[PRCo] Re: SE DE

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

Mr.Josephson;


Mr.Schneider's PCC books tend to confirm this don't they.  The TCRT president had been in that position since 1936 and thought the PCC would provide excellent service for the forseeable future.  Mr.Charles Green was a stock speculator (according to the book) from/in NY who waged a battle against TCRT in 1949 to make it more efficient while allowing for a dividend which had not been seen in many years.  Green's plan was for bustitution by 1958 wasn't it.  But an underworld figure gained control and wiped out the trolleys by 1954 didn't he.

Organizational changes in Chicago contributed to spamming the trolleys didn't they.


Phil



----- Original Message ----
> From: Ken & Tracie <ktjosephson at embarqmail.com>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 7:55:10 AM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: SE DE
> 
> I do not know if the following in this post is fact or  railfan mythology.
> 
> I have heard that TCRT had enough patronage to consider getting at least 
> twelve years to fifteen years out of their PCC fleet, but a change in 
> management forced bustitution sooner that originally planned.
> 
> In the case of Chicago, I have heard and read that after taking over from 
> the CSL, the CTA initially planned to retain several heavily patronage lines 
> and run the PCC fleet into the ground. There was supposedly talk of 
> rerouting some lines (mostly using existing trackage from carlines slated 
> for conversion to bus or trolley coach) to feed into the rapid transit 
> system.
> 
> The story is that after street traffic congestion worsened, the CTA decided 
> to give up on streetcars altogether.
> 
> Again, I do not know if these stories are true or not.
> 
> K.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Herb Brannon" 
> To: 
> Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2008 6:07 AM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: SE DE
> 
> >
> > There were a lot worse decisions like buying PCCs in Minneapolis in
> > 1946, 1947 and 1949 and dumping them on Mexico City in 1953.