[PRCo] Re: 1700-series PCC Interurban TrolleyCars

[Boris Cefer]

Yes, St. Louis was one of the exceptions.

Boris

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phillip Clark Campbell" <pcc_sr at yahoo.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 11:13 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: 1700-series PCC Interurban TrolleyCars


> St.Louis had a different system didn't they.  There was a dash toggle but 
> it applied the drum brakes only if the power was moderately applied; too 
> much power or no power and the drums didn't apply.  This increased the 
> current draw which would seem unwanted from the description Mr.Cefer gave. 
> Releasing the power while pressing the drum toggle (which was for track 
> switch operation and may have been labeled as such) released the drums so 
> another brake application would be needed to stop the car before the 
> point.  St.Louis thus used power apply; assume the operation was the same 
> or similar in San Francisco with the ex-St.Louis cars.
>
> The old streetcars would use power / brake simultaneously but had the 
> advantage of being able to cancel the power with brake applied to keep 
> from overshooting the point.
>
> If my memory serves me it was in the 1920s when Pgh first used electric 
> track switches.
>
> Phil