[PRCo] Backing interurban cars

[Fred Schneider]

Here is the reply from Art Ellis on back up controls on Pittsburgh  
interurban cars:
> The 3700 and  3800  cars  both had  backup controls.    The   
> 3700's   could  be  used  directly,  like  on  3756.
>
> On  the  3800's  one  had  to  tie  down  the  deadman  handle   
> with  a  wire  hook  (furnished).
>
> During  the  War  (THAT  one)  I  was  on  a  3800  on  its  way   
> to  Pittsburgh  from  Roscoe  when  a  young  sailor  told  the   
> following:   A  year  earlier,  when  he  was  still  in  high   
> school,  a  group  of  kids  were  congregated  in  the  back  of   
> the  car  while  riding  from  Charleroi  to  Mon  City  to  go  
> rollerskating.   As  they  were  rolling  down  the  hill  into   
> Black  Diamond,   they  were  surprised  to  see   the  operator   
> standing  among  them.,
> After  gasps,  they  asked  why   he  was  there.   "Oh,  you   
> seemed  to  be  enjoying  yourselves,  so I  thought  I'd  come   
> back  and  join  you."     Fortunately,  his  stay was  brief,   
> and  obviously  he  had  the   car  under  control  by  the  time   
> they  reached  the  bottom  of  the  hill.
>
> 3700 and 3800  cars  were  backed  out  of  Washington  terminal   
> using  the  rear  controls.   (With  the advent  of  the  PCCs,  a   
> local  operator  was  assigned  to  ride  shotgun  during  the   
> backout  maneuver.)   When  local  service  was  discontinued,  the  
> cars  looped  via  College St.,  avoiding  the  backup.
>
> While  I  have  ridden  Canonsburg  trippers  which  wyed  ,  I   
> don't  remember  the  procedure  exactly.   I  suspect  that   
> they   depended  on  the  operator  of  another  car  to   
> assist.     During  special  events,  such  as  Washington Fair,   
> street  supervision  was  provided.    I  don't  know,  but  I    
> suspect  most  of  the  wyeing  at  Donora  was  done  in  the  two- 
> man  days.

So, until the PCC cars, all of the interurbans within memory of  
anyone living today had back up controls.   That includes 3556,  
3700s, 3750s and 3800s.
>