[PRCo] Re: Good Old Days

[Jim Holland]

Fibber McGee and Molly
.
Kukla, Fran, & Ollie
.
Kate Smith
.
Howdy Doody
.
Inner Sanctum
.
Early Years of TV
.
.
.
.
.
Bill & Walt's Hobby Shop on Smithfield near Blvd.
.
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 Point to 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 practical benefit.
.
Told my experience to proprietors of Bill & Walt and they Soundly 
Laughed Me Out Of The Store!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
T~~H~~E    Hobby Shop in Pittsburgh was A.B.Charles_&_Son on W.Liberty 
Avenue in 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.
.
Bud was a gem - he often helped me with problems and made parts for me - 
free of charge.     He got much business from me buying replacement 
trolley poles, overhead, hangers, equipment, track, etc.
.
Bud's Hobby Shop moved about 1/2 block inbound in the 1950s where it 
remained until 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.
.
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?~!~?~!~?
.
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.
.
Built Very Crude 3-pedal foot pedal system and Transistor Throttle to 
operate model trolleycars after tour with Uncle Sam's Canoe Club was 
over with overhead contactor for operating switches.    Highly Realistic 
Operation  --  Look forward to DCC being even better!~!~!
.
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.
.
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!~!~!
.
It was many years before I found the layout stored in the cellar - after 
that, the RR disappeared and TrolleyCars dominated the scene!~!~!
.
Remember the huge 1950 snow which shut down much of PRCo Including the 
Interurbans  (have story here from some Interurban motorman retired in 
CA who got 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!~!~!
.
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 And Beautiful 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.
.
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!~!~!
.
First TrolleyCar publication I bought was PERC typed glossy with photos 
about WP - still have it.    It has Always been at my fingertips since 
day I purchased it  --  even in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club!~!~!
.
Second publication I bought was Trolley Car Treasury!~!~!
.
Has been All UpHill from there!~!~!
.
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, Henry Solador 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!~!~!
.
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 and cabbage here!~!~!
.
Dad helped me file IRS return to get back taxes Henry had paid - I 
didn't owe anything - Henry quite surprized to have this returned to 
him!~!~!
.
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 I was the first so to do - quite shocked at this!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
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 the store.
.
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.
.
Brother worked there after me and he and Henry would go hunting at Ohio 
Pyle - turned into a Family Friend!~!~!
.
.
.
Jim__Holland
.
.
.
.
.
Meeting John C. Swindler while RailFanning on PRCo  --  we have kept 
contact to this day!
.
Meeting Carol Swindler  --  that was in SF but Still Tremendous Fun  --  
A Decade Ago(?~?)!~!     They Promised A Return Trip.......
.
Meeting PRCo Op Walthers, friend of John, former Washington Interurban 
Operator who knew his equipment Well!!
.
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!~!~!
.
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.
.
Woke one Sunday AM to find tremendous amount of snow.     Trolley 
running very late but heard the Overhead Wheel first and some distance 
away  --  snow acts like excellent insulator  --  Much Better than 
Standard Resilient or even Super Resilient Wheels!~!~!     Car was close 
to 30-minutes late and Really Moving!     Multiples of grade crossings 
at all angles near Greenmount but NO traffic so that PCC Sailed!!     
Appeared as if snow came up to skirting which is 12" above railhead  --  
snow between rails packed to overflowing!~!~!
.
Watched line crew install Shining New Overhead between Owls one Sunday AM.
.
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!!
.
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 as with ice itself.
.
Watching TrolleyCars wye at Dormont in Rush Hour in early 1950s  --  
Trolleys backed 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 well but 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.
.
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!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
One PCC  --  believe it was an 1200  --  had reverser failure and had to 
have inspector clear W. Liberty so he could head inbound on the outbound 
track for about 3-car lengths and then take the X-Over to the Inbound 
track to go back to the barn!~!~!
.
Standing at Biltmore to punch in time clock for ops heading 
outbound!~!~!     Free service!~!~!
.
({[Punching Time Clock when No PCCs nor any other TrolleyCar around!~!~!]})
.
Occasionally a pole would break when backing the 42-wye  --  amazing to 
watch them change it  --  standing a 14-foot pole on the ground beside 
the car made it seem twice as large as when it was actually mounted to 
the car!~!~!
.
.
.
Jim__Holland
.
.
.
Ed Lybarger wrote::

Roth Carpet is indeed still in business.

Nice memoirs!

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On 
<mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org%5DOn> 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.
.
.
.
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.
.
.
.
West View Coaster nothing to sneeze at -- excellent ride as well.
.
Picnics in North Park with::
.
.......those Angelic Deviled Eggs!~!~!
.
.......Chipped Ham from Isaly's in Sandwiches
.
.......Heinz Pickles to Top Off the Sandwiches!~!~!
.
.......Heinz Ketchup and Mustard on those Sandwiches as well!~!~!
.
.......Real HomeMade Potato Salad!~!~!
.
.......""The__Dad's"" Playing Ball -- or attempting to!~!~!
.
.......or ""The__Dad's"" taking out the canoe, and swamping it!~!~!
.
.
Remember debut of 7-Up in Pittsburgh -- SinFully Delicious and
definitely different from Coca-Cola!
.
The Big Isaly's Plant with what seemed like Miles and Miles of seating
at what looked like student desks!~!~!
.
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!
.
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?~!~?)
.
The Hot Dog stand in E.Liberty that claimed to have sold millions of
Foot Long Hot Dogs.
.
The roller skating rink nearby where USS often had Family Night!~!~!
.
Running with my Aunt for the TrolleyCar -- Ops *-Always-* Stopped
for her!~!~!
.
Mom taking my sister and I for a ride on the 87-Ardmore Just To Ride The
TrolleyCar!
.
Mom and Dad taking my Sister and I on the Washington Interurban before
it was cut back!~!~!
.
.......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!~!~!
.
.......As was typical with our family, we had to run to catch the
Interurban Already Backing out of the wye!~!~!
.
.......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!~!~!
.
Riding by Richfol in the Family car Multitudes of Times!~!~!
.
Visiting Cousins near Pleasant Hills and riding out along the Charleroi
Interurban in various places.
.
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!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
Clark Candy Bars!~!~! *-AYE-* -- Want A Clark Bar!~!~!
.
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!~!~!)
.
HORRIBLE 1955 TrolleyCar Fire in Homewood -- Paternal Grandparents
lived just 3-blocks away. I saw the carnage firsthand!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
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.
.
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.
.
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!~!~!
.
Racing outbound on Forbes(?~? -- 64/67 lines) and crossing trestle
over Frick Park and Passing All Traffic on the above Charter!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
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.
.
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!!!
.
Could tell series of PRCo PCC from 1/4-mile away and could tell series
by sound!~!~!
.
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.
.
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.
.
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!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
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.
.
Pleasantness of TrolleyCar ride through Tunnel in Summer!~!~!
.
Beautiful smell of Ozone in Mt.Washington TrolleyCar Tunnel!~!~!
That's a High to be Experienced!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
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!~!~!
.
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!~!~!)
.
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.
.
Mom and Aunt would Always Say that Half the fun in going to picnics was
the ride on the TrolleyCar!~!~!
.
Would be Gopher for motormen in the summer and would ride Many Round
Trips on the *-Cars-*!~!~!
.
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!
.
A~L~L this is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg -- There I~S Much
More!~!~!
.
.
.
Jim__Holland