[PRCo] Re: RANKIN BRIDGE??????

[John Swindler]

West Braddock Bridge was the Monongahela St. Ry (?) bridge over the Mongahela River.
 
The Rankin Bridge was the highway bridge replacement (although both carried streetcars and autos)
 
The track up Eighth St. was to connect 67 with 64 so that Monongahela St. Ry. could reach East Pgh.  The 2nd Ave. Pass. Co. already occupied Braddock Ave.
 
Perhaps the name choice was because the East Braddock Bridge never got built.  Instead the 68 car line was built along hillside south side of Mon. to Kenny's Wood or Grove and Duquesne.
 
John
 
> CC: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] RANKIN BRIDGE??????> Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2008 13:05:50 -0400> To: Shadow at dementia.org; trams2 at comcast.net; j_swindler at hotmail.com> > Derrick, Edward and anyone else who can answer> > The Pittsburgh Railways route cards mention both a West Braddock > Bridge and a Rankin Bridge. My initial reaction was to believe > that one was over the river and the other was over the Pennsylvania > Railroad but the link below suggests that they are one and the same, > built> > http://pghbridges.com/pittsburghE/0593-4473/braddock.htm> > The route cards also suggest continuous problems with the Rankin or > West Braddock Bridge.> > Rankin Circle was built in 1929. The structure must have been as > sturdy as schools in the Sichuan provence of China. Read on McDuff.> > On December 6, 1933 the northwest ramp collapsed. I thought this > was the issue caused by the overloaded work car but it may not have > been. Route 67 Swissvale - Rankin - Braddock was split with a > shuttle running from Rankin Circle to 13th and Talbot, another > shuttle running from the collapsed ramp to Wilkinsburg Junction > (Braddock and Forbes) and the 67 cars running through to Jane St. > Loop. They built a temporary wye at the bridge by December 30th but > did not get through service restored from Pittsburgh to Braddock > until October 29, 1939, almost six years after the collapse.> > Now let's delve into the route 55 cards:> > From June 26, 1937 until November 25, 1937 the Rankin Bridge was > closed to car operation "Because of the bridge being destroyed," > route 55 was split into two parts, one running from Rankin Circle to > East Pittsburgh and the other from 800 feet from the circle to > downtown. Did they put a temporary crossover on the bridge? Would > it support it? Or did you walk across the bridge and the downtown > cars were simply turning at Munhall Loop? Now this was the debacle > that resulted in the closure of Rankin Car House.> > Allegheny County placed a 14,000 pound weight limit on Rankin Bridge > on January 30, 1942. Streetcar operation was suspended at 7:00 p.m. > that day. They must have done something to reinforce the structure > because car service resumed October 19, 1942.> > In 1951 the new Rankin Bridge opened....> > SO, AM I CORRECT IN THE ASSUMPTION THAT WEST BRADDOCK BRIDGE AND > RANKING BRIDGE ARE THE SAME?> 
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