[PRCo] Re: Gaps in Numbering

[John Swindler]

Either answer is correct, because we just don't know at this point in time.  The people to have asked probably retired by 1950.
 
What was in the fleet in 1917??  Skipping the 3000 series open cars, PRC had bought around 500 double end high floor cars that were 10-15 years old.  And how many single truck cars were still in service from the predecessor companies?  They were on the chopping block because labor was becoming expensive, and double truck cars improved efficiency.
 
If a new series were desired, why not start at 5000 instead of 4700.  Suspect someone in purchasing asked his boss:  'what number shall we tell the builder to put on these new single end low floor cars'?  And was told 'just leave a block to keep additional double end low floor cars together (which never were ordered)."  So he pulled 500 out of the air and told the builder to start at 4700.       
 
It makes some sense, so would give it a 50-50 chance of what happened, which means I'm not going to argue one way or the other.  Because we are all just guessing.
 
So when are you signing up for operator training at PTM???
 
John
 
 
> Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 17:37:52 -0700> From: hrbran at sbcglobal.net> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Gaps in Numbering> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > On the other hand they may have only wanted to purchase the number of DE cars that were purchased. The SE cars are, of course, different so they deserve a new fleet number series. Therefore the unused 44/4500 series numbers were just plain unused numbers. PRCo was not "reserving" the unused numbers for anything.> Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net> wrote: > The missing 4400s and 4500s suggests that they really had not ruled > out more double end cars in 1917 when they ordered the 4700s and that > they were leaving space. Logical?> > > > Greetings From The United States North Coast> > > Time Is The Fire In Which We Fry> Unknown Author> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 
_________________________________________________________________
Make Windows Vista more reliable and secure with Windows Vista Service Pack 1.
http://www.windowsvista.com/SP1?WT.mc_id=hotmailvistasp1banner