[PRCo] Re: Ancient trolley cars

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

----- Original Message ----

> From: Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:17:42 AM
> Subject: [PRCo] Ancient trolley cars
> 
> 
> Now the 1600s.   Seems to be that they were out of service about  
> 1972?   Correct?   That is about 27 years?   Aside from the 1700,  
> they lasted longer than any other Pittsburgh PCC cars.

Wrong Mr.Schneider.  1972 is the date of the 'General Overhaul' (to use a term) of trolleys by pat in Pittsburgh isn't it.  This is when 1730 made its debut as Sunburst car.  Subsequently a number of 1601s were overhauled and renumbered 1776 (ex-1616) and higher because of equipment shortage weren't they.  Not taking time to look for 'official' last day of 1601s but it is into the 1980's isn't it, maybe a few into the 1990s.
> 
> Rich: What month did 9000 go into public service in Philadelphia in  
> 1980?   Has it passed the 28 year mark yet?   Is it in service?    
> When did the last car go into service?
> 
> One thing is certain, it is older than any PCC that ever ran on the  
> streets in Washington, Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, Detroit,  
> Montreal, Chicago, Vancouver, Minneapolis, St.Louis, San Diego,  
> Birmingham, Cincinnati, Kansas City.
> 
And?  The attitude of the 1940s and forward was hatred toward streetcars as obsolete antiques wasn't it so they were abandoned even shortly after going into service - Minneapolis and Detroit come to mind don't they; Chicago converted the cars to Els.  The PCCs didn't stand a chance of 'turning gray' in such an atmosphere did they.  It was politics of some sort which killed off the streetcars.

Even today, and even in Kawasaki town, Septa has a distinct dislike for rail and has made many different attempts at abandoning surface rail.  Rail was a fad which took off nation wide in the 1970s;  'now'  it is more of a necessity.


Phil