[PRCo] Re: A streetcar loops that ends at a gas station

[Dwight Long]

Grateful Fred

Sorry, I don't have a fot of the shelter itself, but I do have a couple of nice ones of its destruction in preparation for the Moron station.  If you would like them, I can email them to you, along with one of a service car nearing the loop, but I will need to have your direct email address as I cannot send fots on this system. They do not go through.

Anyone else desiring these, send email address.

Dwight

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Frederick Sauerburger 
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org 
  Cc: '-> PRCo-- Holland James B. <-' ; 'Jim Holland' 
  Sent: Monday, 05 July, 2010 20:43
  Subject: [PRCo] Re: A streetcar loops that ends at a gas station


  Does anyone have (to share) a picture of the newsstand/waiting shelter that
  preceded the Moron station? 


  The Grateful Fred
  PRys, West Penn, and EBT.....near Annapolis

  -----Original Message-----
  From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
  [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Dwight
  Long
  Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 11:38 PM
  To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
  Subject: [PRCo] Re: A streetcar loops that ends at a gas station

  John

  Rt 53 Carrick used the Tenth Street Bridge and then Carson Street to South
  18th Street in later years.  In earlier years it operated on Carson from
  South 18th to South 22nd, thence over the Brady Street (South 22nd St.)
  Bridge to Forbes and into the Triangle by that street.  This was PRC Rt. 305
  of 1914.

  In latter years it was possible to short turn Rt. 50 cars (or special moves)
  at South 18th Street and South 22nd Street.  In early days there was a maze
  of trackage on the South Side and other permutations were possible. There
  was one regular route shown turning at 22nd in the 1914 route listing--PRC
  route 301A--destination sign 51 (later used on Bon Air shuttle car). At this
  time what we know as the "regular" Carson Street route was PRC route 301,
  destination sign (then as at the end) 50. Then there was PRC route 310,
  Carson Street via 10th Street Bridge, destination sign 52.  The route guide
  does not show the outer destination for this route, so it is possible that
  it was operated with double end cars and went to South 36th Street, which
  would make sense in view of the later destination sign number for the
  shuttle car, which is not shown in the 1914 guide. The shuttle from South
  30th to South 36th Streets was Rt. 52 in its last days and lasted until  2
  August 1950. 

  The South 36th Street to Hays shuttle or "transfer car" was shown as route
  302 in the 1914 compendium.  I do not have information as to when it was
  discontinued, but suspect prior to the Depression.  Fred?  BTW, in 1914
  route 313 was destination sign 39--Brookline!  

  As to Pirl Street and Rt 97, I don't think there was any connection, as Rt.
  97 operated into downtown McKeesport, either to the Ringgold Street terminal
  (owing to its ancestry as a West Penn route) or to a short turn location at
  the B&O station.  And it was gone by 1931, while Fred shows the Pirl Street
  loop as opening in 1938. {RC Rt 407, destination sign 56, turned at the
  McKeesport car house until it closed, whenever that was (dates conflict
  between 1936 and 1937).  The loop was needed as there was no practical place
  to turn single end cars on 407/56 after the 10th Ward once the car house was
  lost as a turnaround point. Until it opened, pax coming into McKeesport via
  the Calhoun Park route had to transfer to a Glassport car or Wilmerding bus
  in order to get to downtown McKeesport.

  I recall clearly the Brentwood Loop being taken over by the Boron (we called
  it "Moron") gas station.  There was a nice waiting shelter there prior to
  this with a newsstand incorporated into it, which was a casualty of the gas
  station construction.

  I do not have any recollection of gas stations at either Pirl Street or
  South 30th Street, but that does not mean they were not there.  Perhaps they
  were installed after the tram era.  However, I do recall a gas station (I
  think this one was Boron also, but would have to dig out some old slides to
  verify this) being constructed on the site of the Glenwood Car House, about
  the time Rt. 56 was bustituted.

  Hope this helps.

  Dwight
    ----- Original Message -----