
to a number of other cities.     Buffalo borrowed PRCo 1264 for Display 
Only and Louisville operated PRCo 1253 as a demonstrator.     Took 
Louisville about 7-8-years to get their own PCCs which Never Ran There 
but were sold to Cleveland!     Twin Cities got PRCo 1547 and Detroit 
got 1674 and 1675.     Doesn't matter that these cars were Never Owned 
by PRCo  --  they were Intended for PRCo, were part of the PRCo order 
but were diverted to these cities and later replaced with other cars.
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L~~O~~N~~G    Weekend,  ThankFully!~!~!       Wish One And All a Happy 
and Safe Holiday!~!~!
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Jim__Holland