[PRCo] Re: Good Old Days

[Jim Holland]

 Bill &Walt's Hobby Shop on Smithfield near Blvd.
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Recommended practice for placing overhead frog for models is directly above
track frog - early to mid-1950s.   In those days we made our own frogs and
mine were quite crude as very young teen.  Trolley would Always Follow the
wrong wire because the pole would scrape against the large crude flanges I
made to guide the shoe.     I finally went out and measured By Footsie the
frogs at the Dormont wye, at Clearview Loop and walked to Castle Shannon to
measure frogs there and found that  """The__General__Rule"""  is that the
overhead frog is located about 1/3rd the distance from the point to the frog
and slightly offset toward the curve.    A span Should Be Placed At The
Pointto hold the wire at that location directly centered over the track  -- 
this allows the slight offset toward the curve of the frog to be of
practicalbenefit.
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Told my experience to proprietors of Bill &Walt and they Soundly Laughed Me
Out Of The Store!~!~!
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Within a year or two, Suydam came out with his classic HO Catalog with a
section on overhead at the very back which vindicated my observations as he
stated exactly what I state above!~!~!
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T~~H~~E    Hobby Shop in Pittsburgh was A.B.Charles_&_Son on W.Liberty
Avenuein Dormont.     Originally located immediately across from the leg of
the 42-wye, I Often Crossed the street there to watch their beautiful HO RR
located in the back of the store.
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Bud was a gem - he often helped me with problems and made parts for me -
freeof charge.     He got much business from me buying replacement trolley
poles, overhead, hangers, equipment, track, etc.
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Bud's Hobby Shop moved about 1/2 block inbound in the 1950s where it
remaineduntil just recently  --  understand it went through a relocation.   
Last I talked to Bud his wife was ailing but they were still avid travelers
if the opportunity presented itself.
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Hobby was barely tolerated at home but wasn't appreciated.     I loved the
Suydam equipment, esp the Niles and North Shore Cars and would save my money
and hide it in the rafters in the attic, make the purchase at Bud's Hobby
Shop, and take the model to my Aunt where she stored it until I left home.  
  No One knows about this To This Day!~!~!     Bud knew about all this,
though!~!~!     What are  Y~o~u~r  Kids  Doing  Today?~!~?~!~?
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Remember TV news anchor taking the job as streetcar motorman and essentially
denigrating the position on Live TV saying AnyOne could do this job - who
wants it?     True - most could operate a TrolleyCar - hardly rocket science
- but there is a special lore to it.
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Built Very Crude 3-pedal foot pedal system and Transistor Throttle to
operatemodel trolleycars after tour with Uncle Sam's Canoe Club was over
withoverhead contactor for operating switches.    Highly Realistic Operation
--  Look forward to DCC being even better!~!~!
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Dad claims to have been hired by PRCo not long after he came home from WW2 -
he worked the old cars as both conductor and motorman but said he was too
nervous with all those levers, people on and off the car, traffic etc.    
Shame  --  would have been real legacy had he stayed!!     Believe he quit
within 2-weeks and moved on.
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Mom &Dad would set up 8'X4' Lionel layout, Trim the Christmas Tree, 'build'
the village around the tree and on the layout and set out the presents 
A~L~L  On Christmas Eve After the chili peppers went to bed!~!~!    
Christmas Morning was an Absolutely Amazing Time!~!~!
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It was many years before I found the layout stored in the cellar - after
that, the RR disappeared and TrolleyCars dominated the scene!~!~!
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Remember the huge 1950 snow which shut down much of PRCo Including the
Interurbans  (have story here from some Interurban motorman retired in CA
whogot stuck on Washington line  --  local people invited him home for the
night where he had a warm bed and good food!~!~!)     All I saw On Occasion
was the shovel as Dad shoveled out front!~!~!
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Really Enjoyed shoveling Snow - was quite efficient at it.     Never had to
tell me twice to shovel the snow  --  didn't not have to tell me the first
time - just did it and enjoyed it.     CanNot say I feel the same now - snow
in pictures is sometimes too much and SF weather is so temperate And Mild
AndBeautiful And Sunny (somewhere!~!) And Enjoyable weather overkissed,
foggy, sunny, rainy - really enjoy winter rains and like to go to northcoast
in winter during rain storms that I am really spoiled.
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Paternal GrandMother grew up in Connellsville and the countryside near
Somerset - Garrett  (was in General Store here where she used to play)  and
she Always told me stories about the WP TrolleyCars - '''...those were Big
Cars'''   she would say!~!~!
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First TrolleyCar publication I bought was PERC typed glossy with photos
aboutWP - still have it.    It has Always been at my fingertips since day I
purchased it  --  even in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club!~!~!
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Second publication I bought was Trolley Car Treasury!~!~!
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Has been All UpHill from there!~!~!
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Worked as Soda Jerk in Potomac Pharmacy and walked the 42 tracks back and
forth to work.     Owned by Solador Family and worked by 2 pharmacists,
HenrySolador and Ray who lived 1/2block away on Belrose.       Store open
from 8-AM til 11-PM 6-days a week, 8-AM til 6-PM Sunday - 2 pharmacists with
someone always there!~!~!     Soda fountain remained for only 6-months and
the store went through a tremendous modernization - used to make Cherry /
Vanilla / etc cokes, banana splits, etc.     Many didn't like Henry's brash
personality but he and I got along great.     He and I would compete at
Christmas for sales!~!~!     I took over ordering of candy as I found if I
kept it full stocked that it sold faster!~!~!
