[PRCo] Re: Streetcar Loops

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

Mr.Lybarger!


Agree whole-heartedly don't I.  My comments about preponderance of evidence reflect the human error syndrome don't they - one piece of evidence doesn't make 'the' truth but several pieces of evidence are better.

We sometimes try to glean too many 'facts' from past information and the 'why' behind SE is very elusive now isn't it.  We can easily see what they 'did' 'very early on' by ordering predominantly SE equipment but our explanations as to 'why' with the vantage of hind sight could be considerably different from their 'why.'  While websites may not have the best of information many times there is a parallel here on the list as well isn't there - many emails seem to be nothing more than discussion for the purpose of discussion without accomplishment.  This is most evident when reading through the archives isn't it, a laborious task at best and made more difficult by such emails!

I am more a trolley hobbyist aren't I.  PRC existed, contributed strongly to the economy of the day, in addition to being an huge amusement ride for the fan.  I am therefore more interest in the 'what' than the 'why' but not exclusively - depends on the topic doesn't it.

>From reading the archives your approach seems very methodical doesn't it.  I am assured that your information has good background depth and always look forward to your comments.


Phil



----- Original Message ----
> From: Edward H. Lybarger <trams2 at comcast.net>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 12:45:40 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Streetcar Loops
> 
> The "car cards" are quite incomplete because no one had the foresight to
> collect more than a handful of them!  They no longer exist except for those
> few.
> 
> The route cards, on the other hand, were intended to be a complete history
> of events of and affecting the various routes of the company.   That there
> are omissions and occasionally errors is simply testimony to the fact that
> humans will sometimes screw up, regardless of the best intentions.  It also
> has to do with priorities...the scribe du jour may not think the same thing
> is noteworthy that yesterday's writer would have included.  And the scribe
> may also have been preoccupied with something on any given day, so an item
> may not have made it into the record.
> 
> If we don't interpret the available evidence with the best knowledge we can
> put behind it, we will have failed the future.  I'm not sure that the court
> system cares a hang about that any more as long as someone is enriched.  But
> that's not our purpose as historians.
> 
> Ed
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
> [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Phillip
> Clark Campbell
> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 3:23 PM
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Streetcar Loops
> 
> Mr.Schneider did say just the other day that the 'car cards' of PRC were
> quite incomplete didn't he; why should we think that the route cards were
> any different?  PRC didn't keep records for historians nor railfans did
> they; what they entered 'for the record' was what seemed expedient or
> important for the moment.  The best we can say today is:  "The PRC record
> shows..."  and those items are not necessarily ''the' facts' but 'may' be
> considered 'best evidence' until more information is available.  As with the
> court system it would be a preponderance of evidence, not one piece of
> evidence, which determines the 'apparent' facts.
> 
> With all that it seems the 'preponderance of evidence' according to
> equipment orders 1910-1928 strongly suggests the intention of SE operations
> as time / money / real estate / etc. / etc. / etc.  permitted.  PRC had not
> a small amount of DE equipment which was 'young' and a good business person
> would desire to get the best value from that equipment.
> 
> I have often seen comments in the archives about this being an 'imperfect
> world' haven't I - thus pure SE operations would seem elusive even with the
> best of intentions.  It did eventually happen though didn't it!
> 
> 
> http://www.davesrailpix.com/boston/htm/bos184.htm - shows an ex-Dallas DE in
> Boston without one trolley pole; as I mentioned earlier these cars were
> eventually SE weren't they.
> 
> 
> Phil
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Ken & Tracie 
> > To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> > Cc: SCOTT GREIG ; Charles Brown 
> > 
> > Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 9:37:42 PM
> > Subject: [PRCo] Re: Streetcar Loops
> > 
> > For the most part, I've given up trying to confuse people with the facts.