[PRCo] Downtown Pittsburgh TrolleyCar Routing_--_1920--1930

[Jim Holland]

First off  --  I am on the platform 10-hours/Day X 5 a week  --  Not 
Including Commute Time To and From.     I am on Dial-Up yet so don't 
have time now  (past bedtime at 3.30-AM)  to check maps further so shall 
Just Use What we have for the moment.
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I have several Big Obligations to meet that may take solid work for 
several weekends so might not be able to follow let alone participate 
here for a bit.
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That being said  --  Mark's Guess about East End routes coming to B&O 
struck a real cord  --  THE Long Distance travel of the day was Train 
and Boat - Others?     Certainly see the importance of TrolleyCars 
serving the Stations // Piers as well as Businesses for workers and 
Markets // Retail for shoppers.     Lettuce use a Committee Approach 
which will  *-Possibly-*  involve Much Detail and some frustration we 
know from the start that it can be an exercise which produces desirable 
results~!~!~!
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With this in mind we can look at the maps of the day, photos, consider 
knowledge of habits, customs, etc. and formulate an Hypothesis of 
possible routings downtown and then check this against the Scrawl on the 
route cards for verification or refutation of same~!~!~!     Sounds like 
a challenge for Mark's next visit to PTM  --  mebbe he won't be so quick 
to respond here~!~!~!
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First, lets examine this photo again::
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http://tinyurl.com/yszthh
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Note that the turn from Liberty To Grant Starts before the turn from 
11th to Liberty  --  thus coming from 11th the only option is Liberty - 
not possible to turn into Grant.
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Lettuce use the map supplied by Bob Netzlof for the Water // Smithfield 
intersection which allows a TrolleyCar to travel from Grant to Water to 
Wood  (turn to south onto Smithfield Bridge Not There:::)
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http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/pgh1.gif
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At the other end of Smithfield we have the first Tiny below and the 
other two show intersections for Smithfield and Wood south to 3rd:
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http://tinyurl.com/2xej83
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http://tinyurl.com/yq4sg3
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http://tinyurl.com/yohw8s
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Thus a Northbound TrolleyCar on the Smithfield Bridge has two options 
for inbound running::
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.......Water to Grant
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.......Smithfield
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A TrolleyCar returning to the Smithfield Bridge southbound has only 2 
options as well:
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.......Smithfield
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.......Wood.
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*-Maybe-*  The interurbans turn to Water Grant and thus come close to 
three RR stations.     Interurbans could return by either Smithfield or 
Wood.     Believe the 1952 reprint of PRCo Interurbans has a variety of 
routings used over time, some quite convoluted, but don't have the time 
to check now.
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City TrolleyCars like 38, 39, 40, 42, 44 could use Smithfield inbound to 
Liberty to 12th  (I~F  turn exists there~!~!) Penn 11th Liberty 
Smithfield and back to bridge!~!~!     Direct connection to 3 RR 
stations~!~!     City trolleys could also turn at 7th to Liberty to Wood 
to water to Smithfield Bridge.       Variety of Options.
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Please accept the above, and extensions of the above as members see fit, 
as a challenge to see if we understand the customs, thoughts, actions 
etc. of the Railway / People of that era.     We can only form an 
hypothesis  --  again, we must check this against the Scrawled route 
cards for veracity~!~!
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I~F someone doesn't want to participate  --  that is fine  --  just 
don't participate  --  a comment to that end Is Not Necessary and 
disparaging comments are out of line.
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Now watch Ed // John chime in and recite routing From Memory~!~!~!
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-- 
*Jim Holland*

Studying *Pittsburgh Railways Company*

....................From 1930 -- 1950

*Pennsylvania Trolley Museum (PTM)*

http://www.pa-trolley.org/

*N.M.R.A.*

http://www.nmra.org/