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Henry's Mom had Parkinson and lived with Sister - Henry gave me keys to his
Brand New Buick and I took Mom and Sis out for rides On The Payroll.    
Henry would buy me lunch With His Money - learned about super corned beef
andcabbage here!~!~!
.
Dad helped me file IRS return to get back taxes Henry had paid - I didn't
oweanything - Henry quite surprized to have this returned to him!~!~!
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Have gotten Op of Month Awards here at Muni where I get gifts and cash from
various organizations.     Wrote Thank You Letters to each and am told that
Iwas the first so to do - quite shocked at this!~!~!
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We were just blue collar family but were taught to respect others and to say
Thanks.     Thank__You__Mom_&_Dad  for teaching the Heart of Living!~!~!
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I always like to run when doing things and did so in running errands for the
Pharmacy.     Others got on my case but that was Just Me.     Did help at
thestore.
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Store got wifes old 52 Chevy and Often put brake on floor as it had a fluid
leak - was that way til I moved on and when my brother went to work there.
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Brother worked there after me and he and Henry would go hunting at Ohio Pyle
- turned into a Family Friend!~!~!
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Jim__Holland
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Meeting John C. Swindler while RailFanning on PRCo  --  we have kept contact
to this day!
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Meeting Carol Swindler  --  that was in SF but Still Tremendous Fun  --  A
Decade Ago(?~?)!~!     They Promised A Return Trip.......
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Meeting PRCo Op Walthers, friend of John, former Washington Interurban
Operator who knew his equipment Well!!
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Knew Every Rail Joint on 42-Dormont as well as Interurbans and could
*-click-* them all off  --  threw me for a loop when they installed welded
rail on some of the trestles in the 1950s  --  Smithfield and Palm Garden.  
  Didn't Not NoHow like the flared joints used with this welded rail  -- 
like RR point meeting railhead  --  they Were Not Smooth!     Never tried to
learn these joints  --  just seemed to come naturally!~!~!
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Delivering SnoozePapers for many years  --  Up Very Early Sunday morning to
meet the last 42/38 Owl.     I would be finished with papers before 6-AM and
on my way for All Day Pass Riding  --  home for Dinner only and back out
until Mudnight in the summer.
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Woke one Sunday AM to find tremendous amount of snow.     Trolley running
very late but heard the Overhead Wheel first and some distance away  -- 
snowacts like excellent insulator  --  Much Better than Standard Resilient
oreven Super Resilient Wheels!~!~!     Car was close to 30-minutes late and
Really Moving!     Multiples of grade crossings at all angles near
Greenmountbut NO traffic so that PCC Sailed!!     Appeared as if snow came
upto skirting which is 12" above railhead  --  snow between rails packed to
overflowing!~!~!
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Watched line crew install Shining New Overhead between Owls one Sunday AM.
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Line Crew looking for dewirement spot Outbound on the curve opposite Kelton.
    I showed them the place where poles dewired and watched them fix it  -- 
No More Problem!!
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Some of the first snows of the year melted on the way down and froze on the
trolley wire for absolutely TanFasTic Horrendously Beautiful Fireworks
Displays  --  we have disgusted this before and the installation of ice
cutters but Never Saw Such Installed  --  they just burned the ice off with
the normal wheel, as well as some of the overhead not to mention the wheel
itself!~!~!     Ice Cutter wheel full of rough ridges so it would arc
continually as well, ice or not, but probably no where near as much arcing
aswith ice itself.
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Watching TrolleyCars wye at Dormont in Rush Hour in early 1950s  -- 
Trolleysbacked up All The Way to Park Blvd. waiting for entry to wye.      
Service car would back deep and allow cars returning to the barn to back in
front of it  --  some real cowboys  --  peebles walked around the wye as
wellbut Never Saw An Accident.     Great fun with Jones cars as motormen
often stood, had to work controller and brake handles in addition to
reverser  --- All Right There In Sight!     Wish I had movies of this.
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Ops in hurry didn't not pull up far enough over sprung overhead frog so
trolley went on wrong wire when backing and ended up stuck in the overhead. 
   Road Call Time!~!~!
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One car put large kink in the overhead this way and it was Amazing how many
trolleycars made it over this kink when pulling into the wye  --  only the
rare car dewired.     Good thing the kink wasn't in the back up wire!~!~!
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Saw one car that had broken torque arm which keeps the axles parallel.    
Shop did hasty wire job to hold pieces together but was NoWhere Near
Adequate.     Front wheel front truck would lift Well Off the railhead when
backing out of the wye  --  I was cringing like crazy and the Operator saw
this and would stop the car only to have the shop men tell him to
continue!~!~!
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One PCC  --  believe it was an 1200  --  had reverser failure and had to
haveinspector clear W. Liberty so he could head inbound on the outbound
trackfor about 3-car lengths and then take the X-Over to the Inbound track
togo back to the barn!~!~!
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Standing at Biltmore to punch in time clock for ops heading outbound!~!~!   
Free service!~!~!
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({[Punching Time Clock when No PCCs nor any other TrolleyCar around!~!~!]})
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Occasionally a pole would break when backing the 42-wye  --  amazing to
watchthem change it  --  standing a 14-foot pole on the ground beside the
carmade it seem twice as large as when it was actually mounted to the
car!~!~!
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Jim__Holland
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Ed Lybarger wrote::
Roth Carpet is indeed still in business.

