[PRCo] Re: West Penn 832

Thu Nov 27 10:09:35 EST 2008

There was an observation several years ago that energy costs were close to platform costs prior to WWI.  Then with post war inflation and improved efficiency at energy generation and delivery, energy became a much smaller percentage of operating costs.  And as you implied, hauling the weight of a 700 around, or even a 290, perhaps negated the cost of the dropping resistors.

And do we know to what extent 832 was rewired??  Was it nothing more then the installation of dropping resistors?  The car wiring was only 20 years old and had not been subjected to extensive salt corrosion.  Was this another railfan fantasy???  Because why would you give a car a mid-life overhaul in 1949 when you already had plans to covert lines south of Uniontown???  Would not be surprised if 832 received nothing more then dropping resistors (were these found when 832 taken apart or is this another fantasy???), a coat of paint, and rostered as an active car for South Connellsville.  The shop philosophy might have been - if it breaks, and will cost money, replace it with another car.

Also like Fred's comment about motorman Ivan.  There are stories of British steam locomotives surviving because they were a particular favorite of certain engineers.

Curious situation

John

> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] Re: West Penn 832> Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:26:33 -0500> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > I do not wish to contest the supreme being when it comes to West Penn > knowledge. Ed has done more research on that subject than anyone on > the planet. Much of the other stuff out there was simply given to > the club and printed by Bob Brown. Ed has been seriously digging.> > However, it has been reported that 832 was the only car rewired. > Obviously this had to be done if any cars were to be retained because > what we now call "mid-life overhauls" were needed. Each of the 830s > had nearly a million miles on them by the late 1940s.> > And one other car was selected for rewiring and had been stripped > down and the body was repainted in primer. I have seen a picture of > it in gray primer. I thin the car was 833. Then the project was > canceled and that car was stored until scrapped in 1951 or 1952. > (Half of the 830s were scrapped in each of those two years.> > Now if there was a second car planned for overhaul, then how does the > accident with 292 figure into 832's logevity? Or did the was the > survival of 832 predicated, as we have earlier suggested, more simply > on the paternalistic attitude of West Penn. In other words, we kept > it because Motorman Ivan liked the car and we all liked Ivan.> > Now that it has come out that West Penn installed dropping resistors > in the propulsion circuit to run those cars on 700-750 volts in the > Coke Region, it becomes even more curious that the corporation > retained cars on which you were always running in resistance and > wasting energy. The savings because of the weight in the depression > had to be so compelling over running heavier 700s that the wasted > energy by running on resistance didn't matter.> > > On Nov 26, 2008, at 8:41 AM, Edward H. Lybarger wrote:> > > Yes, it was pretty bad before the repaint, which probably wouldn't > > have> > happened if 292 hadn't had its end destroyed in a collision > > somewhere in> > this time frame (I'm only through 1940 in reading the newspaper so > > don't> > have the date). West Penn then needed 832 as the spare car on South> > Connellsville; the other 830s were gone (or at least going) by this > > point in> > time.> >> > -----Original Message-----> > From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org> > [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of > > John> > Swindler> > Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 11:11 PM> > To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > Subject: [PRCo] Re: West Penn 832> >> >> > There were four pic of 832 on the Fairbanks collection of > > pictures. It> > looked dreadful in a 1949 pic. I should have provided a link.> >> > Sorry> > John> >> >> From: trams2 at comcast.net> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > >> Subject:> > [PRCo] Re: West Penn 832> Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:44:01 -0500> > > > 1949> > photo? I think John means 1952. 832 was painted in the Fall of> > > 1949...I> > have a shot of it with absolutely immaculate paint taken in> > > November 1949.> > It didn't take 3 years for it to look less good! > > -----Original> > Message-----> From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org>> > [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of > > John>> > Swindler> Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 4:21 PM> To:> > pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> Subject: [PRCo] Re: West Penn > > 832> > > It> > was trucked to Charleroi, then operated as a fantrip from Charleroi > > to>> > Ingram. The motorman was John Baxter. There was a photo stop at > > Castle>> > Shannon.> > That 1949 picture is interesting for its implications > > on the> > cars condition> at the end.> > John> > > > > > From: > > mrb190 at pitt.edu> To:> > pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> Date: Tue, 25> Nov 2008 14:3!> > 6:57 -0500> Subject: [PRCo] West Penn 832> > Hello all,>> Attached > > is a> > photo of West Penn 832 being trucked. This photo is from the> Historic> > Pittsburgh website. The description states:> Title: West Penn> > > Railways 832> > III> Date: November 29, 1952> Creator: Fairbanks Jr., Frank B.>>> > Description: Moving to Charleroi barn, Pittsburgh Railways.> > > Subjects:>> > Transportation--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh,> West Penn Railways.> > > Identifier:>> > 411-832-03-9> Collection: Frank B. Fairbanks Rail Transportation > > Archive,>> > Pittsburgh History & Landmarks>> > Foundation<http://images.library.pitt.edu/f/fairbanks>> > Is this > > accurate?>> > I thought that 832 went to Ingram Car House, and then moved out > > under its>> > own power to Arden.> > Matt> > > > -- Attached file removed by > > Ecartis and>> > put at URL below --> -- Type: image/jpeg> -- Desc: > > WestPenn832_trucked.jpg>>> > -- Size: 72k (74526 bytes)> -- URL : http://lists.dementia.org/fil!>> > es/pittsburgh-railways/WestPenn832_trucked.jpg> > >> > > _____________________!> > ____________________________________________> Access your email > > online and> > on the go with Windows Live Hotmail.>> > http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail? > > ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_access_> >> 112008> > > >> > _________________________________________________________________> > Get more done, have more fun, and stay more connected with Windows > > MobileR.> > http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/119642556/direct/01/> >> >> >> >> > 
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