[PRCo] Re: PRC 313A-317-1202 Franchise Car

[John Swindler]

Probably "Battery" refers to artillery emplacement, and usually refers to site large enough for 4-6 guns.  This means Civil War.  Another term might be "Redoubt", but that's a bit older. (see Battle of Yorktown and redoubt's 9 and 10) On a much grander scale, the term "Fort" would be used, such as Ft. Stedman near Petersburg, Va.  
 
Pittsburgh was an arsenal for US even at that early date.  Wasn't there an arsenal in Lawrenceville??  But just as there were fortifications on west bank of Susquehanna across from Harrisburg, there would be fortifications in Pittsburgh area, not so much to protect Confederate attack from Virginia, but to protect from Confederate raiders coming up the Ohio valley.  Morgan raided into Ohio late in the war and captured the 171st (?) Ohio Volunteers.  (the after-action report is in the basement)
 
So look for the high ground or look for site that would have field of fire along access roads.
 
The Civil War after action reports were gathered into multiple volume sets (couple hundred volumes total) in the 1880s.  It's a great cure for insomnia.
 
Cheers
John
> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] PRC 313A-317-1202 Franchise Car> Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:12:06 -0500> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > I've been searching old maps and other on-line sources for several > hours without success. Perhaps one of you has the answer to this > question:> > Two locations are involved with the 313A-317-1202 franchise car that > make no sense at all to me:> > One is called "Battery." This place called Battery was six minutes > from the office at South Hills Tunnel by some route. I have no idea > what a battery is. I've looked on maps for batteries of coke ovens > and storage batteries. I've looked at the 1884 industrial map of > Pittsburgh. Nothing is popping out.> > The other place is 3rd St. and Washington Road. Well, guess what, > there was no intersection of 3rd Street and Washington Road. > Perhaps someone was extrapolating. If we extend 3rd Street down on > the South Side up over the mountain and down to Washington Road, the > closest interesection is Washington (Warrington) and Beltzhoover. > Another possibility ... the far west end of Climax Street (that used > to be part of the 49 line) was called 3rd St., later renamed Paul > St., still later renamed Climax. If you were to extend it in an > imaginary line, it would touch Washington Road or Warrington down > near where the cars entered the yard at the lower end. That makes > limited sense because they were going to Bell House too on the same > franchise car, so why would you run to the tunnel office and back > half way? It probably means Beltzhoover.> > If someone out there has any thoughts, please let me know.> > By the way, we discussed on the list that the Brookline via South > Bank service ended in 1910. That was the regular scheduled car. > They still ran a franchise car at least until February 24, 1921, > which ran from Brookline out to the interurban and back to Brookline > in the morning, then in West Liberty Avenue. After lunch it made one > trip to Brookline over the interuban and back.> 
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