[PRCo] Re: 3800 Series LOST

[John Swindler]

Hi Herb
 
Perhaps it was not a favorite car series with someone with deep pockets?  And it was a single end car.  
 
If that was a consideration, and I would not be surprised if that was (maybe we need to ask Art Ellis) it is remarkable that 1138 was saved.  But with 1138, it might have been viewed as an opportunity to save a PCC before a public authority took over.  And PRC, at that point, might have been willing to give PTM/PRMA/PERC the benefit of the doubt and quote an attractive price.  Just guessing. 
 
I was surprised at how few the membership was in the 1950s.  At that time, the museum concept was in competition with those who's focus was taking pictures of fantrip cars.  As others have said, just be thankful for what did get saved.  
 
Suspect there was too much scrap value in a 3800 and WP 700s to be affordable. After all, wasn't the typical wage then around a buck an hour, or about $2,000 per year??? 
Even 3756 barely made it to Arden.  Wasn't it a last minute acquisition by an individual???  
 
There is a lot of speculation above that others more knowledgeable should comment on.
 
John> Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 22:28:35 -0700> From: hrbran at sbcglobal.net> Subject: [PRCo] Re: 3800 Series LOST> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > So how does this explain why PTM did not save a 3800 ??????> Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net> wrote: It would cost money to buy, money to move, it doesn't fit in > everyone's back yard, and the neighbors don't particularly like such > toys in your back yard.> > About 25 years ago Dave Hamley was projecting slides for my > edification and enjoyment. Several of them showed a gasoline > locomotive he once had stored in his garage in a nice suburban > neighborhood outside of Pittsburgh. He had rolled it out into the > driveway for the picture. In the background was a neighbor dressed > in a white shirt. Dave proceeded to tell how he cranked up the > engine. When the engine fired, all of the water that had > accumulated in the exhaust system came up the stack. It washed the > dirt out of the muffler and stack. The neighbor's white shirt was > no longer white. It was never again white. There was no bleach on > the market that could possibly make it white. That should give > insights into why your neighbor might not want any large steel > objects in your yard.> > In my township such objects are simply forbidden by ordinance. We > are note even permitted to work on our automobiles in our driveways > because of one guy who collected too many cars.> > > On May 6, 2008, at 5:54 PM, Jerry Matt Matsick wrote:> > > Content-Type: text/plain> > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit> > Herb> > Good Buddy Mark and I often talk about the reason a 3800 series car > > was> > not saved? I remember them quite well in the late 40s and early > > 50s on the> > Charleroi Interurban route! A Beautiful Car!> >> > --> > From the River City by the Sea!> > Jerry "Matt" Matsick> > "Jacksonville"> >> >> > -------------- Original message from Herb Brannon > > > ---------------------------------> : --------------> >> >> >> Since we are on the topic of "saved" PRCo cars.......> >> Why was a 3800 series interurban never saved?? They were around > >> until 1950. It> >> seems someone would have tried to get one off the scrap pile.> >> Fred Schneider wrote:> >> PST 14 and 78 were not operational. The other revenue fleet was> >> marked in service but not everything was run. Of course that> >> excludes 4398, and Pittsburgh 1100 series PCC and a whole lot of> >> stuff in the Blimp Hanger which is not in the revenue fleet.> >>> >> On May 6, 2008, at 9:33 AM, Jerry Matt Matsick wrote:> >>> >>> Mark M and myself wonder what "cars" actually were operational this> >>> past weekend? Both of us would have given anything to be there as> >>> it looked like a fantastic time.> >>> -- > >>> From the River City by the Sea!> >>> Jerry "Matt" Matsick> >>> "Jacksonville"> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> Herb Brannon> >>> >> Greetings From America's North Coast> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> > -- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --> > -- Type: image/jpeg> > -- Size: 92k (94795 bytes)> > -- URL : http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/3800% > > 20south%20of%20Charleroi.jpg> >> >> >> > > > > > Herb Brannon> > Greetings From America's North Coast> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 
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