[PRCo] Re: Security

[Herb Brannon]

During WWII there was reason for the police to act. Today it just doesn't
seem such a pressing matter to me. Cleveland RTA gets bent out of shape when
someone is taking photos of the cars and stations. I constantly take photos
while I'm working. Just another excuse to take away more of our freedoms.
Now for a confession from the past. I may have told this before. The statute
of limitations has looooong passed, so I'm not worried. When in high school
a friend and I used to do the picture taking thing at PRCo car houses. We
would write to PRCo (121 Seventh St) and ask permission to go to whatever
car house we had selected. PRCo would always accommodate us and send a
"Property Permit" to each of use. This piece of paper was typed on a 'pica'
type font typewriter then was mimeographed using the very old style machines
of that era. My buddy had a typewriter with the pica type font and we both
had access to a mimeograph machine. One time we wanted to visit Craft Avenue
Car House but did not have the time (usually took two weeks) to send a
letter and get the "Property Permit" returned. We typed up the Property
Permit, ran it off on the machine, forged the signature and went to Craft
Avenue CH. We were challenged by some guy in the maintenance section. We
produced our "papers" (forged) and with a smile and a "thanks" he let us run
around the place. Never again did we write PRCo for a Property Permit. So,
yes, one could not just wander onto PRCo property back then, but, one could
be crafty then wander onto PRCo property.

On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 11:33 AM, Phillip Clark Campbell
<pcc_sr at yahoo.com>wrote:

> "Collecting pictures of trolleys is a favorite hobby;
> and during the war years fans were occasionally picked up by
> the
> police, having been turned in by suspicious patriots who
> had seen them
> photographing carbarns and rolling stock."
> The above is from pg-191 of Frank Rowsome's
> Trolley Car Treasury,    published in 1956.  The war referred
> to is most probably World War-2.  I have seen comments
> from fans about similar problems today post 9.1.1.  Well
> into the 1950s property rights were emphasized;  railfans
> did not easily wander into car yards did they.
>
>
>
> Phil
> Without  a   'coast'   but  not  a   'cause.'
>
>
>
>
>
>


Herb Brannon
On America's North Coast
Still doing my part to piss off the Right Wing