Nice memoirs!

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org[1]
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On[2] Behalf Of Jim
Holland
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 7:31 AM
To: - 1714 PRCo__WP__JTC -
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Good Old Days

>Dennis Fred Cramer wrote::
.
>Ah yes! We all get to remember the good old days focusing on those 
things we knew and loved.

------- [snipped] -------

>I miss the orange sky's at night in the Mon Valley. I did get to ride 
the Jack Rabbit, Racer, walk through Noah's Ark and ride the train at 
Kennywood last Sunday. That will probably be the last time I go. I 
stopped paying to go to amusement parks long ago and my job is the 
reason I still attend.

>Those of us in the world who have positive thoughts, that includes 
those on this list, remember the good and the bad. We just tend to focus 
much more on the positive. I think it has something to do with education 
level and life experience.
.
.
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Individuality and gifts of the individual determine the thoughts -- 
And Quite Often many people with lives that would be considered 
absolutely horrible by the masses have Nothing But Pleasant 
Thoughts!~!~! Tough Times and Challenges are very often Quite 
Humbling and are the stuff that build Character!~!~! A Big Theme of 
the 1950s was that Parents didn't want their Chilli Peppers to go 
through what they went through. Unfortunately, this is Bad!~!~! 
Challenges are real and having a parent Stand By // Beside for guidance 
*-Through-* Challenges rather than avoiding same is THE best way to 
build character.
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West View Coaster nothing to sneeze at -- excellent ride as well.
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Picnics in North Park with::
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.......those Angelic Deviled Eggs!~!~!
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.......Chipped Ham from Isaly's in Sandwiches
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.......Heinz Pickles to Top Off the Sandwiches!~!~!
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.......Heinz Ketchup and Mustard on those Sandwiches as well!~!~!
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.......Real HomeMade Potato Salad!~!~!
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.......""The__Dad's"" Playing Ball -- or attempting to!~!~!
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.......or ""The__Dad's"" taking out the canoe, and swamping it!~!~!
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Remember debut of 7-Up in Pittsburgh -- SinFully Delicious and 
definitely different from Coca-Cola!
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The Big Isaly's Plant with what seemed like Miles and Miles of seating 
at what looked like student desks!~!~!
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Coca-Cola - """50-million times a day, at home at work or on the way, 
everyone drinks Coca-Cola, everyone drinks Coke!~!~!""" This Jingle 
Actually a part of Coke advertizing in the 1950s!
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Get your rugs cleaned at Roth -- Emerson 2-2800 (Zeros pronounced as 
Ohs! in this TV Jingle which I can Still Recite To This Day -- Are 
they still in Beezness?~!~?)
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The Hot Dog stand in E.Liberty that claimed to have sold millions of 
Foot Long Hot Dogs.
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The roller skating rink nearby where USS often had Family Night!~!~!
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Running with my Aunt for the TrolleyCar -- Ops *-Always-* Stopped 
for her!~!~!
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Mom taking my sister and I for a ride on the 87-Ardmore Just To Ride The 
TrolleyCar!
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Mom and Dad taking my Sister and I on the Washington Interurban before 
it was cut back!~!~!
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.......Distinctly remember the Houston Leap! We were heading 
southbound, took quite sharp left turn at considerable speed and 
remember thinking that a city trolleycar would easily dewire at such 
speed. We raced across this trestle and dropped so fast into Grant 
at the other end that it left the stomach in the air -- m~u~c~h 
better than Any Roller Coaster!~!~! Motormen probably did this 
porpoisely!~!~!
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.......As was typical with our family, we had to run to catch the 
Interurban Already Backing out of the wye!~!~!
