[PRCo] Re: Making a wrong turn?

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

> ----- Original Message ----

> From: "Jerry "MATT" Matsick" <mtoytrain at bellsouth.net>
> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
> Sent: Sunday, May 3, 2009 5:32:31 PM
> Subject: [PRCo] Making a wrong turn?
> 
> Driving my car every now and then I make a wrong turn, did operators
> of street cars make wrong turns and what did they do to correct it?   
> Looking at all the routes that were in downtown Pittsburgh I am sure that was done?
> Jerry "Matt" Matsick 
> Jacksonville, Florida


Mr.Matsick;


I was on a rush hour Library tripper Outbound one evening about 1960
when the operator took the switch for the 42 at South Hills Junction.  More
embarrassing than anything else;  it was caught immediately.  An Inspector
was standing right there;  we backed, set the switch properly, and proceeded.
There were probably others weren't there but they seem very unusual.

The chance to do that downtown, even with many routes, was very limited.
As an example, the Interurbans had only 3-electric points  --  straight thru
at Carson northbound, then set the point for diverge at the north end of
the Smithfield Bridge inbound;  set the turnout for diverge at Carson
outbound.  All other facing point turnouts downtown were set by hand.
The turn from Grant to Liberty had an overhead contactor that
automatically set the switch for the turn regardless of what the operator
did;  cars moving straight through to Liberty eastbound were non-revenue
moves and had to set the switch by hand.  The automatic reset prevented
the following operator from taking the wrong route following a non-
revenue move.

Continuing outbound on the interurbans there were 2-electric switches at
South Hills, one at Castle Shannon, and one at Washington jct.  Nothing
inbound until the loop around the admin building at south hills followed
immediately by the derail.

I thought of a second wrong setting - Interurban outbound at the 37-loop;  the 
motorman used the power for some reason which set the switch for the loop.
He stopped, backed, reset the switch, then proceeded.

The route around town for the 38, 39, 40, 42, and 48 had 2 more electric
switches than the interurbans;  4th for the short turn cars in rush hours and
7th.  Don't know what time the owl operator for the 42/38 started
work but probably midnight or before.  For the 1.30-AM trip outbound
from downtown the operator needs to remember to go straight at 7th
instead of making a turn, then turn to Liberty and Wood.  Thus there is
a route change for the motorman which could possibly be forgotten.
The point into the 42-wye outbound was manual until the very late 1950s
or early 1960s when it was electrified.  Same for the point inbound
on the 38 at Dormont jct;  it was electrified late in the game, not long
before the 42 became a 42/38 all day on Saturdays.

The 82 and 85 had three electric points downtown - 5th to Liberty -
Liberty to 6th - 6th to Wylie.

The 5th Ave routes had only one electric point at the turn from 5th
to 6th inbound.  This was probably the same as the point on Grant
to Liberty that was used to 'always' set the point for the revenue
direction;  the point was manually set for the non-revenue move.
In the mid to late, possibly early, 1950s, revenue routes
were not scheduled straight through the intersection of 5th and 6th
inbound.  All other points encountered downtown were manual.

Forbes cars had only 2-electric points downtown, both outbound.
One at Grant for rush hour short turn cars from Smithfield and one
at Ross where Forbes and Second Ave cars diverged.  Second
Ave cars had the same two identical electric points as the
Forbes cars didn't they but no others downtown.

There was an electric point at Penn / 9th but I suspect it always
set the point for the revenue / straight thru direction;  it would
need to be set manually to take a short turn.  Otherwise, Penn /
11th and Penn 6th IB had electric points and Liberty / 6th as
well as Liberty / 12th OB.  The intersection of Penn / 6th was
3-way but it was necessary to set the point manually to go
straight through, electric point for North side cars to return
north or Penn cars to turn to 6th then Liberty.  Liberty to
Grant was mentioned above;  contactor always set the point
for the straight thru revenue direction.  The point had to be
manually set to take the turn didn't it.

North side cars encountered more electric points than other
routes;  some of them may be automatic sets for the primary
direction which require manual setting for non-revenue moves.
I am not that familiar with the electric points for these routes.

West End routes did not have any electric points downtown.


Phil