[PRCo] Re: 3807

Thu Aug 27 08:55:59 EDT 2009

You will get different answers to this question from different people.  Many
will say that the 3800s were primarily on Charleroi and the 3700s on
Washington.  But the photographic evidence doesn't bear this out.  Neither
do the reports of signal failure from the 1940s.  Both types were used on
both routes.

The comment about 3756 likely originated with me.  It was based on two trips
last year - one that I operated with a near-empty car and another shortly
thereafter with a good load.  The trucks are "loose" as they've not been
rebuilt at PTM.  We are trying to keep this car as prototypical as possible,
consistent with safety.  It will not get the 4398 treatment.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of John
Swindler
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 8:40 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: 3807

Were the low-3700s generally on Charleroi and 3800s on Washington, or were
3800s generally base service and 3700s generally peak service?  

Just an impression from pictures you have seen - no need to waste any time
researching.  

I was amused by comment concerning 3756.  If I understood correctly, 'it
rides well with a full load, but tends to bounce a lot when empty'.  

John

> From: fwschneider at comcast.net
> Subject: [PRCo] Re: 3807
> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:27:28 -0400
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> 
> We know that the 1614, 1615, 1616, 1617, 1618, 1645, 1646, 1647, 1848 
> (a total of 9 cars) were providing base service to Washington in 
> 1946-1948). This probably resulted in the worst 3700s and 3800s being 
> removed from service. Hamley might be the one who knows which 3700s 
> and 3800s went out of service. Tunnel also had 1200s so they were 
> probably working Castle Shannon at the time as were some 3750s and 
> maybe some 5000s and 5400s and 4900s. To the best of my knowledge, 
> Charleroi did not get PCCs until 1949 and then it got 1700s.
> 
> 
> On Aug 26, 2009, at 7:03 PM, John Swindler wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Unfortunately there may not be a picture of front or other side to 
> > see if there was accident damage. This is post WWII. Were 12s and 
> > 16s being used on Overbrook lines at this date? Maybe 3807 was just 
> > the first to be phased out of service?????
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> From: trams2 at comcast.net
> >> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> >> Subject: [PRCo] 3807
> >> Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:18:13 -0400
> >>
> >> Content-Type: text/plain;
> >> charset="us-ascii"
> >> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> >> There was recently some discussion about PRCo 3807. For years 
> >> stories have circulated about how this car never ran in service, 
> >> but the facts do not appear to bear this out.
> >>
> >> Let's begin with the Charles Dengler note that accompanies the 
> >> attached photo of the car inside the Homewood Shops in November 
> >> 1945:
> >>
> >> "We have been told that 3807 made a round trip on the Charleroi 
> >> line, and she came back 8 inches out of line (her body). Knowing 
> >> PRCo track, this is quite possible. St Louis Car Co. built 
> >> 3800-3814 in 1928. St Louis Car Co said they would not stock parts 
> >> for the 3800s. PRCo then did not pay for 3807, but kept her for 
> >> parts, and the 3100, 3300 type trucks she sets [sic] on, were used 
> >> so that the original trucks could be spares for the other 3800s, 
> >> they had a long wheel base and 28" wheels."
> >>
> >> This is a story that a railfan could love. It has that mystique 
> >> that sets this car apart as really different. So what's wrong with 
> >> it?
> >>
> >> First...St. Louis Car warranted its products against structural 
> >> defects, ot it wouldn't have sold any. Had there been such a 
> >> problem in the beginning, it would have been adjusted.
> >>
> >> Secondly...and most compelling to me...is the fact that 3807 
> >> received a complete #1 paint job on January 19, 1934, right on 
> >> schedule for the series.
> >> If it was damaged in 1928 and was never run (or paid for) in 
> >> service, why would it need new paint? The fact that the "Watch Car 
> >> Turn"
> >> lettering has
> >> been added to the rear of the car (it was not there originally, as 
> >> illustrated in Union Switch & Signal's photo C-26772 of car 3802 
> >> when the Washington signals were new) clearly implies that it was 
> >> in service, as do the Depression-era institutional advertising 
> >> signs showing in the windows.
> >>
> >> So clearly the car was in service for at least five years and four 
> >> months.
> >> What happened after that is the $64 question.
> >>
> >> Ed
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -- Attached file removed by Ecartis and put at URL below --
> >> -- Type: application/octet-stream
> >> -- Size: 570k (583794 bytes)
> >> -- URL : http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/3807%
> >> 20Homewood%2011-18-45.jpg
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Get back to school stuff for them and cashback for you.
> > http://www.bing.com/cashback? 
> > form=MSHYCB&publ=WLHMTAG&crea=TEXT_MSHYCB_BackToSchool_Cashback_BTSC
> > as
> > hback_1x1
> >
> 
> 

_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live: Keep your friends up to date with what you do online.
http://windowslive.com/Campaign/SocialNetworking?ocid=PID23285::T:WLMTAGL:ON
:WL:en-US:SI_SB_online:082009