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.......On the way back my father had to ask the motorman to stop the car 
so he could take me Out In The Bushes! """Not On The 
Wheels!~!~!""" exclaimed my father!~!~!
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Riding by Richfol in the Family car Multitudes of Times!~!~!
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Visiting Cousins near Pleasant Hills and riding out along the Charleroi 
Interurban in various places.
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Downtown shopping with Mom and Insisting that we wait for one of the Old 
TrolleyCars in rush hour to ride home. She didn't like that as she 
got her heels caught in the slatted floor -- but we did ride one of 
those Old TrolleyCars Home!~!~!
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Mom and I walking to Horne's - more like she was dragging me - as I saw 
an Interurban coming along Wood and wanted to wait and watch it go by!~!~!
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Clark Candy Bars!~!~! *-AYE-* -- Want A Clark Bar!~!~!
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Annual School Picnic where Dormont Chartered about 20 TrolleyCars for 
the ride to Kennywood - quite a sight to see them all come out the 
38-Mt.Lebanon line - we loaded in front of the Presbyterian Church on 
Washington Rd just opposite Bower Hill Rd (and inside Mt.Lebanon, Not 
Dormont!~!~!)
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HORRIBLE 1955 TrolleyCar Fire in Homewood -- Paternal Grandparents 
lived just 3-blocks away. I saw the carnage firsthand!~!~!
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Candle Light Christmas Eve Service at the Lutheran Church on Grant 
Street at Midnight followed by Dinner downtown! Then riding the 
42/38 Owl TrolleyCar Home -- The Only Time we saw 42/38 on a 42-car in 
Real TrolleyCar Days!~!~! Had to catch it on Smithfield or Wood, Not 
Grant!~!~!
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Riding my first PERC charter on M11 -- That Accelerator Got Hellishly 
Hot!~!~! We went out on Library Interurban, had M11 flat out on the 
floor coming back in but the Revenue Car from Library caught us at 
Shannon!~!~! We backed into 37-loop to allow Revenue car to pass.
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Riding on a Baltimore charter on PRCo with Rocky Engleman on 1646 and 
1709 -- operator looked and talked like actor Lee Marvin, was former 
Interurban operator to Charleroi // Washington, and was featured in 
newspaper with photo for their annual former Interurban Operator 
Get-Together. Op allowed Rocky to run the Interurban in Buttermilk 
Hollow on the 56-McKeesport. Have much of this on movie film and video.
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On the above charter we went outbound on the 10-West View and Inbound on 
the 15. We charged down the center of highway prw toward one of the 
Very High TrolleyCar trestles converted to accept rubber tired vehicles 
and the Out of State auto approaching from the other side backed off the 
trestle when he saw the Interurban coming At Very Real Speed!~!~!
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Racing outbound on Forbes(?~? -- 64/67 lines) and crossing trestle 
over Frick Park and Passing All Traffic on the above Charter!~!~!
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My Dad and I going from Dormont to Homewood by TrolleyCar to visit 
Paternal GrandParents. Coming home we get off at 10th, walk up to 
and along Liberty to Smithfield where we spy a 42 about to turn onto 7th 
- we bolt to catch the car only to watch it Split The Switch with the 
back end heading straight down Smithfield. So Much For Our Ride 
Home!~!~!
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Going to Grandma's myself on the 88 and racing out Liberty along the PRR 
retaining wall -- Really Racing in an old 1000-series car as there had 
been a delay.
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Dad and I going to Forbes Field on TrolleyCar to watch Pirates - coming 
home on 42-Dormont 1454 (house number across the street from us - 
reason I remember the car number on this one!~!~!) the trolley pole 
dewired outbound at Dawn Jct -- donut remember NoThing about the game 
except that it was Very Slow!!!
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Could tell series of PRCo PCC from 1/4-mile away and could tell series 
by sound!~!~!
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Remember 1601-series Interurban filling in as tripper on 42-Dormont 
Displaying PITTSBURGH in the destination sign because it Didn't Not 
have a 42-sign (yet!) -- Interurbans originally sported destinations 
strictly for Interurban lines Only until some time Well After cutback in 
1953.
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Remember the Interurbans using the 38-Mt.Lebanon back to the barn in the 
PM rush hour. Would try to catch one of the Interurbans if going to 
an PRMA meeting at the downtown Y.
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Remember riding PCC Interurban 1705 inbound on the 42-Dormont when going 
to PRMA meeting downtown on one very snowy evening -- Op told me they 
put the Interurbans out on the other lines after the rush hour because 
they were Heavier and tracked better in the snow. Think he tried to 
Snow Me with that one as the 17-series Interurbans were about 500-pounds 
lighter than the City Cars!~!~!
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Gulf Building Weather forecasting -- blue / red, solid / flashing -- 
never could remember what it meant and was Much Easier Just To Look At 
The Sky to see what was Happening!~!~!
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Pirates winning Series in 1959 caused Gridlock in the city and a few 
deaths because ticker tape thrown out windows locked up TrolleyCar 
wheels which burned Overhead Down with 600-volt wire landing on lady - 
TrolleyCar service essentially shut down.
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Pleasantness of TrolleyCar ride through Tunnel in Summer!~!~!
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Beautiful smell of Ozone in Mt.Washington TrolleyCar Tunnel!~!~! 
That's a High to be Experienced!~!~!
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Riding 1723 outbound on Drake one Mother's Day when she split the switch 
at Bon Air -- rear truck went on the ground and back wheel ran up on 
track brake which stopped us Instantly. Many people, esp kids, hit 
their mouth on the seat in front. I was sitting in center of back 
seat and found myself running up the aisle!~!~!
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Walked back to SHJ to find a Drake Car Sub for 1723 having been sent 
around town just coming out of Tunnel. Jumped on board and rode 
outbound Express on the 38-Mt.Lebanon. Motorman normally a sleeper 
but he Really Moved It! Had it on the floor into one of the broad 
sweeping curves to the right -- Interurban heaved to the left, 
motorman released the power, car then leaned to the right, motorman put 
power back on floor, Interurban leaned back to left and stayed there as 
we negotiated the curve At Speed!~!~!
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Auto parked on track at Clearview Loop so motorman blasted away on the 
Horn. Chinese Laundryman came racing out of his shop totally panic 
struck at a TrolleyCar Honking at his auto!~!~! Someone was at 
Shannon to set switches so we went straight outbound to Wash Jct without 
having to back around Shannon loop. When we got to Highway 51 
crossing inbound the disabled 1723 had just cleared the single 
track!~!~! (Motorman was operating 1601-Interurban on Dinky when 
it had cornfield meet with 1261!~!~! Said it looked like it was 
coming at him sideways it was such a surprize - coming around one of the 
gentle curves!~!~! Nachod Failure!~!~!)
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Riding in Family 52-Chevy one summer along 88 at Pioneer Ave (Elwynn 
Stop on Interurban) with all windows down about twilight - most 
vehicles had lights on but wasn't really *-necessary-* yet. We 
were stopped in heavy traffic when we heard the thunder of an 
approaching 17-Interurban -- Roof Light Lit. It hit the trestle 
at speed with Roaring Thunder, back end bounced up and down, trolley 
pole appeared to scrape along low overhead causing a fireworks type 
display, pole never dewired, and PCC Interurban thundered off faster 
than it arrived on scene. """Wish we had been on that 
TrolleyCar!~!~!""" Exclaimed Mom.
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Mom and Aunt would Always Say that Half the fun in going to picnics was 
the ride on the TrolleyCar!~!~!
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Would be Gopher for motormen in the summer and would ride Many Round 
Trips on the *-Cars-*!~!~!
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It was Extremely Rare to experience a Trolley Pole Dewirement in 
Pittsburgh -- probably saw / experienced as many trolley pole 
dewirements daily here in San Francisco in mid 1970s as I did for first 
20-years of life in Pittsburgh!~!~! Trolley Overhead in SF in 1970s 
was absolutely abysmal!
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A~L~L this is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg -- There I~S Much 
More!~!~!
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Jim__Holland



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